Cheslyn Hay & District Local History Society

Hi and welcome to our summer edition of the society’s newsletter. The new look web site is now up and running – so if you haven’t already spotted it and tried it out please have a look. Why not pop into your local library and have a taster session on the Internet – you may be surprised what you can do. The new web site has a fresher more interesting feel, and allows a little more user input than to old site – you can view lots of current mystery photographs (50 or so last time I looked) and post names and places etc. If you spot anyone or anything you recognise you can leave your comments on the web site, we can then use them to update the photos in our archive. You can also view the full list of speakers for both the mornings and evenings events.

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Holidays, Festivals and Customs – Part Three

In this, the third and final part of holidays and festivals, I am continuing to look at those days we celebrate during the year, including some that we used to celebrate but no longer do so. Continue Reading »

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This Quarters List is of the families that worked at Gilpins from 1813 to 1940. Continue Reading »

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Maureen Lloyd, daughter of Jackie Brown, the popular local musician/pianist, is now living in Germany and would like to get in touch with an old school friend, Diane Whitehouse. They were at Cheslyn Hay Primary until 1957 and then at Great Wyrley until 1961. Continue Reading »

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An extract from the Shareshill Parish Magazine

9/5/1908 History of Shareshill (Part 3)

Before the incumbency of the Rev.J.Boodle Clare there was no resident clergyman or any vicarage. Different clergy came from Wolverhampton and District to take the services. Continue Reading »

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Pat Everiss has dropped me a line to say that she had taken the photo into the W.M.Club and no-one recognised anyone on the photo. In fact 3 different people thought it was not taken in Cheslyn Hay. One suggested it could be Bridgetown Social Club.

Jill Manning, of Shareshill, thinks that in the Mystery photo in last Newsletter the man seated extreme right in leather jacket is Bob Holden, who used to live opposite the Wheatsheaf Pub in Laney Green. Someone else thinks that the photo was taken at the Bridgtown Social Club.

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A girl recently went to the Benefits Agency to claim Child Benefit. The clerk on duty commenced the formality of questioning her entitlement.

‘How many children do you have?’

‘Ten’ said the girl.

‘Ten?’ asks the clerk incredulously. ‘What are their names?’

‘Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne, Wayne and Wayne’ replies the girl.

‘Isn’t that confusing’ comments the clerk.

‘Naa’ says the girl. ‘It’s great cos’ if they’m out playin’in the ‘oss road I just ‘ave ter shout Wa-ay-ay-ne…. yer dinners ready, or Waaayne.. goo to bed now’ and they all do it’.

‘But what if you want to attract the attention of one individually?’ asks the puzzled clerk.

‘No problem’ says the girl, ‘I just use their surnames!’

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23/8/1958 The Man with the Birds

With 180 birds in all, including several first-class young ones of this season, Mr.Kendall, of The Nook, Cheslyn Hay, can be justly proud of his record in this, only his second season. Mr.Kendall, blind in one eye and a cripple as a result of a colliery accident, was in hospital when a doctor suggested that he try cage birds as a hobby. Continue Reading »

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11/7/1908 Cheslyn Hay – The Late Mr.Bird

The funeral of the late Mr.W.Bird took place on Sunday at Cannock Cemetery. The deceased had passed the years allotted to man by holy writ, and until the last few months was hale and hearty. He passed away at the Rose and Crown Inn, which he had occupied for some time and previous to that for nearly two decades he occupied the White Lion at Churchbridge. Continue Reading »

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It certainly has been an action packed last three months since our AGM which was, once again, encouragingly well supported. One project we have concentrated more on this year is the growing demand from our members of researching their family trees. We promoted this theme at both the Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley Token Days and we were most encouraged and surprised at the number of people who wanted to take up this as a hobby but didn’t know how to go about it. Following this we ran a Family History Day for Beginners on Saturday, 31^st May and we had a steady stream of 50 – 60 enquiries from families throughout the day, many of whom joined as new members. We will definitely add this to our Annual Programme in the future. Continue Reading »

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I have attached a photo that I’m hoping that members can help me with. I think that the photo was taken around the mid 1930s. The boys are sitting on the lock gates of the canal at Wedges Mills. In the background is the old forge. The only person I can identify is my grandfather Vic Sanders who is sitting in the middle. He was born in 1921, and I guess that he is a young teenager in the photo. I have no idea who any of the others are. The photo is quite small unfortunately, and isn’t in very good condition.

Thanks
Sian

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