Following another successful Exhibition, our book ‘Happy Days’ has been selling really well.  The Holly Bush has sold out, Waterstone’s in Walsall have almost cleared their allocation and Martins in Cannock have sold over 100 books.  Although we ordered an extra 300 this year it has proved the right decision as we are now down to the last 100 books and we even got a mention on SAGA Radio (now called Smooth) under the title of ‘what book are you reading now that you can thoroughly recommend’!!
Winners of the free raffle at the Exhibition were Mrs Williams, Alpha Way (Travel Bags), Paul Chilton (Briefcase), Carol Forrester, Mitre Road (Wine) and Mr Hughes, Harrisons Lane, Gailey (Chocolates).  It’s always encouraging to receive artefacts and more photographs to copy for our archives but this year we were delighted to receive four brass plaques, all specially commissioned and made for the Cheslyn Hay Carnivals for all entrants in the Mechanical Vehicle Parade by Cheslyn Hay businessman Alan Woodward of Woodward Transport, now based at Norton Canes.  John Ridgway of the Carnival Committee organised a presentation and the plaques can currently be seen at the library in Cheslyn Hay.
The Edalji filming which we were involved with appeared on ITV3 on November 28th, under the title of ‘Forensic Casebook with Matthew Kelly’, but the angle was from the viewpoint of how the forensic investigations were ‘botched up’ and how techniques have improved over the last century.  It seems that the series, which looks very interesting, will be repeated on ITV1.
Our involvement with all the local schools continues and we’ve been invited to help with a Reunion and Display at the Glenthorne School sometime in March.  I’ve also been involved with ‘the WS6 Project’ which includes the more elderly residents of Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley being interviewed by children from the local schools culminating in a book of memories.  The scheme is backed by the Government and the children will be presenting the Minister Hazel Blears with the book.
Despite the weather I believe that the Remembrance Parade was the best attended for years and we were asked to provide all the names of all the fallen from the two World Wars from our area and it added a certain poignancy to the service when these 97 names were read out in Church after the parade.
Framed photographs from our archives seem to be very much in vogue currently, as in recent weeks we have provided Blowers Club, the White Horse and now the Upper Landywood Snooker Club for their patrons to indulge in a bit of nostalgia over their evening drink.
We were invited to the official opening of the Bridgtown Community Centre in November and we have booked Wednesday, 21st January to hold a coffee morning for anyone local to Bridgtown.  We will lay on a display of photographs and Tony Pearson wants to organise a Bridgtown School reunion if the morning is successful.
Finally to end on a sad note, we have to report the loss of three of our well valued and respected members – Mrs Sheila Adams, Mrs Mary Allman and Mrs Nance Brough.  All lived full lives around our area and together totalled around 270 years of priceless knowledge that sadly we cannot tap into anymore.  A sobering thought.
Trevor McFarlane

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