Information

Within the content of this web site you will find archived information about almost every aspect of Birmingham and the West Midlands. Most of the photographs are available and released into the public domain. However, you should pay due care and attention to the sensitivities of people who may have been photographed in the public or car registration plates and other identification. This is your responsibility not ours. The text within this website is NOT public domain.

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NB: Coat of arms for the West Midlands not used since 1986. Image obtained from wikipedia.

For public domain photographs from around the West Midlands click here




 

Smethwick Fire

The Smethwick fire of 2013 was a devastating blaze that occurred on November 9, 2013, in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. The fire started when a Chinese lantern, which was released into the sky, landed on a warehouse in the area. The lantern ignited the building, leading to a large fire that completely destroyed the structure.

The warehouse, which was filled with flammable materials, was rapidly consumed by the flames. The fire caused significant damage, but fortunately, there were no fatalities. However, it resulted in the destruction of both the building and its contents. The incident highlighted the dangers posed by Chinese lanterns, which have been banned in some places due to their potential to start fires when they land in dry or combustible areas.

The Smethwick fire of 2013 serves as a reminder of the risks associated with releasing sky lanterns, especially in areas near buildings or vegetation.

Waterfront, Dudley

The Waterfront at Dudley is an extension of the Merry Hill Shopping complex but not build for shopping. It is mainly office buildings which house the Inland Revenue and companies like Virgin Media. The business park is also home to a Copthorne Hotel.

The Dudley No.1 Canal passes straight through the Waterfront site which also has a number of restaurants and pubs as well as a marina.

For more photographs of the waterfront at Dudley click here

Wychbury Obelisk

The Wychbury Hill Obelisk, known locally as the monument or the Hagley Obelisk, can be seen for miles around. Constructed in 1758 under instructions from Lord Lyttleton it dominates the landscape and is believed to have been built on the site of an ancient shrine.

The obelisk is fenced off due to the danger of it collapsing. It seems unlikely that it will ever be restored.  Graffiti on the structure reads "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm" refers to a mystery dating back to the 1940's when poachers discovered the skeleton of a young woman in an old Wych elm nearby.

Wychbury Hill is still part of the estate of the Viscounts Cobham of Hagley Hall although it can be accessed from public footpaths.

Wolverhampton History

Prince Albert's StatueA statue of Prince Albert (shown above) in full military uniform mounted on a horse was unveiled in 1866 on High Green, renamed Queen's Square after this illustrious occasion: the first public appearance of the monarch since her consorts death. The statue replaced a Russian cannon captured from Sebastopol in the Crimea in 1855. Interestingly the metal used to strike the Victoria Cross (awarded to only 1,351 men) comes from Russian guns seized at Sebastopol.

Central LibraryThe present building stands at the junction off Garrick Street and Cleveland Road and dates from the turn of the last century it's dedication reading: 'To Commemorate the 60th Year of Queen Victoria's Reign'. The exterior features the names of such literary luminaries as Chaucer, Dryden, Pope, Shelley and Shakespeare. The building rests on the site of the old Theatre Royal.

Art GalleryErected in 1884 in Lichfield Street it houses over 12,000 items and was the recipient of three major bequests: Sidney Cartwright, tinsmith and magistrate donated over two hundred works of mostly British art from the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Industrialist Paul Lutz. And Philip Horman, the founder of the gallery, which cost him £8,500. A fountain celebrating his gift stands in front of St Peter's. The gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions and has a significant collection of modern popular art.

Grand Theatre.First opened on 10 December 1894 and at one time the last surviving theatre in the Black Country leading on from the fall of vaudeville and the rise of cinema and TV. Funded by the National Lottery and partnership funding for the European Regional Development fund at a 'grand' total of eight million pounds, refurbishment began in 1998. It currently has a seating capacity of 1,200. Charlie Chaplin made one of his first stage appearances at the Grand as Dr Watson's pageboy in Sherlock Holmes. Churchill has spoken there, and David Lloyd George.

Bantock HouseA grade II listed building built between 1734-88 and known originally as Merridale Farm; Baldwin Bantock inherited it from his father in 1896. It reopened in May 1999 with money from the Heritage Lottery fund enabling the gardens to be re-created to Baldwin Bantock's (he was a keen gardener) original designs. The first floor is devoted to a comprehensive history of the district.

Wightwick Manor
Samuel Theodore Mander (1853-1900) of the paint and varnish firm constructed a mock-Tudor building to house his collection of Arts and Crafts furnishings, stained glass, and works of art by such as Burne-Jones, even Walter Swinburne's bed. Sir Geoffrey Mander donated the estate to the National Trust in 1937.

BeattiesBegan as a corner shop on Victoria Street in 1877 its two staff living on the premises. By 1895 staff levels had increased to forty and went on to comprise nine stores nationwide; part of the secret of Beatties success was experimenting with opening hours for example opening late, a move which proved popular with the public.

ConclusionIn 1872 the Report of the Medical Officer of Health supported the construction of a public park. There had been epidemics of typhoid, cholera and small pox due to lack of sanitation and it was felt beneficial to public health for an area of space to be laid aside where residents might breath clean air away from the town's open sewers. West Park was opened in 1881, East Park following in 1896.

Today there are over 1,400 acres of parks and public spaces. Wolverhampton is home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, formed in 1880 and one of the founders of the Football League. It also has the only surviving West Midlands racecourse, Dunstall Park, which has recently undergone a £15.7 million overhaul thanks to funding from City Challenge. Impressive floodlighting and an all-weather surface greet the ardent race-goer.

There are the recently refurbished Mander and Wufrun shopping centres; an award-winning market (est. in the thirteenth century); a new bus station, police station and county court, and in 1998 Midland Metro (Line 1) from Birmingham opened proving the ability and adaptability of Wolverhampton to move with the times just as it did when it boasted ownership of the country's first automatic traffic lights in 1927.

Wolverhampton became a borough on 15 March 1848. And in 2000, in honour of the Millennium and the Queen's Golden Jubilee, was made a city. Wolverhampton's crowning moment in a long and distinguished history.

Wolverhampton then, and now, welcomes you.

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton, known variously as Wlfrunhamtona, Wlurenehamton, Heantune and Wulvenehamton (Wulfruna's High Town) was founded 985A.D. by virtue of a grant from Aethelred the Unready to Lady Wulfruna, and can be found listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Hantone with a population of approximately two hundred, quite considerable for that time.

St Peter's

Records show a parish church as early as 994, endowed by Lady Wulfruna from an already existing one. By the twelfth century this became known as the church of Wulfrunhampton. In the sixteenth century it was rededicated as St Peter's, the name by which it is now known. During the years 1852- 65 St Peter's was thoroughly restored by the aptly named Ewan Christian leaving just the base of the tower, believed to date from early thirteenth century, as the oldest surviving part. Beside the church is a statue honouring Wolverhampton's founder Wulfruna about whom, sadly, little is known other than in 943 the invading Danes held her prisoner.

War Memorials

St Peter's is home to several of Wolverhampton's war memorials; recently the grounds of the church were overhauled and the memorials cleaned including one to Able Seaman Douglas Morris Harris killed by Austrian naval gunfire in the Adriatic on May 15 1917 while continuing to enter a message in the log that the ship was under attack. The official war memorial stands in the shadow of St Peter's, while inside the church itself are rolls of honour from both World Wars and Wolverhampton's oldest memorial: the tomb of a soldier from the English Civil war, John Lane.

The Great Fire

The first Great Fire in Wolverhampton occurred in 1590 destroying 104 homes and 30 barns; it began in Barn Street and lasted for five days. The second was more than a century later in 1696, September 10 at 4p.m. to be precise, and once again the seat of origin was Barn Street. Within five hours 60 houses were gutted leaving the cost of damage at over £8,500 -a vast amount. These calamities led to inhabitants banding together in order to buy their own fire engine, which they accordingly did in 1703 (including 24 buckets for the water). And in 1814 thatched roofing was finally banned. Today only two Tudor buildings remain: 44 Exchange Street and Wolverhampton's most famous building, 19 Victoria Street 'Lindy Lou's' possibly erected in the 1590's and once the Hand Inn.

Industry

Wolverhampton's proximity to rich agricultural land prompted the creation of its initial wealth from wool, a part of its heritage which is celebrated through some of the street names: Farmers Fold and Tup Street; and also in its coat of arms which incorporates a wool pack and a lock in recognition of Wolverhampton's world famous locksmith industry creating keys, nails and bolts since 1603. The best-known local firm, Charles and Jeremiah Chubb, arrived in 1818 and was patented lock maker to Queen Victoria. As the Industrial Revolution continued apace so the population increased from 7,454 in 1750, to 12,500 in 1801, to 94,187 a century later. Today the total stands in excess of a quarter of a million.

With the Industrial Revolution came the canal system and in 1772 the Staffordshire and Worcester canal opened; it was surveyed by James Brindley the same man who oversaw completion of the first canal in the country: Manchester in 1761. It meant goods could be transported from Birmingham to London in just four to five days, where previously it had taken weeks. The first train arrived on 1 June 1837, by then the canals had enjoyed their day. Now canals are experiencing a revival as a popular tourist and leisure facility.

West Midlands Safari Park

West Midland Safari & Leisure Park is an Award winning attraction situated in Worcestershire with impressive facilities for groups of all sizes. It combines a four-mile safari with Discovery Trail, live shows, African Village, amusement rides, shops and cafeterias.

The self-drive safari covers an area of 150 acres and is lavish with some of the greatest species known to man - Indian Rhino, White Lions, White Tigers, Giraffe, Elephants, African Rhino; African Wild Dogs and Cheetah, to name just a few.

Discovery Trail is home to a variety of exhibits that include New Penguin Cove that comes complete with waterfall, semi-submerged beach, pool and spectacular opportunities for public viewing. All weather exhibits include Mark O’Shea’s Reptile World, Creepy Crawlies, Twilight Cave and Seaquarium. It’s also the location to find the Sea Lion Theatre and some great animal encounters.

West Midland Safari Park is not just about animals. The Amusement Area, which is situated at the lakeside, plays host to a variety of family orientated rides, including two water rides, namely the Zambezi Water Splash and Wild River Rapids. Others include Venom, The Black Fly, Rhino Rollercoaster and the Twister.

Highlights
Highlights include the drive-through safari and seeing two UK firsts - the largest pride of rare White Lions and the largest group of Cheetah. There’s also the New Penguin Cove, African Village, Meerkat Mayhem and “Walking with Lemurs” - the largest walk-through Lemur wood in the UK.

For prices and further information you should visit the web site which can be found at:

www.wmsp.co.uk.


WM Safari Park, Spring Grove, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 1LF

Tel: 01299 400700 or 01299 402114