Official Black Country Thread

[blackcountryboy]

Well, as you can probs tell from my name I'm Black Country born and bred, but if truth be told I never tell people I'm from the BC, I always tell people I'm from Brum. I'm not ashamed or anything, it's just that people (even Midlanders) have not heard of the area. I started at Aston uni in October and when I said I was from the Black Country I was accused by a geordie of being a racist, she thought I was making some sort of statement about Brum's black communities. After I explained she was totally fine, but she'd never heard of the area ever.

I think the BC councils need to get their acts together to promote our area better. One idea might be to have our name in the new title of the City Region, eg. Birmingham and Black Country, not too long and a good way of getting the name out there.

[Butterfield]

Originally Posted by El Paulo

I am absolutely astounded by this! I can't believe that folks are that naive, idiotic, sheltered, bigoted etc, etc and that this sort of misunderstanding about the name 'Black Country' still exists. It does show we've got some work to do and that maybe SSC could be a starting place for this.

The name "the Black Country" really should be as famous as "the Potteries". Or maybe that's more famous because of the likes of Royal Doulton...

Originally Posted by El Paulo

The Black Country was historically a lot more compact than it is now. However, all four of the councils have come together under the BC banner to promote tourism in the area and many people from elsewhere will just asume that Wolves or Walsall are entirely within the BC simply because they've put there name to it.
The Black Country Museum are another very important player to throw in to the mix - a few years back I heard the then manager of the museum say that the BC now consited of all of the four boroughs (his words!). The museum also takes buildings from across the area, such as Rolfe St Baths in Smethwick, which was definitely not in the historic BC but seems to be in the modern one.

I think I thought that Smethwick was in the Black Country anyway, along with Oldbury and perhaps all the rest of Sandwell! But you're right, the Black Country has seemed to have gotten bigger over the years.

I can't think of any buildings at the Black Country Museum that are from Wolverhampton or Walsall, except maybe the trolleybuses!

Originally Posted by El Paulo

Finally, one way to up the profile could be a 'Black Country' Sticky at the top of the Brum Metro Area thread. I used to know BC folk who wouldn't talk to you if you called them a Brummie and many may be put off joining the site when they see themselves being grouped in with them (I know there only so many things you can call the West Mids!). What do people think, it might be a way of getting more local people to join and bolster the Midlands numbers on SSC?

I joined this place knowing that it was about "Birmingham and the West Midlands" meaning that it wasn't just Birmingham. I get a bit irritated by people not from Birmingham who get "offended" by being called a Brummie. Just correct them by saying "well, I live [this and that many] miles away". There's worse things to be called!

[FLD]

Same as calling someone with a London sounding accent a "Cockney", when they could be from Essex for example! Anyone outside the region doesn't really care anyway, and can't tell the subtle differences between the Midlands' accents.

[El Paulo]

Anybody got any interesting facts about the Black Country. I've looked quite hard and can't find a list anywhere. The only ones I'm really aware of are that New Invention may have been the apocryphal birthplace of the steam engine, and Abraham Darby (of Ironbridge) was born in Dudley.

[U475 Foxtrot]

...

[Butterfield]

Well done El Paulo for successfully campaigning to getting this thread stickyfiedddd!

[El Paulo]

Oh my, Bio! Can't say I envisaged it happening so soon - I hope the Black Country is better known across the land as a result. Well, thankyou Woody.

Might as well start by posting one or two pictures of my first visit to Walsall. Y'know, 32 years in these parts and I'd never visited the place!!

Watch this space...

[Erebus555]

From the Birmingham Post:

Governor hails resurgent Black Country
Arguably Wolverhampton's most powerful son, Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, returned to his roots last night to hail the resurgence of the Black Country.

Presenting the Best of Black Country Awards to local businesses, he described their successes as the story of a region being born again after the loss of much of its traditional manufacturing that he recalled from his boyhood, when "flames from the blast furnaces lit up the grey sky on winter afternoons".

Dr King praised the character of the area, which enabled the region to come through and enter a new era of regeneration.

"The products of the 21st century may not be the nails and bolts, screws and fasteners of the past," Dr King said. "But they will require the use of manufacturing know-how and business ingenuity to service the needs of consumers.

"I have been struck, as I travel to a different part of the country each month, by how many firms are producing imaginative and innovative products for which there is a real demand around the world."


That did not mean that all successful firms make high tech products, rather there is a market where low wages are not the most important competitive advantage.


"The Black Country tradition of numerous small firms operating cheek by jowl is exactly the model so successful in Silicon Valley and Bangalore, in science parks and film studios, and in financial centres round the world".


Winners of the Black Country awards included both new and established companies spanning manufacturing, services and construction.


"Of course, some of the old ways have gone and many manufacturing companies have perished, Dr King recalled. "Recent years have not been easy for the Black Country, especially as profit margins have been squeezed by greater competition from overseas.


"But there are – as you yourselves demonstrate – many examples of the regeneration of the Black Country, be they new businesses or older ones re-focusing their activities."


Dr King noted, too, changes beside the Black Country's economic revival. The University of Wolverhampton – "impossible to imagine that there would be one when I was a boy" – now has more than 23,000 students.


It had put its motto "Innovation and Opportunity" into practice through partnerships with Wolverhampton Science Park and the Telford-Wolverhampton Technology Corridor.


There was also Walsall's New Art Gallery in its internationally acclaimed building.


Turning to the role of sport, Dr King highlighted the Chance to Shine campaign, where he is president, to regenerate cricket in state schools. Twelve Wolverhampton and Walsall schools will be participating next summer, he noted.


"Given that in business the need to work in teams is of the essence, it is sad that competitive team sport in our schools has declined," he added.


"The aim of Chance to Shine is to give young people from all our communities, boys and girls, a chance to experience what it is like to be in a team and to learn how to win and how to lose."


He described the Bank's interest-setting Monetary Policy Committee as the referee for the economy. "We want to allow you to focus on running your businesses – you are the players – while the MPC quietly gets on with its job."


"The Black Country is where it all began," Dr King concluded. "But now we must look to the future.


"The Black Country has entered a new era. And you are making it happen.


"If we can retain the degree of stability that we have seen now for more than a decade, then you will have the opportunity to start and expand businesses that will compete for Black Country business awards in the years to come."

[U475 Foxtrot]

Don't think it's been posted before but you can find sketchy details of ‘A Million People – The Black Country as Urban Park’ submission for the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks programme here.

http://www.blackcountryconsortium.co...=20&NewsRef=15

and these are a good place to start if you want to know what's going on the Black Country
http://www.regenco.co.uk - West Bromwich
http://www.walsall-regeneration.co.uk/ - Walsall
http://www.wolverhamptoncity.co.uk/c...70177501710765 - Wolverhampton

[blackcountryboy]

O great!! Finally got this thread made sticky!!! That's great. Glad to see the BC is being praised by Mervyn King, he's an important figure. Thanks Foxtrot for that info on the Urban Park scheme, sounds good. Shame it's up against Birmingham's Eastside City Park reallly, would have been nice to have seen both get the go ahead.

[U475 Foxtrot]

Went to Walsall on Saturday and took some pix. It was a bit dark and they all came out rubbish except this one. Such a great building

[Biosonic]

Imagine if Brum & BC were led by Digby Jones & Mervyn King

[El Paulo]

Sorry if some of these shots have been seen before on this thread, but I was so impressed with Walsall that I wanted to share my experience with you!












Anyone got any info on St Matthew's Quarter?

[Butterfield]

Great work El Paulo! Were those high up photos taken from a multi storey car park or something?

On the 8th pic I think I can just about see Butterfield Court in Dudley on the horizon.

[El Paulo]

Taken from the Art Gallery - lovely building.

[Erebus555]

Great pics. I should go up there too! Nice selection of tower blocks in them pics too

[Smileyface]

Let's all have a meet up in Walsall instead of boring old Brum great photos El Paulo and Foxtrot. You're both putting me to shame coz I live only a fart sniff away from the centre and I never hardly venture there with my camera...a few of my random efforts for the hell of it.



















My mate Chris adding a bit of artistic value to the photo's!!

[Smileyface]

few more.....















I'm sure my girlfriend won't mind if she appears in just one - only photo I can find of the Bus station!

[Biosonic]

Originally Posted by Smileyface

few more....photobucket

I like how Walsall Town Hall/Council House more than resembles Birmingham's Council House

[U475 Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by El Paulo

I looked though that window and thought about taking a shot of the gallery from the carpark. I went to the wharf bar instead Lovely building. Didn't especially look at the art, just stroked the walls and bannisters and looked at the ceiling. Must have looked a right freak.

Not sure if i'm going to be around this weekend but a Walsall meet/drinking session in the future sounds good Smiley. Is that woman slightly crossed eyed? I'm talking about the one on the front of the council house not your wife