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The distant local
For this week’s (somewhat delayed, my apologies) old pictures post I decided to dive into the warmth of the local boozer. Brownhills and Walsall Wood have had many hostelries over the years, some long...
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Old Brownhills pubs question: Can you help?
I have been contacted today by a reader who’s been studying local directories for details of people and businesses of old Brownhills. They have come upon two public houses recorded which neither of us...
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Go west…
Since it’s Pelsall Canal Festival weekend, I thought I’d focus on the village over the swag this week. Although traditionally separate communities, I’m aware that in these enlightened times, some...
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In the Middle
Had a great one from David Evans a couple of days ago… as I typed this it occurred to me that the young lad far left would probably have been conscripted into the Second World War. Achingly sad. Hi Bob...
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Polished oak
It’s not often I’m rendered dumbfounded. However, today it occurred. I had an very interesting mail from one of the longest-serving friends and contributors to The Brownhills Blog – Lisa Downes. You...
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Holden family snapshot: what do you know?
Lisa Downes, great friend of the Brownhills Blog, got in touch with her family information soon after I posted her remarkable restoration of Daryl Preston’s wonderful Royal Oak 1915 photograph. There...
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The Royal Oak, Bullings Heath: Explorations in local history
This is the first of a multi-part epic. Researched painstakingly by David Evans, top bloke and stalwart of this blog, he wrote this up some weeks ago, and I’ve been working on bringing the information...
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Cutting down the Oak?
Readers anticipating the next instalment of the Royal Oak story – the lost pub in Bullings Heath – could be forgiven for thinking I’d forgotten the subject, but nothing could be further from the truth....
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Yew could be right…
Here’s an interesting theory from David Evans regarding Walsall Wood High Street, and the recent debate over pubs, beer-houses and other purveyors of the holy pint.Not sure I totally agreed with this...
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The Royal Oak, Bullings Heath: The last century
This is the second of a multi-part epic. Researched painstakingly by David Evans, top bloke and stalwart of this blog, he wrote this up some months ago, and I’ve been working on bringing the...
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End of an era?
Thanks to the anonymous reader who flagged this up with me a couple of days ago. Further to our recent rumination on the matter of the former Royal Oak, at Bullings Heath, it’s been noted that the...
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The Royal Oak – a new chapter unfolding?
Thanks to reader Caz who pointed out last week that an application has been made to build a close of houses on the land currently occupied by the former Royal Oak pub in Bullings Heath, opposite the...
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I say, Landlord!
I'm liking this a lot: sent to me yesterday by Andy Dennis, this is a Google Documents/Excel spreadsheet of derived information on local pub landlords from census and other data. Continue reading →
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The end and the beginning
Thanks to several people including reader and friend of the blog Caz and the Young David Evans who've both pointed out that the former Royal Oak in Bullings Heath, Walsall Wood, is currently being...
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Middle Oak up for sale
I wouldn't normally bother too much with this, but there's been a fair bit of rumour locally and it's worth pointing out that the current landlords of the Royal Oak in Shire Oak, Brownhills (known as...
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What was lost, now restored
I am indebted to a Burnell yet again, as top chap and fellow cyclist Richard contacts me and points out something he noticed that I didn't - Bullings Heath Grove is now a real place, with street signs...
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Curious George…
Old friend of the blog Lisa Ashby (nee Downes) is still carefully researching her Holden family tree, and could do with a little help - she's come across a Walsall Wood gentleman called George Colley,...
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Who’s that girl?
In the informative and fascinating discussion over the question of George Colley and Lisa Ashby's research into the Holden family that I feature here last week, an interesting side issue was raised:...
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