Chairman’s Comments
We fast approach the year end and while the Season of Celebrations and, hopefully, goodwill is uppermost in our minds, traditionally we reflect on the past year. Certainly we have experienced some difficult times. Be it the loss of the wonderful facilities at the ‘Ramada’ or the impact of serious illness and other personal factors within our ‘hard core team’. However, with true Bridgtonian determination we have ‘ weathered the storm’ and fully recovered our composure. It must be recorded that immediate positive help from Bethel Church and Bridgtown Primary School was a significant factor in our recovery.
The recent Sixth Annual Exhibition again attracted a large number of Members and Visitors from far and wide, and the publication of our Book No.5 highlighting ‘Churchbridge’ is selling well.
It is rewarding to welcome new guests to recent events and to see old friends rejoining us. We are also conscious of building relationships with Bridgtown’s current residents and we will continue to press Local Authorities for the provision of facilities which reflect the growing community needs.
So what of 2015? Our Programme of Activities and Events is currently being formulated. I earlier mentioned our ‘Hard Core Team’ and I think it well worth mentioning we now have four active team members over 80 years old. A reminder then that we are always looking for younger blood.
Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy Christmas and looking forward to 2015.
Regards
Tony
24th November 2014
Derrick Middleton remembers......
More Autumn Memories – Bonfire Night
In the last edition we remembered the excitement of a visit to the fair. Once that was over and trips to collect conkers from our favourite horse-chestnut tree were completed, then thoughts turned to 5th November, Bonfire Night. From 1946 onwards a number of shops in the village had fireworks for sale.
Fireworks weresold separately at an average price of between a penny and sixpence. It was a big decision what to buy each week with any available pocket money. There were Bangers, Catherine Wheels, Jumping Jacks, Rockets, etc., or perhaps even a selection box.
The fireworks were normallystored in a box, probably kept safely in the bedroom, and we would get together to examine the contents of each other’s boxes.
The night of the 5th November was spent normally in the garden of one of the children and the adults supervised the lighting of the fireworks, using milk bottles for rockets, line posts for Catherine Wheels etc. Organised bonfires on the Scout Field stated in the early 1950s.
Jacket potatoes were passed round and a wonderful night was enjoyed by all and the cold weather forgotten. Another adventure was over for the year and now came the chance to look forward to our first real Christmas after the end of the war.
‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck,
How to live in a world that’s politically correct.
His workers no longer would answer to elves,
“Vertically challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labour conditions at the North Pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul,
Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety
Released to the wilds by the “Humane Society”.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
Had better not just use reindeer;
So Dancer and Donner and Comet and Cupid
Were replaced by four pigs and you know that looked stupid.
The runners had been removed from the sleigh,
The ruts were termed dangerous by the EDA
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof tops.
Second hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened,
His fur-trimmed red suit was called “unenlightened”,
And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows
Rudolph was suing over unauthorised use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo in front of the nation
Demanding millions in overdue compensation.
So half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
Who suddenly said she’d had enough of this life.
She joined a self-help group, packed and left in a whizz
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, well he never had a notion
That making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leathers, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him and nothing for her,
Nothing that might be construed to pollute,
Nothing to aim, nothing to shoot;
Nothing that clamoured or made a loud noise
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacific.
No candy or sweets...... they were bad for the tooth,
Nothing that seemed to embellish the truth.
And fairy tales while not yet forbidden
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological.
No baseball, no football...... someone could get hurt,
Besides playing sports exposed children to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe',
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there dishevelled and perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, he tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground,
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right;
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion.
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone everywhere, even you!
So here is that gift, its price beyond worth,
“May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth”.
Harvey Ehrlich
1992
Adverts
Adverts help to pay for this magazine. We desperately need some new ones. This is important to the magazine’s future. Do you know someone who would like to advertise?
All charges are per annum and cover 4 editions of the magazine:
Full A5 page advert:£80 for a prepared advert.
£100 if we design the advert for you.
Half A5 page advert:£45 for a prepared advert.
£55 if we design it for you.
Quarter A5 page advert:£25 for a prepared advert.
£30 if we design it for you.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888
Hymns to listen to while driving
For modest speeds:Ride on, ride on in majesty
Above 60 mph:Eternal father, strong to save
Above 80mph:Nearer my God to Thee
Above 100mph:Lord, I’m coming home!
Tony Bibb remembers......
WEDGES MILLS IN THE 1950s.
In the early 50s the children of Wedges Mills had no area where they could safely play other than private woodland offWood Lane and farmers’ pasture land which displayed “No Trespassing” notices –signs which were a prominent and common feature of those years.
With the advent of more vehicular traffic through the village it was decided that a Playing Fields would be a fantastic asset to the village.
To this end a large group of then currentresidents formed a Village Hall and Playing Fields Association and held inaugural meetings in each other’s houses. There was no focal meeting place at that time.
Officers were elected and organised the commencement of fund raising activities. BeetleDrives and Whist Drives and other pastimes were held in committee members’ homes and garages and gradually funds were raised.
It was decided that a Village Fete & Carnival should be held and to this end a field owned by Ansell’s Brewery adjoining the Star and Garter Public House was pinpointed as a site for the proposed Playing Fields.
Interest was tremendous and nearly everyone was involved.
.
The first Carnival was organised in the early 1950s and took place every year on August Bank Holiday Monday for a number of successive years.
Agreements were made with the Brewery to rent the field for village usage and eventually a strip of land at the northern boundary was purchased from the Brewery as a site for the erection of a Village Hall.
The Village Carnival was an exciting occasion for us kids.Not a lot happened in the Village prior to inauguration of the Fete and the preparations on site were widely anticipated as, ahead of the day, stalls would be erected and marquees appeared, arriving on large trailers. The field grass was cut and prepared by a local farmer with tractor and cutter. There were many side-stalls includingtombolas, skittles and a big raffle with many donated prizes from both village residents and local small businesses, who never failed to support the Committee.
My mother had a friend in the bakery business in Hednesford, a Mrs Taylor, who made large cakes in any shape and design required. Each
year she would be provided with the ingredients and provided a memorable end result. When the lady moved to RAF Cosford my mother and I made a two-bus journey there to collect the cake and convey it back to Wedges Mills - no easy feat by public transport. That particular year I recall the cake was a replica of a Village Hall, complete with children figures, swings and a village pond; and had multi-colour icing!. It was a truly great feat of baking and a source of great interest to people and procured large ticket sales. The baker would accept no recompense for the provision. The cake was raffled on the day of the Carnival. There was also a Grand Draw with many prizes donated locally.
There was a fancy dress competition and then a parade around the village with the Carnival King and Queen ( chosen from local children each year) leading the parade on a lorry drivenby Jim Adams and loaned freely from his employers at the Cannock Branch of Walsall Cooperative Milk Depot. The fancy dress entrants paraded behind the lorry. There were topical matters reflected in the dress of the numerous fancy dress entrants and each year thoughts turned to what attire Albert and Colin Dando(of the Star & Garter) would appear in on the day. Their costumes were often on a drag theme and oneyear they dressed amazingly as the then well known artiste Carmen Miranda together with "fruit bowl" broad hats with various fruits displayed thereon and with full female make up and dress. They really were tremendous sports.
Sadly Albert passed away recently in Walsall and brother Colin emigrated to Australia in the early sixties and was tragically drowned in an accident, but memories of their participation still exist with locals.
The annual turnout was quite amazing as people came from miles to attend on the day and the site of the Carnival became packed with people as the afternoon progressed. The normally quiet village became somewhat of a metropolis for the day. It became a much anticipated event.
Children’s and adult sports were arranged - sack races, relays, etc.- with prizes, and there was an annual football match between the Men and Ladies teams. It was an event packed day at full pace.
Eventually when funds were sufficient a defunct hut was purchased from the RAF Hednesford Camp and erected on the purchased strip of land, and later brick additions to the building were added and the Hall became a focal point for Village activities over the succeeding years. It still exists.
EATING IN THE FIFTIES
- A takeaway was a mathematical problem.
- A pizza was something to do with a leaning tower.
- Bananas and oranges only appeared at Christmas time.
- The only vegetables known to us were spuds, peas, carrots and
cabbage. Anything else was regarded as being a bit suspicious.
HISTORY SOCIETY NEWS
This year’s new book was launched on Sunday 19th October. The book is about Bridgtown’s older brother, Churchbridge! This book has been written by our Churchbridge expert, John Devey, and is still on sale. Do you know anyone who might like a copy for Christmas?
We still have lots of copies of Bygone Bridgtown and Bridgtown Born & Bred and Bridgtown and Beyond for sale. Every time we sell one of these books it is another £5.00 towards our fund-raising. Do you know somebody who would like copies of any of them? These are still worthwhile Christmas presents too. Copies can be ordered by phone from Katherine Page on 01543 571386.
We are still keen to pursue our interests in property in the Bridgtown area if we are to leave a real legacy for future generations of Bridgtonians. We do not have the funds for such a venture and it will be necessary for us to apply for necessary grants to achieve our aims. In addition we shall still need to raise a lot more money through new activities and events. We need the support of members in order to achieve our aims. Equally if anyone has a good idea for fund-raising please share it with us.
World War 1 memorabilia is needed for a display we are planning to mount at some relevant point in time. Please search your homes to see if you have anything that you can lend to us to commemorate the Great War. So far we have collected information but no pictures at all.Can you help?
It is intended that, in the future, the society will produce a proper history book detailing the growth and development of Bridgtown. This is a long-term project that will take some time to complete but we believe that such a book needs writing and the planning of this official record has now begun.
sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy-As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it, OR the store will stop selling it!!
Derrick Middleton lists some of the things that used to be commonplace but are now hardly ever seen......
Sights we no longer see
- Dogs taking themselves out for a walk (normal practice was to open the door and let the dog out).
- Loads of coal tipped on the pavement outside to be moved by the householder.
- Women shopping in their head scarves and pinafores.
- Housewives sitting on the sill outside the upstairs windows to clean them.
- When a horse-drawn cart appeared, buckets being used to collect fertiliser for the rhubarb.
- Men stopping and taking off their caps when a funeral passed.
- Miners coming back from their shift with their hands and face covered with coal dust (pithead baths were introduced after 1947).
- Tin Baths in front of the fire in homes without a bathroom .
- Knife sharpening by a man who came round on his bike with a stone fixed on the front.
- Separate schools for girls and boys, with teachers patrolling the fence to ensure no contact.
- Chimney fires with smoke drifting all over the village.
- And most of all -- our beloved Rec.
We want to add as many memories as we can to this new section of the Bridgtown History website. Could you put on your thinking caps and let have suggestions?
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Doctors' Law:-
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor. By the time you get there you'll feel better.
This is the Elliott Lucas Ltd works at Churchbridge as it was decorated for the coronation of King George VI on 12th May 1937. The photograph was supplied by Mike Inskip, who also provides the following information.
The company manufactured small tools / spanners. The Works manager at this time was Mike’s uncle, Cecil Inskip.
The directors were Willy Schaefer ( senior ) and a Mr Reinartz. Both were German citizens and were placed in internment camps during the 2nd world war ( in Canada he believes).Both returned to Cannock after the war. Mr Reinartz later opened another factory in Birmingham.
Willy Schaefer lived on Longford Road, Cannock ( near the junction with Oaks Drive & Bideford Way ) . He was an amateur radio enthusiast and a most notablefeature of his back garden was a 30 metre transmitter mast.
His son, also Willy Schaefer ran a TV repair shop in Walsall Rd., Bridgtown.
Men and their Vehicles
Here is a light-hearted look at this theme, as demonstrated at our Open Day at Bridgtown Social Club on 16th October 2014.
Bob Meek stands by an Aston Martin while Fred Pritchard considers a mobility scooter!
John Devey tells the story of
The Recipe.
George Whitehouse and his wife Mary Ann lived at number 57 North Street, which is one of the houses in the Victorian row that faced Machin’s shoe shop. He was born in Cheslyn Hay in 1870 and in 1894 he married Mary Ann Gough who was born in 1869 in Hednesford. George was very interested in politics and as a strong Labour supporter he delighted in debates on the subject. His other passion was music.