Subscribe to the feedOn Saturday 12 November we will be holding a Skittles Evening at The Community Centre, Enville Road, Wall Heath at 7.30pm.
Admission is by ticket only at £5 each to include a Ploughman’s Supper with guests bringing their own drinks.
For tickets plesae telephone 01384 296506 or 01384 273851
The Wall Heath Community Centre was opened in September 1961 and the Community Association Committee decided to arrange a number of events during 2011 to celebrate 50 years in the current building.
John Billingham was welcomed in July when he regaled his audience with reminiscences of life as it was in the 1960’s also including in his illustrated talk events of national and international importance,
In September an “Open Day” was held when all groups who regularly use the Community Centre displayed items from their archives relating to their activities fifty years ago
In October a concert was held in the presence of the Mayor of Dudley Councillor Michael Evans and the Mayor’s Consort Councillor Sue Greenway. During a most enjoyable evening we were splendidly entertained by Maggie O’Hara and comedian Doug Parker. Maggie had researched the music of the Sixties and particularly songs that were “Top of the Pops” in September 1961 and specifically during the week of the opening of the Community Centre. Doug Parker, having been born and spent his formative years in Wall Heath recalled many funny stories of life in the village in the 1960’s achieving a relaxed rapport with his audience. During the evening plaques were dedicated in memory of the late Milly Ingley who had been a founder member of the Community Association and served as it’s Secretary and President from 1955 until 2005 and also to the late John Lloyd who was Treasurer from 1985 until his death in 2010. It was pleasing to welcome to the event Martin Ingley, son of Milly and John Lloyd’s widow Marjory.
As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration s the Committee agreed to purchase one hundred chairs and are grateful for the support from local companies and organisations who generously sponsored chairs: -
Ashwood Nurseries
Jenny’s Kitchen
RBS Interiors
Roberto’s
Ashwood Nurseries
Special Looks
Wall Heath Dental Practice
Wall Heath Service Station
Wall Heath Tandoori
50 Plus Group
Indoor Bowls Club
Thursday Afternoon Club
Wall Heath Flower Club
Wall Heath Townswomens Guild
In addition assistance was received from the Small Grants Scheme of Dudley MBC
Over three hundred visitors came along to the highly successful
Wall Heath Remembered Exhibition held at the Community Centre on Saturday 17 April 2010.
In addition to photographs of people and places in the village there were also exhibits of Press Reports where villagers have been in “The News “ ranging from couple celebrating various milestones of marriage to the campaign to save Maidensbridge School from closure as well as details of Wall Heath’s oldest surviving resident – Hilda Turner who has now reached the age of one hundred and two.
Some of those who came along were meeting people they had not seen for
over forty years. Coincidentally six people who had commenced their schooling together at Wall Heath Church of Ascension in 1950 were at Saturday’s Exhibition at the same time –
Josie Avery (nee Moyle), Pat Barrett (nee Hidden), Paula Durrant (nee Gee), Bobby Astley, Chris Bateson and Terry Church.
The Exhibition can be celebrated as a community event and as well as the extensive exhibits organised by Terry Church other exhibitors were The Gentleman Songsters, Author and historian John Sparry and local artist Malcolm Wesson.
Wall Heath author, Terry Church, is launching his fourth book based on life in the village. The launch will coincide with the Wall Heath Remembered Exhibition being staged at Wall Heath Community Centre on Saturday 17 April between 10am and 5 pm.
A Wall Heath Lad has chapters devoted to his early life in the village and how life was in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s with family life happy but no excessive luxuries, He recounts his relationship with his parents and how they made sacrifices for him that he did not fully appreciate at the time.
A chapter is given over to schooldays and the influence on his life of one particular teacher Mr Phil Greenfield, now living in New Zealand, with whom he still has contact.
The annual holidays that he enjoyed, first with his parents and in mid teens with his friends are also recounted.
Terry’s education at Brierley Hill Grammar School began in 1953 and his memories of a first year at a school away from “his Village” are explored and will probably resonate with others who had a similar experience.
The concluding chapter “Lost but not Forgotten” recalls how (so far) he has manage to stay one step ahead of disaster as almost everywhere he worked or even attended school appears to have been demolished or disappeared.
As well as the narrative there are also over fifty photographs in the book showing many faces not only from the village but also people has met during his lifetime whether from education, work or social.
On Friday 16 April 2010 from 2pm I (Terry Church) will be appearing on the Mark Williams Show on The Bridge radio station.
I will be telling him about my latest book A Wall Heath Lad (published this week) which coincides with the Wall Heath Remembered exhibition that opens on 17th April 2010.
The Bridge is the Community Radio Station for Stourbridge and the Southern Black Country and broadcasts on 102.5 FM or you can listen live via their website www.thebridgeradio.net