Newsletter & Coffee Morning – 16th November 2023

Talk by Mistress Valerie Campbell on Tutor Times

Mistress Valerie Campbell gave us a very interesting talk about the Tudor times. She was in authentic Tudor dress, for a housewife of that time.

She told us of the origins of some common sayings:- Straight laced, was how ladies laced up their tunics.

Rule of thumb, dates from when it was legal to beat your wife with a stick, as long as the stick was no thicker than your thumb. A frog in the throat was thought to be a cure for a sore throat.

November 16th 2023 – Coffee Morning | Alan Pugh – Battle of the Alamo

On the 16th November at our Coffee Morning we welcomed Mr Alan Pugh as our speaker, who gave us a very detailed speech on the battle of the Alamo which occurred in 1836.

We heard from a comprehensive build up from the years before 1836 to explain how this battle came to fruition, and how the armies of both sides were gathered, the battle itself lasted for only 13 days, while the battle of the Alamo, (a church) lasted for only 90 minutes, resulting in the deaths of Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie to name but two. A fascinating fact was that there were 22 british fighting in that battle while only 11 were actually from Texas. Mr Pugh had lived in Texas for ten years he told us, close by to where these events occurred, he gave a detailed professional and knowledgeable account which everyone enjoyed, all in all a great experience.

Geoff Nixon laid a wreath on behalf of the Society at the Memorial Gates on Armistice Day, Sunday 12th November.

On the Open Day last month we had some great photos lent to us by Kath Cadman, and Dean and Tracey lent us the indenture of their house which was built in the 1700’s, and changed hands in 1795. Gary has had this copied.

We are always on the look out for old photos taken around the village (pre-millennium), from people to buildings, or weddings to school photos, and more. We would love to see them all, and if possible, lend them to copy and add to our archives. They will be looked after and retuned back to you, or you can email them to photos@greatwyrleylocalhistorysociety.co.uk

Have you heard an interesting speaker recently? We are always interested in different speakers, or is there a topic you are interested in? We will try to find a speaker on that topic. Please see Diane if you have any ideas. Please email: photos@greatwyrleylocalhistorysociety.co.uk

Annual Exhibition Saturday 21st October 2023

Our annual event went down well, with many people coming from near and far. We saw many familiar and new faces from the village and surrounding towns. We even had people that had travelled some distance to come to the event, with new members joining. Photographs on display shows days gone by of the Walsall Road. There was burial records, maps and other ephemera on display.

We had a board with wedding photographs on display, most of which we know, but here are two wedding photos yet to be identified. The original photographs are in black & white, but with technology now we have the ability to transform them into colour. Please either leave a comment or email: diane@mstolley.plus.com or winsongary@aol.com if you can name any of the people in either of the photos. Or If you have any photo’s we can copy them and return them to you. We would be very gratefully for you loaning them to the society so we can add a copy to our archives.

Have you heard an interesting speaker recently? We are always interested in different speakers, or is there a topic you are interested in? We will try to find a speaker on that topic. Please email Diane if you have any ideas. diane@mstolley.plus.com

Gallery photos taking on the day

Coffee Morning 19th October 2023

A very warm welcome was given to Mistress Valerie and her husband Ian as the speaker at our last coffee morning on 19th October, Valerie gave an in depth talk on Tudor Times and gave the group lots of interesting facts about living during that time period, she arrived in traditional female Tudor dress. Surprisingly, we were told that the average age that male and female lived to during this period was 65, and that the average height of the male was 5 feet 7 inches and for females 5 feet 2 inches.

Well known sayings that we know today came from that period,i.e. straight laced, derived from how a woman laced her clothing. A frog in the throat, when a frog was actually used to cure a sore throat. Bringing home the bacon, Upper crust, Rock a bye baby, Rule of thumb and countless more where explained.

The climate and weather changed dramatically during the 1500’s, from the Thames freezing over to severe heat with very little rain for 9 months, this being followed by floods, and amazingly a 4 year drought during which time horsemen rode their horses along the Thames river bed, the hot summers were followed by storms with extremely large hailstones.

The population increased in London by 350% from 1520 to 1603 creating illnesses and plagues, we were told how the doctors known then as Quacks dealt with these situations, and also how Astrology was important during the period.

Valerie also brought along some props from the 1500’s which were passed around and finally ended with questions and answers from the group.

Coffee Morning – 21st September 2023

What an interesting, humorous morning we had on Thursday 21st September, our guest speaker Mr Trevor Bevan kept the group entertained with his talk, A Dickens of a tale.

Mr Bevan being an avid cyclist for many years was invited to become a member of the Pickwick cycle club, of which not many have the opportunity of an invitation, there are 200 members and each one has a name after a Dickens character, Trevor is known as the red nosed Mr Stiggins. Pickwick bicycle club was formed in 1870 with just six cycle enthusiasts, Charles Dickens had passed away the week before the club was named after the Pickwick papers. The unique club is the only one in the world that combines literature and a sporting connection. The club fund raises for charities raising thousands of pounds at the two functions they hold every year in Covent Gardens. So, not only did Trevor (Mr Stiggins) give us the history of the club but also the connection with Charles Dickens.

Dickens was born in the Regency period in Portsmouth, he was a very intelligent child and became an avid reader. He moved to London with his family into a two up two down house due to his parents financial crisis, and many of his novels were based on his life experiences.

His first job was in a blacking factory just off the Strand, where he lived in loft type lodgings with other workers for six shillings a week, a similarity to Oliver Twist. He started to work for a publication company, he was known to have a photographic memory and Dickens tied in the images of prisons, slums, lamplighters, the poor, child exploitation and life into his books.

He was said to be a difficult person, going from happy with a good sense of humour, to falling into periods of depression. He had two ladies in his life, his wife Katherine who he had 7 sons and 3 daughters with, he went on to divorce his wife to live with an actress for the rest of his life.

All of his books have at some time been best sellers, with the Tale of two Cities selling 200 million copies worldwide. His most popular novel is A Christmas Carol, it took Dickens just six weeks to write this novel and it sold out in five days. Mr Trevor Bevan gave us a good rounded insight into the life of Dickens and was enjoyed by all at the history society.

September 2023 – Newsletter

Rob Elliott gave an interesting talk about the British Army in the 18th century. Men who wished to become officers had to purchase their Commission, this was often seen as a “proof of gentlemanly status”. as commissions were expensive and only the wealthy could afford them. Rob looked very dashing in his uniform, but said it was very hot, and quite uncomfortable.

We are holding our Annual Open Day on the 21st October at the Senior Citizens Centre. We will be showing photographs, maps, and the burial records. Admission free. Refreshments.

If you have any photo’s we can copy them and return them, or you can send them to diane@mstolley.plus.com or winsongary@aol.com

Pam is looking for pictures of old weddings, local or not, your parents or other relations.

Great Wyrley Local History Society Magazine – Autumn / September 2023 edition. Now available, speak to one of the committee to get your copy. Full of old stories and photos.

Future Events
September 21st Trevor Bevan Dickens of a Tale
October 14th Cheslyn Hay open day
October 19th Val Campbell Victorian Food
October 21st Our Annual Event
November 16th Alan Pugh Battle of the Alamo
December 21st Social

2024
January 18th Ned Williams Prefabs
February 15th Penny Wheat From behind bars
March 21st Ray Sturdy The Real Dad’s Army
April 18th Andy French Morecombe and Wise

I thought this was appropriate as we had Rob in uniform. It is from number of photo’s kindly donated by Derek Saunders, it is of the Carnival in 1980.