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 were sold 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 normally stored 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 PoleWere alleged by the union to stifle the soul,Four reindeer had vanished without much proprietyReleased to the wilds by the “Humane Society”.

And equal employment had made it quite clearHad better not just use reindeer;So Dancer and Donner and Comet and CupidWere 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 EDAAnd people had started to call for the copsWhen 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 flowsRudolph was suing over unauthorised use of his noseAnd had gone on Geraldo in front of the nationDemanding millions in overdue compensation.

So half of the reindeer were gone, and his wifeWho suddenly said she’d had enough of this life.She joined a self-help group, packed and left in a whizzDemanding from now on her title was Ms.

And as for the gifts, well he never had a notionThat 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 specificNothing 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 forbiddenWere 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 mightGive 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 Ehrlich1992

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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 off Wood 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 current residents 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.  Beetle Drives 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 including  tombolas, 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 driven   by 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 one year 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 andcabbage. 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.

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     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?

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  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 notable feature 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 ofThe 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.In proud position on the wall of the main room was his harmonium, a foot pedalled early type of wind organ, at which he would sit and play whenever he could spare the time. This harmonium he had acquired from his father for which he had paid £10 in instalments of £1 a time in 1898. Music was his love and in his earlier days he was Organist at Bethel Methodist Church, which was the church that he, his wife and daughter all worshipped at. When both George and Mary Ann died in 1958, within a day of each other, Bethel was the scene for a double funeral for two of its elder members (see page 64 of “Bridgtown Memories” for the full story).Their personal effects were kept by the family and in 1988 after the death of their only child, Lily, George’s hymn book came into my possession.Inside the book I found two pieces of paper that were, I assume, being used as bookmarks. One was a detail of the payments made for the purchase of the harmonium, the other was a recipe for a homemade cough mixture, as follows:

“1 oz. Horehound 1 oz. Crushed Comfrey root 1 oz. Linseed 1 oz. Liquorice (stick) ½ oz. Blood Root (crushed)Add to the above 1 Quart of cold water and let it stand for 12 hours. After which place on fire and bring to boil and let simmer for 1 hour. Strain and add ¾ lb. Black Treacle and ¾ lb. of Loaf Sugar.Dose:- One tablespoon for an adult 3 times a day. Babies under 12 months ½ teaspoon increasing according to age.NB. If honey is obtainable put ¾ lb. Honey instead of ¾ lb. sugar.It should be well corked and kept in cool place. It makes about 3 pints but it’s better to put it in 6 half pint bottles”.

Can you imagine going into Boots at Cannock and asking for Horehound and Blood Root? I wonder if today’s generation would understand “oz, lbs, quarts or even ¾?”

I hope I steer clear of colds this winter.

Derrick Middleton discovers new information:

7951 Lance Corporal Frank Emberton

At our recent exhibition, on the Great Wyrley table I read of a soldier who had won the “Distinguished Conduct Medal” in the First World War. I thought I recognized the name Frank Emberton as the father of the family who lived next to my Grandma at 84 Watling Street.

The representative of Great Wyrley History Society explained that he was on the Roll of Honour on the Memorial Gates. I contacted the family and they confirmed Frank was their father and provided the following information.He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for acts of gallantry on the 30th April 1916, when the battalion suffered from a chlorine gas attack and a German assault in trenches between Messines and Wulverghem in Belgium.

His citation, published in the “London Gazette” :

The detail tells us: “For conspicuous gallantry when in charge of a patrol. Seeing that there was danger from the enemy, although he was in an exposed position in the front, he shouted back a warning to the front line of his company. He then sent back his patrol but remained out himself till satisfied as to the situation. He then returned and reported.”

The attack took place in the early hours 30 th April, and Lance Corporal Emberton’s patrol was making a reconnaissance in No Man’s Land when he heard the Germans preparing to assault. The chlorine gas caused many casualties among the North Staffords despite the men having respirators. Many of the soldiers did not feel the ill effects of the gas until two or three hours after the chlorine cloud had passed over their trenches. The residue of the chlorine clung to their clothes and equipment, vaporised as they sweated when working in the trenches and was inhaled. The grass and the leaves turned yellow and many dead rats and birds were scattered over the area. “A” company alone had 33 gas-related casualties, who were given treatment at the Regimental First Aid Post at R.E Farm. The Germans did manage to enter the North Staffords trenches, but were beaten back.

Frank died in June 1932 leaving children Thelma, May, Frank Jnr, Ron and Horace. Thelma (now 90) and Horace (in his eighties) are still alive to talk about their father’s great bravery. The medal was presented to the Regimental Museum at Lichfield by the family many years ago.

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School Christmas Plays

It is the season for Christmas plays in school. Here is a mystery photograph. We know nothing about it. Can you supply the missing facts?

Derrick Middleton’s love of football, and Wolves in particular, is well known. Here are his seasonal memories:

Memories of Football at Christmas

I have so many different memories of Christmas in Bridgtown in the 1940/50s. It would take a number of editions to cover them all. The one that remains very strong in my mind is the special football fixtures.

In August 1946 the Football Association recommenced with a full fixture list, and games were included on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The games were between the same teams on a home and away basis, with a kick off of 11 o’clock on Christmas Day and 2.15pm on Boxing Day.

The first year resulted in the Wolves travelling to Sunderland on 25 th December 1946 and the return fixture at home on Boxing Day. After protests from the clubs the future fixtures were changed to clubs playing against a local club, as a result Wolves were regularly paired with Aston Villa. Bridgtown was mainly split between Wolves and Villa supporters (with only a few people following other clubs) and this resulted in the Christmas football fixtures being a very exciting time.

In 1947 Wolves played Villa away in the first fixture, and at home the next day. Waking up on Christmas Day, presents were important but getting ready to catch the coach was my most important consideration. Out we went on to Cliff’s corner to join the large crowd waiting for the Harper’s coach to arrive. There was no segregation. We travelled and watched the game together, exchanging friendly banter. The fixtures resulted in some of the biggest crowds of the season and the atmosphere was electric.

After the end of the game it was back to the coach and home to Christmas Dinner but the journey was full of good natured humour. Next day it would start again but with an early afternoon kickoff That day there was a bit of time to remember it was Christmas. It was a wonderful time for us young fans and I am ashamed to say I did not give a thought to how it affected other people.

The tradition of Wolves playing the Villa ended in 1953/54 and Christmas Day football was last played by both Wolves and Villa in 1956. Christmas Football for the years from 1947 to 1953 remains one of the most exciting times in my memory of my years of growing up in Bridgtown

“The Bridgtonian”

Our magazine is called “The Bridgtonian” after the school magazine for Bridgtown Boys’ School in the 1930s and 1940s. In previous editions we have reproduced a wide variety of articles from those magazines. This time we look at the headmaster’s Christmas message in 1933.

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FROM OUR HEADMASTER

Well, boys, what a fine time Christmas is! Holidays, parties, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, toys, presents, “stockings”, turkeys, puddings, mince pies; everybody excited, everybody happy! What should we do without Christmas? We forget at this time all our little quarrels and troubles and we do our best to make everybody happy. The celebration of this, the most important Birthday of the world, is the time when families meet, friends renew their friendship, enemies lose their enmity and for a day at least the world seems a far happier place to be in than it has been during the rest of the year.

What a fine thing it would be if we could carry this feeling over to the New Year and make up our minds that the Spirit of Christmas should be our everyday guide.

Let us all try to make this Christmas happier than it has ever been for everyone we meet. Then we shall be happy ourselves and we shall be ready when 1934 comes to meet all its difficulties and troubles.

That you may have a really jolly time at Christmas and that 1934 may be happy and successful for you in all you do is the wish of

Your Headmaster.

BRIDGTOWN & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

E-MAIL: bridgtownhistory@orangehome.co.uk

WEBSITE: http://www.bridgtownhistory.co.uk