 |
BILSTON - A TOWN OF ITS OWN4th to 11th November 2006 |
|
The second week of our big events usually produces a steady flow of visitors - but we were not really prepared for what happened. Mainly due, we think, to almost a full page of coverage in the Express and Star, as well as an excellent letter from Reg Aston, which the Star published, more than 100 people a day came along.
 |
And so a lot of people, from the very young to the not so young, could not only check up on the graphics/town's past but, perhaps more importantly, meet people they had not seen for years and swap stories with other locals they had never met. |
 |
We were delighted that Holy Trinity School (who we can now count as old friends of ours) brought classes along on four of the days. The youngsters were as nice as they always seem to be from that school. And here Alma Darby talks to a group which includes Kirsty Jones, the grand-daughter of Horace Morris, a great Bilstonian who, with Ken Gretton, was the subject of one of our display boards. |
| One of our visitors (we think he is Alan Hadley) found himself surrounded by the children, who he seemed to keep enthralled. (It turns out that he had a lucky advantage - he used to be a teacher). |
 |
It is impossible to mention everyone else who came along, but here are some of them. Here is Mark Connell of the Bilston Regeneration project, who have done so much goodwork in the graphics/town centre in recent years and who are dealing with the restoration of the graphics/town Hall. The Club keeps a close eye on this project and has high hopes of getting a heritage element into it when it re-opens. |
 |
 |
Eric Astbury stands next to a photo of himself when young in his school football team. At school and after Eric was a great sprinter ... |
 |
... and he brought along his old vest from his days with Bilston graphics/town Athletic Club. He also brought along a lot of other photos of the club and other aspects of Bilston life and we have added copies to the collection. The BTAC eventually merged to become Wolverhampton and Bilston Athletic Club, one of the top clubs of the time. |
| Mrs Barnett was one of many who found a photo of a relative. Her husband's grandfather was Joseph T. Perks, who was the Mayor of Bilston in 1941. |
 |
We had to use the back room as an overflow (thanks, Gallery staff!) where people could look through books of photos and have a chat. Lord Turner paid us a second visit and joined in the reminiscences. |
 |
 |
Someone (and your incompetent reporter has lost the name: sorry!) brought in some old family snaps. This one shows two lads who have pitched a tent on some waste ground. But in the background is a, possibly unique, photo of the old Temple Street being demolished. The backgrounds of old photos are often as interesting as the foreground - don't throw them away! |
 |
Also paying a very welcome return visit was Harold Marriott, seen here with his sister, Ada Evans, and his brother, Stanley. His other sister, Joan Roberts, was also in the party (but not the photo!). |
| Reg was on hand every afternoon to listen to people's stories, collect their memorabilia and help them find themselves and their relatives and friends in the photographs. |
 |
A surprise visitor was Paul Martin, the presenter of the BBC's programme, "Flog It". He was in the gallery downstairs to film a segment about Bilston enamels for his show. He found time for a quick look round. And we bet he's never been asked to pose for a photo before. |
 |
 |
Other visitors included Billy Howe, the Wolverhampton historian, and the well known printer, John Neave. Coming to think about it, there were quite a lot of printers around. Mick James bought along an astonishing collection of local photos, taken by his father, Mick James, which included many of James Wilkes's printing works. |
 |
And Billy Howe, of the Wolverhampton History and Heritage Society, is seen here with Dick Rhodes of the Wolverhampton Civic Society, and the Lit and Phil, and the Friends of Bantock House and .... |
| Let's turn out the lights on this report with David Cartwright, the lamplighter. This photo was brought in by his grand-daughter, Beryl Hupperdine. It was taken sometime about 1950, actually when Mr. Cartwright had retired and had been asked to re-enact his work for the Gas Board's photographer. |
 |
This was a remarkable event. We may not look upon its like again. There came together the past, present and future of Bilston's civic life. It showed that Bilston was still a graphics/town of its own, with a strong identity of its own. And that, despite the reins of local government falling into the hands of a council with the name of Wolverhampton, Bilston remains a graphics/town of its own, a graphics/town with which people still identify. We live in changing times and we recognise that "the old order changeth and giveth place to new, lest one good custom should corrupt the world". And Bilston has changed, with the loss of its major industries, and Bilston will change with the coming of its new urban village. Through all this it is important to maintain Bilston's identity and sense of place, so that present and future generations of Bilstonians will have the confidence and sense of security that comes with being able to say "This is my graphics/town, my community". |