Author: John Griffiths

Retired graphic designer, well almost. I still put books together and get them printed for various local history societies. Interested in local and family history and also paint, my fad at the moment is steam locomotives.

Sister Dora….the town thanks you

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The portrait by W. Munns that hung in the committee room of the Cottage Hospital.
The portrait of Sister Dora by W. Munns that hung in the committee room of the Cottage Hospital.

By all accounts, Monday 11th October 1886 in Walsall was a dismal day so the photographs show us that recorded the days events. A heavy mist hung over the town, a combination of the onset of autumn and the filthy atmosphere created by the town’s industry that always seemed to be there, but that day the people of Walsall turned out in their thousands to honour a good person who put the community first. It was the day Walsall honoured Sister Dora by unveiling a grand statue of her on The Bridge in front of the George Hotel.Read More »

Minerva Inn, Paddock Lane

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The Minerva Inn on the corner of Paddock Lane and Union Street.
The Minerva Inn on the corner of Paddock Lane and Union Street, c.1930.

In an earlier post I mentioned a project of mine a few years ago was to illustrate some of the old pubs of Walsall that are now long gone. This post features the Minerva Inn that was situated on the corner of Paddock Lane and Union Street. This watercolour painting was based on a black and white photograph taken around the 1930s. I always liked the photograph for the way the perspective of the narrow street pulls the eye onto the Parish Church of our town, St. Matthews standing proudly on the hill.Read More »

Walsall’s “Haunted Harbour”

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The cast list and production notes.
The cast list and production notes.

Walsall being as far from the sea as one can get didn’t stop an enthusiastic group of Scouts from the Walsall Third forming a Sea Scouts troop in 1927.
Around 1933/34 an ambitious project was launched by them to make a film based on one of Percy F. Westerman’s books, Haunted Harbour. In the 1930s, Westerman was the most popular author of adventure stories for boys, writing 174 books in his literary career which spanned over fifty years.
The project was headed by one of the early stalwarts of the Walsall troop, Leonard G. Stanley, son of the owner of Alfred Stanley Limited. An idea for the plot was sent to Westerman who, in six weeks, turned the idea into a 300 page book.Read More »

Eyland & Sons Limited

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Arthur Farrington's portrait of an unknown worker in the annealing shop at Eylands, c.1905.
Arthur Farrington’s portrait of an unknown worker in the annealing shop at Eylands, c.1905.

With the possible exception of Thomas Gameson Limited, Eyland & Sons Limited of Lower Rushall Street is up there as being one of Walsall’s oldest companies. Founded in 1760 by Moses Eyland as a manufacturer of buckles and spectacles the company quickly established itself in the town and grew rapidly.Read More »

The White Swan and Seven Stars Inn

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The White Swan and on the left, The Seven Stars. The road to the left is Bath Street with Dudley Street on the right.
The White Swan and on the left, The Seven Stars. The road to the left is Bath Street with Dudley Street on the right.

Several years ago whilst researching family and local history I decided that I wanted to see how the long gone pubs of Walsall would have  looked to my ancestors. I embarked on a series of watercolour and gouache paintings of hostelries based on black and white photographs. One of the first paintings I did was of The White Swan that sat on the corner of Bath Street and Dudley Street, where the Mercedes garage is now situated. This turned out to be two paintings in one as on the opposite side of the street stood the Seven Stars Inn, but first the White Swan. Read More »

Flight Sergeant Edward Berwick

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Flight Sergeant Edward Berwick, 1218149, RAF Volunteer Reserve. Wireless Operator and Airgunner.
Flight Sergeant Edward Berwick, 1218149, RAF Volunteer Reserve. Wireless Operator and Airgunner.
Edward standing in the front garden of his parents house at 230 West Bromwich Road.
Edward standing in the front garden of his parents house at 230 West Bromwich Road.

Edward Berwick died on his 22nd birthday, 13th July 1944, a long, long way from his home at 230 West Bromwich Road, Walsall. Edward, who was the eldest son of Edward senior and Sarah Berwick, volunteered  for the RAF in February 1940 and was called up in August of that year. A year after joining he won his wings as a wireless operator and airgunner. In 1942 he went out to Kenya and subsequently served in the Middle East, Sicily and Italy. At the time of his death he was on his second tour of operations. As a child he attended Palfrey Schools and was a prominent member of St. Matthew’s troop of Boy Scouts, serving for a short time as a scoutmaster as well as being a member of the ATC (Air Training Corp). On leaving school he was employed as an engraver by F. H. Reckless & Sons Limited of Bridge Street. A memorial service for Edward was held at St. Matthew’s Church on Saturday 25th October 1944.Read More »

The Old Blues Association

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Details of the inaugural dinner in 1926.
Details of the inaugural dinner in 1926.

This seems rather a strange post for an ex Chuckery School lad to be writing and about something as specific as The Old Blues Association. Some years ago I purchased a considerable number of items concerning this very association. Included in the many documents were two albums, one was dated from 1926 to 1939 and the other from 1951 to 1973. Both contained details of the annual dinners organised by the Blue Coat School Old Boys & Girls Association. The earlier one was concerned with just The Old Boys Association but the later one was for both Old Boys and Old Girls Association. Each year an artistic pupil was selected to illustrate a title page, the following pages contained the signatures of all those who attended the event. The artwork, in many cases, is of a high standard making both albums very appealing historical documents. They are currently housed at Walsall Local History Centre and are available for public viewing; Accession 1205, The Old Blues Association dinner guest books, 1926-1973.Read More »