The website of the
Black Country Society
Established in 1967 to Support, Record, Preserve and Celebrate the distinct
Character and Nature of the West Midlands area known since the mid nineteenth century as 'The Black Country'
Forthcoming events
An introduction to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and interesting finds discovered in the Midlands by Victoria Allnatt
28th June 7.30pm Bilston Town Hall
(Non-members £4.00 / Members free)
The Portable Antiquities Scheme was established in 1997 as a pilot scheme to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. The scheme has now recorded over 1.6 million finds on the database www.finds.org.uk. We also assist with the reporting of Treasure under the Treasure Act 1996 such as the Henrican gold locket that was recently discovered in North Warwickshire. This talk will give an overview of the role of the scheme and include some of the interesting small finds that have been discovered across the Midlands region.
A visit to a Sikh Temple. Narinder Singh Rai
Wednesday 12th July
Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick
Please meet at the Sikh soldier statue opposite the Guru Nanak Gurdwara on High At, Smethwick, no later than 1.45pm
"Let my quick fate a warning be"
Fatal Transport Accidents in the West Midlands 1820s-1920s: Quint Watt
26th July 7.30pm, Bilston Town Hall
(Non-members £4.00 / Members free)
This illustrated presentation deals with vrious accidents that involved the region's stage-coaches, canal, railways and trams. What "Health and Safety" lessons were learnt from these many tragic mishaps?
Eldon Street: The history of Victorian Darlaston and the Black Country told through the lives of ordinary people. Keith Robinson
23rd August 7.30pm. Bilston Town Hall
(Non-members £4.00 / Members free)
The talk examines the occupations, housing, health, welfare and social lives of the men, women and children who made an industrial town tick.
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September to January. All at 7.30 pm. Bilston Town Hall
27th September. Black Country Dialect across time and space: an introduction. Esther Asprey
25th October. Lost Pioneers: A History of Wolverhampton's Victorian Jewish Community. Andy Sloane
This talk covers the period 1835 - 1900 and details the key families, buildings and stories involved in the foundation and development of Wolverhampton's lost Orthodox Jewish community.
22nd November. The President's Entertainment Evening
13th December. A Black Country Christmas. Ian Bott
24th January. The Brunels, the Great Western and the Black Country. Felix Schmid
28th February. British Bhangra Music as Soundscapes of the Midlands, Rajinder Dudrah, Professor of Cultural Studies and Creative Industries at Birmingham City University
British Bhangra is a genre of popular music that fuses Punjabi beats, music and lyrics, UK pop, RnB, reggae and other world sounds. Its history in Britain dates back to the immediate post-war period when migrants from the Punjab, resettled their lives and homes in the UK. This presentation will offer an analysis of how this Punjabi folk music became a genre of popular music in post-war Britain, particularly in the Midlands. It will draw attention to key cities namely Birmingham and Coventry (with reference to Nottingham and Leicester too), in terms of how they have sustained the cultural production of this music and its industry. The talk will also draw on and examine the following source materials: song lyrics; a cultural analysis of how and why the different musical genres are fused together in Bhangra; and a historical overview of the club venue spaces as helping to understand this soundscape of the British Midlands.