Over by Christmas?
The next meeting of the Society takes place on Thursday 13th November at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew's Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley. The speaker is Quintin Watt a retired history teacher, First World War researcher and secretary of the Black Country Society.
Quintin's illustrated presentation examines the reaction of Black Country folk to the outbreak of the Great War in July 1914.
The belief of a short war soon took hold. Memories had faded that only 12 years earlier the Boer War ended after a bitter conflict lasting nearly 3 years.
This is a chance to hear about the changes in daily life from food restrictions to pubs closing at 9 pm, and churches' bells silenced. There was a slow realisation all was not well.
Admission is £2 – exact amount appreciated. Visitors always welcome.
2025 – Autumn Teaser Answer
If Sedgley Manor ever needed a mascot the pig would be in the running. The tale has become a Black Country legend. We asked why and if you could name the villages telling the porkies.
Around 1875 a Dawley postcard was produced to celebrate Captain Webb swimming the Channel in that year. The picture montage included a procession, the Captain and a man sitting on a wall beside a pig with its front trotters on the coping stones.
Years later this card was altered by someone in the Gornals. The Captain was covered over with names and the caption read "Who put the pig on the wall at Gornal to see the band go by?"
Lower Gornal claimed the owner of the inquisitive pig, but Upper Gornal told the same story!
