Romsley & Hunnington History Society -

Meeting Report - February 2018

In spite of the snow and bitterly cold wind, 31 members of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society attended the meeting on the 27th February when Mary Bodfish gave a talk on, "Darling Elizabeth". This was the story of H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who was born on 4th August 1900, the youngest but one of nine children born to the Earl and Countess of Strathmore.

Her life was not to be without trials and tribulations but she had a happy and privileged childhood at Glamis Castle and in Hertfordshire, until the outbreak of war in 1914. Her family were part of the elite aristocracy which included, David, the Prince of Wales and his brother, Bertie, the Duke of York. She enjoyed dancing and the social life of the time and as a very beautiful young lady, she was not without her admirers! However, it was the persistent Duke of York who won her hand in marriage on 23rd April 1923.

As the second son of the King, Bertie expected to live a quiet life with his wife and two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, but this was not to be. In 1936 David, now King Edward VIII, fell in love with an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson, and abdicated. This meant that Bertie and Elizabeth were now King and Queen, a totally unexpected twist of fate.

The King needed a lot of support from Elizabeth as they faced the Second World War in 1939. They became very popular with the people of the United Kingdom, but sadly the King's health began to fail and he died in 1952. Elizabeth, a widow at 52, began a new life as the Queen Mother. She continued to carry out her royal duties and supported and encouraged her daughter, who was now Queen Elizabeth II, for many years until she died, aged 101, in 2002. She had led an extraordinary life, ruled by duty and love.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 27th March when Paul Harrison will give a talk on,"Water from Wales". Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - November 2017

Forty-eight members and visitors attended the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday, 28th November. The speaker was Alan Peace and his talk was about, Himley Hall, Past Present and Future.

As a child I had an Aunt who lived at the top of Himley Road, on the outskirts of Dudley. At the bottom of the very long road was a mysterious house, hidden from the road, known as Himley Hall. The house is no longer a mystery after Alan's talk, but as he revealed, it was full of secrets which he uncovered during the 27 years he worked there.

For many years it belonged to successive Earls of Dudley. It began as a Hunting Lodge, but in 1740 one of many reconstructions took place and in 1770 Lancelot Capability Brown landscaped the grounds and it gradually grew into the grand mansion it is today. Between 1920 and 1936 it was so grand that Edward, Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, frequently visited the house for weekend shooting parties, among other activities.

After the war, the house was sold to the Coal Board to be used as their offices and many of the lovely rooms were damaged. In 1966 Wolverhampton and Dudley Councils bought the estate and many public events were held in the grounds. Today it is owned by Dudley Council and is used as a Wedding and Conference Centre. Weddings are held in the area that was the swimming pool, which has been beautifully redecorated with an inverted wedding cake ceiling and subtle lighting. Outdoor events, including a huge bonfire, are still held today. The proceeds of some these events go to charity, especially Cancer Research which is very close to Alan's heart.

As for the future, several plans are in progress. The World Owl Trust is in the process of establishing a New World Owl Centre at Himley Park, which will be open shortly, and so the old Hall is still being used and is flourishing today.

There are no meetings planned for December or January and the next meeting will be on Tuesday, 27th February at 7.30 pm in the Church Hall. The talk will be given by Mary Bodfish and the title will be, "Darling Elizabeth." Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - October 2017

Around 50 members and visitors attended the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday 24th October. The speaker for the evening was Margaret Bradley and her very interesting talk was on, "The Cradley Women Chainmakers' Strike of 1910."

After the talk we found ourselves asking if we would work for 10 hours a day, doing hard physical work, in a hot smoky atmosphere, hammering iron rods into chain, for tuppence halfpenny an hour? This was the fate of the women chainmakers of Cradley, AFTER the strike of 1910!

For many years Cradley and Cradley Heath had been the centre of the important chainmaking industry. There were many different types of chain, the men made the heavy chain while the women made the smaller chain, in the Chainshops or in the forges in their back yards. The slavish conditions were primitive and unsanitary. The women, and sometimes their children, worked long hours making chain, as well as cooking and washing for their family, all for a pittance. They were at the mercy of the Foggers, the men who supplied them with iron rods.

In the early 1900s, Mary MacArthur, who formed the National Federation of Women Workers, began to campaign for a minimum wage. By 1910, conditions and pay in Cradley had become so bad for the women that they decided to go on strike. Mary MacArthur came to Cradley to support them and the strike lasted eight weeks. They achieved a minimum wage of tuppence halfpenny an hour and went back to their hard labours. By standing together, the women of Cradley had won a magnificent fight for humanity and the rights of women in the workplace. Looking back we have to admire their spirit and determination and wonder if we would have been so resilient to such hardship. However, many of the women lived to a ripe old age, enjoying the companionship of the community despite the adversity!

The next meeting of the Society will be on Tuesday, 28th November at 7.30 p.m., when Alan Peace will give a talk on, Himley Hall – Past, Present and Future. Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans

Meeting Report - February 2017

There were 42 members present at the meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday 28th February. This was the first meeting of 2017 and we welcomed the speaker, Derek Clarke, RIBA, AABC, a retired conservation architect. This was Derek's 4th visit to the Society and the subject of his talk was, "Repair Work at the Old Naval College in Greenwich.

For many years the Royal Navy had occupied the huge buildings at Greenwich, on the banks of the River Thames. They were designed by Christopher Wren and were built between 1701 and 1751. Over the years the wind and weather had taken their toll on the Portland Stone buildings and they were in a sorry state of repair. In 2002, Derek was commissioned to inspect, supervise and advise on the work needed to conserve and repair these ancient, Grade 1 Listed Buildings.

This was no easy task and as his stunning photographs show, he didn't always manage to keep his feet on the ground, as much of the work was high on the roof, replacing the lead and the rotting wood. Derek used a hoist, which took him up to inspect the dome and weathervane on the Queen Mary building, which was 120 to130 feet high. His breathtaking photographs showed a tiny River Thames, far, far below. He also had to climb up 14 vertical ladders to inspect the work which was needed. He always kept one vital tool in his pocket, a piece of chalk which he used to mark any part of the building which was the worse for wear.

The buildings were designed to use only Portland Stone but the cost proved to be too high so bricks were used in parts, bricks made in Birmingham! A composite material, instead of stone, was used for the statues on the Nelson Pediment. These had to be restored and in order to see the original drawings Derek was taken on a cloak and dagger rendezvous to a secret place in London, where they were stored!

Inside the beautiful Painted Hall, full of naval paintings, which was open to the public, work was needed on the rain water pipes. Scaffolding was erected but the powers that be deemed it unsightly, so the ever resourceful Derek purchased some material and made a huge curtain to hide it.

After 5 years, 3 building contractors and over 11 million pounds, the work was completed and the buildings at Greenwich were restored for future generations to admire.

Derek's photographs were spectacular and once again we had a most fascinating and interesting talk but we were left wondering how those builders of long ago managed to build the original buildings and face the many hazards involved, without the use of modern equipment.

The next meeting of the Society will be on Tuesday 28th March at 7.00pm in the Church Hall when the speaker will be Mike Pearson. He will give a talk on, "The Black Country in the Great War." And the meeting on the 25th April will be, "Richard III." by Max Keen. Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans.

Romsley St. Kenelm's School Centenary

The meeting of the Romsley and Hunnington History Society on Tuesday 23rd June was rather special. St. Kenelm's School, Romsley, has been on the same site for 100 years this year and of course the RHHS was delighted to celebrate such an important event. Thanks must go to Ruth Harper for all her hard work. She had asked former pupils, past and present members of staff and anyone who had worked at the school to contribute to the evening's entertainment, which was illustrated by a display of photographs, shown by Julian Hunt.

Mrs. Shackleton and her staff welcomed everyone to look around the school. The children acted as charming guides for the visitors, including many former head teachers and Mrs. Ruddick, the widow of Mr. Ruddick. The meeting took place in the school hall, which was as full as it could be. It was hard to realise that this hall was the entire school a 100 years ago, when it was built in 1915, and even harder to imagine that three classes worked in such a small area, although the pupils did go to the Church Hall for their dinners.

There were so many memories and reminiscences going back to the 1940s and beyond, read by the people who had actually attended the school. Gradually a picture of the development of the school evolved. As the school changed over the years it expanded to cope with the growing population of the village. Several extensions were added including inside toilets, and the ages of the children ranged from 5 years to 11 years. It even incorporated the pre-school playgroup in one of its classrooms, so children were coming into the school environment from the age of 3 years.

In the early days discipline was strict and the answer to all the problems seemed to be the cane! However, that didn't deter some mischievous children from getting into trouble. Even the Vicar's daughter, Ruth, in her revelations, revealed that she was no angel as a little girl and there was much laughter at the antics of the pupils and some of the teachers!

Now in 2015, there are over 200 pupils with 8 full-time teachers. Over the years there have been many changes and new challenges, especially in technology, but the school has maintained a wonderful atmosphere and is a really happy place to learn, in the heart of the village, in a caring community. Let us hope that the next 100 years will be equally successful!

The next meeting of the History Society will be on Tuesday, September 22nd. Everyone is welcome.

Pat Evans