Reports are coming in of what appears to be a Black Diamond bus which has crashed in Sneyd Lane, Bloxwich, near the Mossley Estate.
First reports began to arrive via Twitter around 5pm this afternoon that the bus, operating on the 301 route from Walsall to Mossley Estate via Bloxwich, had hit the railway bridge and was partially blocking the A4124.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service reported that two rapid response vehicles were on the scene. This was followed up by Walsall Police, who said that one passenger aboard the single decker was being treated for minor injury.
The vehicle was badly damaged, smashing the front grille, passenger door and side panels where it struck the bridge. The vehicle has now been recovered and removed.
London Midland, the train operator, reported two hours ago that trains were now running normally.
There have been no official reports via Centro or Diamond Buses so far.
Edwardian London is being held to ransom – and who can rescue the capital from arch-villains ’The British League of Underhanded Scoundrels, Traitors, Extortionists and Rapscallions?’
Only one man – the world-famous detective Sexton Blake, ‘The Prince of the Penny Dreadfuls’, can save the day!
In Sexton Blake Strikes Back!, the latest live on stage theatrical production by legendary professional theatre company Don’t Go Into The Cellar, presented by Bloxwich Library Forum, theatre-goers can expect derring-do, last-minute escapes, narrow scrapes and fates worse than death in this affectionate homage to the way heroes used to be.
Stuart Williams, Vice Chairman of Bloxwich Library Forum, said:
“Sexton Blake is one of the great literary adventure heroes of the 19th-20th century, standing proudly alongside such mighty figures as Sherlock Holmes, Denis Nayland Smith, Biggles and Hercule Poiroit.
“Created by Harry Blyth in 1893, Sexton Blake adventures appeared in a wide variety of British and international publications (in many languages) from 1893 to 1978, running to over 4,000 stories by some 200 different authors.
“Blake was also the hero of numerous silent and sound films, radio serials and a 1960s ITV television series which many remember fondly.
“Now the legend that is Sexton Blake is coming to Bloxwich, in a play by the invariably excellent Don’t Go Into The Cellar – so adventure, excitement and huge fun can be expected in equal measure!”
Sexton Blake Strikes Back! is live on stage for one night only – this coming Saturday 20th April 2013, at Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre, Elmore Row, Bloxwich, Walsall WS3 2HR.
The play starts at 7.30pm.
Ticket prices are £8.00 or £6.00 concessions. Tickets can be purchased from Bloxwich Library and reserved by telephone on 01922 655900.
Click on the mini-poster at the top of this item for a larger version.
A Bloxwich level crossing could be closed as part of a plan to create almost 1,400 jobs in the West Midlands through better rail links.
A footbridge could replace the crossing point at Reeves Street with a package of measures to improve adjacent road crossings funded by Network Rail could take shape.
Transport bosses have urged Walsall Council to take an informed decision on the request which has been made by the rail infrastructure operator, Network Rail.
A survey of users has revealed that 40 per cent of users would be unaffected with more than 20 per cent saying closure would result in a drastic impact.
Cllr Tom Ansell, portfolio holder for transport for the Walsall Council coalition, said: “We need to take a very careful look at this. There are economic benefits of the line from Walsall to Rugeley being electrified which could see Walsall connected with direct trains to London.
“Centro research says that electrification of the line will lead to 1,370 new jobs in the West Midlands.
“This could also lead to more local services stopping in Bloxwich and at Bloxwich North rail stations and better inter-city services from Walsall Station.
“However, we do need to very carefully weigh this up against the impact of the closure of the level crossing, which we shall do.”
Walsall Council transport officers are to look at how the proposed level crossing closure could affect residential roads in the area. A report is set to go to the authority’s regeneration scrutiny.
A further report will go to the authority’s cabinet on the advantages and disadvantages of the scheme.
The survey of users was carried out by Walsall Council and gives a snapshot of the views of crossing users.
More than 80 per cent say a footbridge is needed if closure goes ahead and 62 per cent of people said they would use it.
More than 60 per cent would use a strengthened road bridge at Central Drive.
Network Rail have asked for the level crossing to be closed in order to improve speeds of trains passing through Bloxwich.
At present, speeds for trains are limited to 20 mph going over the level crossing which could be increased and would pave the way for more trains to be routed.
The level crossing could be kept in future but this would see the barriers down for long periods in future to allow for more trains.
The road network already gets busy when the crossing is closed and traffic would have to re-route if it was closed more in future, Walsall Council transport bosses say.
But there are fears if the closure does not take place now the barriers would still be down more in future but without the cash boost from Network Rail to help cope with demand.
Network Rail would also fund a pedestrian crossing at Reeves Street which would be cycle and wheelchair friendly if closure went ahead.
A Blakenall Heath furniture workshop was gutted by fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The blaze destroyed stock, fittings, buildings and a delivery van as it ripped through the yard and worksop at the rear of popular dealer Peggy’s Place in Barrack’s Lane around 3am.
All but the shop facing onto the lane, which remains open for business, was destroyed, leaving charred wood, furniture, materials and debris surrounding the van, which was rendered a write-off.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Burnt out delivery van at Peggy’s Place – Ian Morton-Jones
Owners believe the fire may have been started deliberately in the workshop area before spreading to other parts of the courtyard.
Co-owner Matthew Cooper has said that around £10,000 – £15,000 worth of stock has been destroyed in the incident. Apparently the yard has been targeted by thieves and vandals in the past, with tools being taken.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Peggy’s Place – still open for business!
Firefighters from Bloxwich Community Fire Station and Fallings Park attended following the alarm being raised by neighbours, and worked for more than four hours to put out the blaze, concluding that work around 7.30am yesterday.
They have not yet been prepared to comment on the precise cause of the fire as an investigation is underway, with investigators examining the scene in detail for clues. Police were also due to attend later.
If any report is forthcoming we will update this news item in due course.
Special thanks to Mr Ian Morton-Jones for supplying the exclusive photographs of the aftermath of the fire above and to Peggy’s Place for the picture of the shop.
The Mayor, Bloxwich Carnival Royalty and a very special coach and horses last year.
That time of year is fast approaching once more, when the selection of the new Bloxwich Carnival Queen for 2013, along with a new Princess and Rosebud, will happen.
And this year the Queen choosing event wiIl be even more prestigious than before, taking place in style at Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre (aka Bloxwich Library Theatre) in Elmore Row, Bloxwich, on Thursday 23rd May 2013 at 6pm.
The age categories (as of 23rd May 2013) for entrants are Rosebud 7-10 years, Princess 11-15 years, and Queen 16-24 years of age.
Contestants MUST live in the Walsall/Bloxwich area and their Parents/Guardians pay their Council Tax to Walsall Council.
The Carnival Queen, Princess and Rosebud will be required to attend the Carnival Day, where they will be crowned. Winners, in particular, the Carnival Queen will be expected to attend at least 3 community events during their year including Carnival Royalty Selection 2014 and Senior Citizens’ Party. The Carnival Queen automatically becomes a member of the Bloxwich Carnival Committee and will be expected to attend regular meetings.
Winners will be representing the Bloxwich community as Ambassadors. Holders of similar titles in other towns/areas during the carnival year will not be eligible to apply as this could lead to conflicting commitments.
Previous holders of titles are not eligible to re-enter for the same category but may enter another group provided they qualify by age.
Entry forms are available in person from Sweet & Fancy (during retail hours) in Park Road or from Bloxwich Library in Elmore Row. Full details and conditions of entry are included in the form.
The form and a poster can also be downloaded for printing in pdf form from The Bloxwich Telegraph via the links below, and from the Rotary Club of Bloxwich Phoenix website.
Bloxwich Carnival itself will take place on Saturday 3rd August, from 12 noon, at King George V Playing Fields, Bloxwich, as traditional.
The Bloxwich Telegraph is to suspend regular publication and go into ‘hibernation’ for an unspecified period, effective from today.
In a recent front page Leader column, Stuart Williams, the Editor and Publisher of the online news and local heritage magazine for Bloxwich, Leamore, Blakenall Heath and Birchills indicated that, due to increasingly heavy family and work commitments, the frequency of updates to the popular website would generally be reduced to weekly.
However Mr Williams, who founded the Telegraph in 2006 as The Bloxidge Tallygraph, has now decided to suspend publication altogether, until further notice.
Stuart said in his last Leader, which will be updated this evening:
“Particularly on the family front, of late I have found it necessary, as a carer, to considerably reduce my other activities. This has been a difficult but essential process. Family has to come first, I’m sure you will appreciate.
“I also have a great deal of other writing to do, outside my work in support of local history in general and Bloxwich history and news in particular. I need both time and space to deal with this and serious family matters. Inevitably, therefore, I have much less time to work on the Bloxwich Telegraph than previously.”
Mr Williams, who is Bloxwich-born and bred, and has resided in Bloxwich and Blakenall Heath all of his life, said at the time that he had no plans to close The Bloxwich Telegraph down.
But developments since then have meant that, for the personal reasons outlined, he now feels it necessary to take substantial time out from working on The Bloxwich Telegraph, and the website is therefore going into ‘hibernation’ until further notice.
Stuart will continue to keep an eye on Bloxwich and district as time permits, and on that basis will continue brief updates of news etc via The Bloxwich Telegraph’s Twitter account, which readers of The Bloxwich Telegraph and others are invited to follow. To do this, simply join Twitter if you are not already a user, and follow our account via the following link:
Bloxwich Carnival Royalty 2013 (courtesy Rotary Club of Bloxwich Phoenix)
Hairdressing student Louise Richards has proved she’s a cut above the rest after winning the coveted title of Bloxwich Carnival Queen.
The 18-year-old, who is studying at Walsall College, was chosen at a competition held at Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre last month.
And she admits to being “overwhelmed” when her name was called as the winner.
“I saw the competition on Facebook and wanted to give it a go but I didn’t expect to win,” she said.
“I was overwhelmed and didn’t believe it when I heard my name. I’m really looking forward to the whole experience – although I haven’t sorted a dress out yet for the carnival!”
Louise, who also works in McDonald’s and has a son Jamie Francis, who turns one next week, said she regularly visited Bloxwich Carnival.
“It’s a great day out and I’m looking forward to it.”
Judges chose Courtney Andrews, aged 12, as Carnival Princess and eight-year-old Katie Wilkes as Carnival Rosebud.
All three are pictured above, together with 2012 Queen Alice Jones (left) and Carnival Committee Chairman Terry Bate (centre) on-stage at the theatre in Elmore Row.
Louise will be crowned on the big day itself which is Saturday 3 August 2013 at King George V Playing Fields, Bloxwich. The carnival begins at 12 noon and usually runs till around 4pm-5pm.
The carnival, which is organised by Bloxwich Carnival Committee, is supported by Walsall Council as well as various local groups, and senior park ranger John Millard joined in the congratulations for the three leading ladies:
“I’m sure Louise, Courtney and Katie will do Bloxwich proud and congratulate them on winning their titles,” he said.
“Thousands of people enjoy Bloxwich Carnival which organisers say is the biggest in the Midlands and we look forward to this year’s event being another massive success.”
Carnival organisers are also appealing for volunteers to help them this year. Anyone interested is asked to contact John Millard on 07736 388409 or 01922 654893.
The carnival day will be covered by The Bloxwich Telegraph as usual!
Music-lovers can look forward to a fantastic evening’s entertainment from multiple acts at Bloxwich’s top venue next month.
And what’s more, the proceeds of the ‘Songwriters Night’ show on 6th July at Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre in Elmore Row will go towards helping support young people’s autism charity ‘Kidzlikedanny’, which has raised more than £15000 since being founded over 15 years ago.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Chuck Micallef on stage at Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre.
The event offers an amazing line-up for just £5 per ticket, and will be co-compered by accomplished Canadian Country Singer/Songwriter Chuck Micallef, who will be performing his own original songs alongside covers by artists such as Hank Williams, Gordon Lightfoot and John Prine in a gather round back porch picking style of performance appreciated by audiences up and down the country.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Tony Barrett as ‘The Tat Man’
Joint compere for the evening is well known Folk Singer/Songwriter/Comedian/Raconteur Tony Barret. Tony’s cheeky stories interlaced with song parodies, well delivered covers and original compositions have helped make him a popular and well-respected performer on the UK’s music and festival circuit – and he has also recently starred as ‘The Tat Man’ in the acclaimed series of Bayard’s Colts street plays for Walsall.
The following performers will also be taking to the stage:
Dale Hanson, the Mod-influenced Birmingham singer-songwriter, originally formed half of acoustic duo ‘FreeMaySon’. Since going it alone in 2011 he’s been wooing audiences with his deeply meaningful songs hand crafted from situations that life thrusts his way. In the summer of 2012 Dale released his debut album ‘Out From The Shadows’ to great reviews and he hopes to record the follow-up in 2013 with some very special guests.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Dale Hanson
Damn The Weather, a recently-formed traditional Irish band who can draw on many years of musical experience, and are bound to be popular, with their passionate performances of Irish music old and new.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Matt Tyler has been showcasing his unique blend of folk/rock/pop around the UK and beyond for over a decade now. He will be playing songs from his solo albums ‘Dead Flowers By Midnight’, ‘Jonah’s Revenge’ and ‘No Lifeguard Required’ as well as premiering new material. Described as “The aural lovechild of Tim Buckley in his folk phase and an early David Gray”, Matt is the brother of Daniel, the original inspiration for Kidzlikedanny. Joining him onstage at some point will be their other brother Jacob.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Matt Tyler
Kidzlikedanny fundraises mainly through live music shows but also through three Various Artists Albums available to download on iTunes, Amazon and all major digital stores worldwide. For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/Kidzlikedanny
Doors open at 7 pm for a 7.30 pm show and there will be a bar.
Tickets for the event can be reserved by calling 01922 655900 or visiting Bloxwich Library in Elmore Row.
Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre is managed by volunteer group Bloxwich Library Forum who have been running the popular venue since 2010, in partnership with Bloxwich Library.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on the artists, please see the following links:
Visitors to last year’s Olympic Torch Relay through Bloxwich may remember the wonderful Party in the Park which was organised to complement that event by Bloxwich Business Partnership working with Walsall Council and other groups.
Well, that party was such a massive success that organiser Nikki Rolls has put together another pulse-pounding day of live music and family fun with the same partners for this year – and it’s all taking place at the 2013 Bloxwich Party in the Park in Bloxwich Park this Saturday 29 June!
There’ll be:
Live music.
Dance arena
Children’s rides including inflatables and go karts.
Summer stalls.
Display arena.
Picnic area.
Puppet shows.
Summer donkey rides.
Free face painting.
Free balloon modelling.
PLUS stiltwalker ‘Jack & The Beanstalk’.
The Live Music programme for Saturday’s Bloxwich Party in the Park is as follows:
10am-10.30am West Coast Blues (Blues Solo Graham A).
10.45am-11.15am Owd Yer Hosses, Becky’s Band (folk).
11.30am-12noon Grey Goose Blues Band.
1.50pm-2.20pm The Jimmy Band (acoustic folk).
12.15pm-12.45pm Scarbelly Blues Band.
1pm – 1.30pm G Bag/Stash (Hip Hop band).
1.45pm-2.30pm Enticement (function type band).
2.45pm-3.45pm Owamya (Sixties style covers band).
The event runs between 10am – 4pm in Bloxwich Park, off High Street, and admission is FREE!
For pictures and a report of last year’s Party in the Park, check out our Olympic Torch feature!
You can get more information on what’s happening and download the event posters by checking out the Bloxwich Town Centre Facebook page, where you can also contact Nikki Rolls or you can telephone her on 01922 654324.
Last year’s Olympic Torch Relay through Bloxwich concluded with the wonderful Party in the Park which was organised to complement that event by Bloxwich Business Partnership working with Walsall Council and other groups.
With that party being such a massive success, organiser Nikki Rolls put together another pulse-pounding day of live music and family fun with the same partners for this year, and although there was no torch to bring in thousands from miles around this time, last Saturday’s Bloxwich Party in the Park was still popular – and great fun for all the family, as this special photo feature will show!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Loads of stalls for all
There was:
Live music.
Dance arena
Children’s rides including inflatables and go karts.
Summer stalls.
Display arena.
Picnic area.
Puppet shows.
Summer donkey rides.
Free face painting.
Free balloon modelling.
PLUS stiltwalker ‘Jack & The Beanstalk’.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Hidey-High – what’s the weather like up there? “Great!”
As well as all this, there was also a great live music programme, centred on Walsall Council’s mobile stage truck, and bands on stage included: West Coast Blues, Owd Yer Hosses, Becky’s Band (folk), Grey Goose Blues Band,The Jimmy Band (acoustic folk), Scarbelly Blues Band,G Bag/Stash (Hip Hop band), Enticement (an excellent function type band), and last but not least sixties-style covers band Owamya.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Not quite Glastonbury – but there’s great music and no mud!
The event ran between 10am – 4pm in Bloxwich Park, off High Street, and admission was free.
The Party in the Park got off to a slow start, but by lunchtime Bloxwich Park was buzzing and the rides and Pinxton’s Puppet show were charming the kiddies while the young people and adults were making a bee-line for the bands who played great music throughout the day. There was even an Italian Market!
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
A ton of fun with rides, inflatables and bungee bouncing!
With the mobile library on hand and a wide range of charity, food and business stalls there was plenty to see and do for all the family – including a giant Meerkat who managed to escape the Children’s Society stall, a balloon-twisting stiltwalker and those wild, wacky and welcoming Event Marshals from Bloxwich Business Partnership who worked all day for free!
PHOTOS
For selected pictures of this year’s event, taken by Stuart Williams of The Bloxwich Telegraph, see a few examples above and below – and follow the link below for more than a hundred high-resolution downloadable photos (including those shown here) for all to see!
You can get more information on what’s happening with Bloxwich Business Partnership and local events by checking out the Bloxwich Town Centre Facebook page, where you can also contact Nikki Rolls or you can telephone her on 01922 654324.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Troy and Steve from the Rotary Club of Bloxwich Phoenix on their book stall
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The lovely ladies of The Tan Shop anticipating some summer sun
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The friendly staff of the Delhi takeaway in Bloxwich were serving up some hot stuff to party-goers!
That legendary fanged fiend of Victorian Gothic literature and countless horror films, Count Dracula, is now making sinister plans to walk the boards at the popular Bookmark Bloxwich Theatre next Saturday afternoon.
And members of the public are cordially invited to witness the bloody return of Bram Stoker’s most famous creation, brought literally to life once again in a unique play by those noted purveyors of Victorian Mystery, Shadowy Suspense and Gothic horror – ‘Don’t Go Into The Cellar’.
Stuart Williams of Bloxwich Library Forum, which manages the Elmore Row, Bloxwich theatre in partnership with Bloxwich Library said:
“Dracula Walks The Night’ sees the Count of the Undead forsake his home in Transylvania to vent his wrath upon the British Empire.
“In true Hammer Horror fashion, this frighteningly effective, interactive show on Saturday 20th July pits the Vampire Count against Van Helsing and Sherlock Holmes in Victorian London. Eerie graveyard vigils, hansom cab chases, near-death misses and fiendish plots a-plenty guarantee audiences classic chills.
“But fear not – this particular production is a specially-arranged matinee only performance, and as we all know, vampires cannot attack in daylight – or can they? Don’t miss this one-off show in Bloxwich!”
Doors open at 2pm and the play begins at 2.30pm. Tickets cost just £8 or concessions £6, and are available now from Bloxwich Library in Elmore Row.
Telephone 01922 655900 to book, tickets will also be on sale on the day, subject to availability.
A poster for this year’s Bloxwich Carnival on Saturday 3rd August from 12 noon in King George V Playing Fields has been provided by Bloxwich Carnival Committee so that it can be made available for download by anyone who wants a copy for information, or who is willing to print one or more off and post it/them in places where people can see them.
Please note that the carnival queen crowning time is different to that on the image above – it has been changed to 12.20pm.
You can just click on the link below to download the (now updated) A4 version in pdf format, ready for printing:
The committee would be grateful if our readers and friends could put a poster on your work or school noticeboard, in your house or car windows (where safe to do so), or if you are a local business reading this then the committee would be grateful if you could put a poster in your shop window or door.
If you are a council venue reading this then you are very welcome to put up a poster, subject to any permissions you may need. Please note that Walsall Council supports Bloxwich Carnival.
WEBSITE LINKS
If you have a local website, blog, Twitter or Facebook page you are invited to post the link to this page so that your own readers can download a poster if they wish to.
NO FLY-POSTING PLEASE
Both the committee and the Bloxwich Telegraph would like to emphasise however that fly-posting in public places should not be undertaken, including putting these posters on lighting or traffic poles – please do not put these posters where you do not have permission, as this is against the law. Public spaces are being looked after by the committee, who have already put up large banners at both ends of the High Street, according to council regulations.
Young and old alike have been having fun in Bloxwich in the run-up to the hugely popular annual village carnival which will take place on Saturday 3 August.
On Thursday 18 July more than 240 local old folk from Bloxwich, Leamore and Blakenall Heath were treated to a slap-up tea in the Art Deco surroundings of the historic Bloxwich Baths function hall and entertainment from both professional performers and youngsters from the Mirus Academy (Beechdale) and Walsall Academy (Lichfield Rd, Bloxwich) in the form of singing, music and dance.
This free Senior Citizens’ Party, provided from funds raised by Bloxwich Carnival and organised by Bloxwich Carnival Committee was presented on a voluntary basis with the help of local groups such as Bloxwich Rotary, 196 Squadron ATC, West Midlands Co-operative Society and Bloxwich councillors and others, and is an annual tradition dating back to the mid 20th century.
For more photos of the 2013 Senior Citizens’ Party, follow this link:
Also, on Thursday 25 July the young Bloxwich Carnival Ambassadors representing the best about local primary schools turned out for a fun photo call at the Bloxwich Tardis monument on Elmore Green!
The young Bloxwich Canival Ambassadors for 2013 have fun at the Bloxwich Tardis!
The Carnival Ambassadors are part of a new Bloxwich tradition which was created when the Carnival was revived in 2000 for the Millennium, and they have proved a popular addition to the old tradition of the Carnival Queen and latterly the Princess and Rosebud.
The Bloxwich Carnival Ambassadors for 2013 are:
Callum Bedworth and Jayde Edwards of Blakenall Heath Junior School.
Joseph Simmons (absent) and Ellie Bakewell of Elmore Green Primary School.
James Webster and Toni Edwards of Green Rock Primary School.
Luke Hulbert and Beth Smith (absent) of Little Bloxwich C.E. Primary School.
Nathan Wycherley and Mary Beards of Jubilee Academy.
Saskia Thompson of St Peter’s Roman Catholic School.
The young Ambassadors will be formally presented with medallions following the Queen Crowning on Carnival Day.
For more photos of the 2013 Bloxwich Carnival Ambassadors, follow this link:
Bloxwich Carnival takes place in the usual venue of King George V Playing Fields between 12 noon – 4pm next Saturday, and will offer a full programme of family fun, arena events including the spectacular Stannage International Stunt Team, a plethora of stalls for charities and sales, the traditional Pat Collins Fun Fair - and most importantly, at 12.20pm the crowning of the Bloxwich Carnival Queen, Princess and Rosebud and the awarding of medals to the young Carnival Ambassadors!
Admission is just £1 for adults – and children and pensioners go free!
A poster for this year’s Bloxwich Carnival on Saturday 3rd August from 12 noon in King George V Playing Fields has been provided by Bloxwich Carnival Committee so that it can be made available for download by anyone who wants a copy for information, or who is willing to print one or more off and post it/them in places where people can see them.
You can just click on the link below to download the A4 version in pdf format, ready for printing:
The committee would be grateful if our readers and friends could put a poster on your work noticeboard, in your house or car windows (where safe to do so), or if you are a local business reading this then the committee would be grateful if you could put a poster in your shop window or door.
If you are a council venue reading this then you are very welcome to put up a poster, subject to any permissions you may need. Please note that Walsall Council supports Bloxwich Carnival.
WEBSITE LINKS
If you have a local website, blog, Twitter or Facebook page you are invited to post the link to this page so that your own readers can download a poster if they wish to.
NO FLY-POSTING PLEASE
Both the committee and the Bloxwich Telegraph would like to emphasise however that fly-posting in public places should not be undertaken, including putting these posters on lighting or traffic poles – please do not put these posters where you do not have permission, as this is against the law. Public spaces are being looked after by the committee, who have already put up large banners at both ends of the High Street, according to council regulations.
Last Saturday afternoon saw Blakenall Heath in party mood as hundreds of local people came together to enjoy a summer holiday on their doorstep!
And families flocked to the Blakenall Village Centre on Thames Road for an afternoon of traditional seaside fun for all ages – there was even real sand for the kiddies to make castles!
Crowds of young and old alike turned out for seaside fun
A host of activities for all were laid on between 2pm – 6pm in true nautical style – by the “crew” of the Good Ship Blakenall who took to the “high seas” and had everything running “ship-shape and Bristol-fashion”!
This special photo feature offers just a small selection of the pictures taken by Stuart Williams of The Bloxwich Telegraph who enjoyed a couple of hours there on the day. But there’s more!
DOWNLOAD
You can also see and download the rest from Flickr for personal souvenirs via this link:
Yes, tomorrow is the day we’ve all been waiting for in Bloxwich – it’s CARNIVAL DAY!
One of the most important days in the village calendar, indeed on of the most important in the district, Bloxwich Carnival dates right back to the Great War Peace Celebrations of 1919 when local men dressed in fancy dress and played football to raise funds for the soldiers who returned, the widows and orphans of those who did not, for local hospitals and for local old folk – the latter a tradition still carried on today by the current carnival committee with the time-honoured annual Senior Citizens Party which this year took place in July at Bloxwich Baths.
As with the past few years, the 2013 Bloxwich Carnival is taking place entirely in King George V Playing Fields, and there will be no parade.
Gates open on Saturday at 12 noon at the Bealey’s Lane/Bell Lane corner entrance and at the Stafford Road entrance. There is no on-site parking, you are recommended to arrive on foot.
The arena programme (see details of the main attractions below) runs till 4pm with the whole shebang concluding at 5pm, apart from Pat Collins’ Fun Fair, which will be close to the Bealey’s Lane/Bell Lane entrance as usual.
The Bloxwich Carnival Queen, Princess and Rosebud (see below for details) will be crowned at 12.20pm (ignore the printed time below) at the mobile stage adjacent to the event arena. The young Carnival Ambassadors from local schools will also be presented with their medallions by local dignitaries.
And admission to Bloxwich Carnival this year is silly cheap – just £1 on the gate or FREE if you’re aged under 16 or are a pensioner!
Details and photos are reproduced courtesy of the Bostin’ Bloxwich magazine published by Walsall Council’s District Centre Management Team for Bloxwich.
Watch out for our Bloxwich Carnival report and massive Flickr photo album early next week in the all-new Bloxwich Telegraph on WordPress.org – we’ll be giving the new link on this site and via Facebook and Twitter when we launch!
Today marks an exciting and important day for The Bloxwich Telegraph and its readers as this publication regenerates, Timelord-style, from the previous version (which you are reading) into something which combines elements of both past and future – the NEW Bloxwich Telegraph - all in order to better serve the people of Bloxwich and district!
TheBloxwich Telegraph is the successor to the popular online publication The Bloxidge Tallygraph, which we published June 2006 – October 2011. In October 2011 we moved from webs.com to WordPress.com, a more technically advanced platform which allowed us to make the Telegraph more interactive and linked-up.
Today, 5 August 2013, with the domain name of the old Bloxidge Tallygraph due to expire any day now, The Bloxwich Telegraph moves once again, and is re-launched on an independent server host using the yet more advanced and customisable platform of WordPress.org and a much more sophisticated design theme.
This allows us to implement display advertising and numerous other features which would have been difficult or more expensive to implement on WordPress.com. It also allows us to offer a better and more sophisticated design, with the aim of bringing our readers more information, with more style and interactivity than ever before.
A new location
You will find the new Bloxwich Telegraph – the Mark II if you will – via the following link:
We would be grateful if you would follow us from the new location henceforth, as from tonight this WordPress.com site will no longer be updated.
Work in Progress!
Although we have re-launched with a new design, there are a lot of legacy posts which we need to tidy up manually, some will need text and font edits, and many photos may not show up right away in these old posts. There is no need to contact us about this, we are gradually working our way through the backlog – and I am sure you will appreciate that our latest posts are our priority!
The design and the content of The Bloxwich Telegraph will evolve as we get to grips with our new systems – so watch this space for additions, alterations, tweaks and improvements over the coming months!
Advertising
If you are a local business we can now help with affordable advertising and advertising features/advertorials and promotion on the new site. Please get in touch via our Advertising page there.
Wave Goodbye, Say Hello
So, finally, we hope both our old readers and new will enjoy the new regenerated Bloxwich Telegraph - it has a new lease of life, and offers an even more powerful voice for our area. Make use of it!
Say hello to today’s Bloxwich Telegraph - and wave goodbye to the Bloxidge Tallygraph and the Bloxwich Telegraph Mark I. The future is at http://www.bloxwichtelegraph.com!
We need as many of our previous subscribers as possible to change to the new site, and we would therefore like to encourage you to go to the new Bloxwich Telegraph as soon as convenient and subscribe by entering your email address into the box at the bottom right of the Home page and clicking Subscribe.
Unfortunately we cannot transfer your subscription ourselves, so we would be very grateful if you would do this so we can continue to link directly to you as before, and offer a you a more direct service in this way.
New subscribers reading this are also welcome, of course!
Truants will be targeted in a new joint project between Walsall Council and Walsall Police starting on Monday.The project sees the council building on their success to date with partner agencies as part of the national Troubled Families programme and uses funding from within the programme for the truancy patrols. A police officer and council … Continue reading Council and police target truants→Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
A local Council Tax benefit scheme has been cut back in Walsall following government funding reductions. Walsall Council bosses approved changes to the council tax reduction scheme at Full Council on 12 January 2015 whereby all working age residents will have to pay at least 25% of their council tax bill. Councillor Sean Coughlan, Walsall Council Leader, … Continue reading Council tax benefit scheme cut→Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Seventeen mysterious carved wooden clubs, known as the Bayard’s Colts, have gone on open display at Walsall Museum, but members of the public will need to visit the museum above Walsall Central Library as soon as they can to take advantage of this rare opportunity, as Walsall Museum is now slated for closure on 31 March … Continue reading Historic Colts go on show as Museum closure announced→Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
