This is brilliant, it reminds me of how it was in my area back then. Sadly now all gone, no industry no sense of community, what has happened to England is really upsetting. Thank you for sharing this.
Great seeing Black Country folks enjoying themselves. I was born in Coseley now live in New Zealand, if you have a black country friend you have the best mate forever
Lived in a pub in Dudley back in the late 60 and early 70's and have photos of my mom & dad with Harry Harrison behind the bar. It was a fantastic place and time to live.
That took me back years. My nan and grandad were from Lower Gornal and my mom was born there. I went to school in Sedgley. Thanks for posting this video
My Granny who was from Brierley Hill, from time to time used to send 'The Black Country Bugle' up to us in Yorkshire. It was brilliant. And mad. As a family, 50 years on, we can still recite bits from one of its' poems called 'The ballad of Harry Cabbage'... does anyone else out there still recall it ...?
I remember as a lad in his mid teens working on the pop rounds in Gornal in the 90's. They were always lovely people, very polite, real salt of the earth.
I know the story well. My dad lived in Gornal went to Red Hall school. Joined the navy at 17 and moved to Northern Ireland, then to Canada. My wife never did understand what he said.
What a marvellous little program ! The presenter is charming - never patronising - and is interested in people - did she have a good career in Television?
The Black Country today isn't the same as when that programme was made, the community spirit has mostly died away with the old un's, the youngsters today only care about themselves.
I grew up in industrial West of Scotland so the Black Country has always fascinated me. Thanks for this ATV documentary. Gornal seems suspended in time, a better time too.
The last era of causing mischief as a kid, then getting a whack round the ear off your neighbour ....But you didn't dare tell your Mum or Dad, cos you'd get your arse tanned.
i was born a few miles away in a place called tipton, and i saw and spoke with folks like these as a kid in the 70s 80s very few true dialect around any more same as my old area ocker hill and toll end,all gone now
Born and bred in the black country worked in the black country factories repairing forklifts for forty years great people great video teks yo back med me lof God bless them all proper proud British people ❤👍🦊
Ir3member going with my dad to Layla carpet near to the Rosemary cinema . We stopped a local to ask directions. 10 minutes later we left him, having understood not a word !
What was the actual year of this documentary, judging by the length of the blokes hair I would say early 70s . I remember days like this down our social club I’m from a East Midlands town just the same as this just a different accent 👍🇬🇧
Lived 1 mile away in Sedgley for 5 years went to shool there for a year coming from Leckie Walsall having knocked about and brought up knowing Smethwick, Tipton and Great Bridge. Gornal was like a foreign language, not many speak it now - Innit. A true Gornal will know this "I hate you", in conversation normal speak then go off "and they be hanging the pig on the wall and watching the band go by" awesome so were the women saw a few of as a teenager.
I was born in smethwick, brasshouse lane at the top you walk into Halfords lane which is the smethwick end of the Hawthorns, I now live in new Zealand,came home in 2007 I hardly recognized the town As most of the industries having been shut down and the dirty great duel carriage way replacing what was once a continuous row of shops houses and pubs. And of course the Pakistani chavs declaring smethwick was their Manor.
You are right. Human ability to adapt to harsh conditions in order to survive let's those who run our lives get away with murder. But working class resiliance keeps our humaninity alive and thriving. These people are truly the salt of the earth.
So easy to get romantic about the good old days.....the industrial pollution, the filthy canals, the ill health of anyone who worked, the limited social mobility, crap education prospects, the myopic village mentality. But despite all that, we thrived. Willenhall born, bred and proud to the bone.
The slim well dressed People, the community cohesion, the easily entertained happy People. Today the descendants of those people will be sat at home blindly staring at their phones looking for human interaction. I know which era I prefer.
Not much has changed really. The biggest difference is the shift in ill health, from physical illness to mental illness. The pollution has changed too, there is rampant pollution right now it is just unseen.
All that made them great people, the sense of humour, getting on with life, the community - I’m glimpsing my grandparents and families past. Those people didn’t have time to be depressed simple but wise.
it does make me sad . you can mock all you like but thats real england in the old days , change the accent and food and it would appear all over the country they look happy too
No, it’s an area (lots of small towns and villages) to the West of Birmingham…now integrated into the city, unfortunately. Black Country folk don’t much like being called Brummies!
