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Warley Abbey photographed in 1956 before demolition the following year.

They are ads Tinpot. You could try an adblocker? (That's my guess based on accessing the garden thread without a blocker).

Appreciated Alan. I guess I'd suggest members try to use a laptop rather than a phone if they encounter issues. Linux can apparently be used on a smartphone too, though I've never tried. Derek

Any recommendation for phone users, Alan? I don't use my phone actually, but I think many do. Derek

'French Gardening' was organised by Suttons Seeds in 1910 and seems to involve cloches, cold frames covered with mats, and hot beds to warm up the soil. Apparently it was all the rage in England before 1914.

George Bretherick was Warley Park superintendent from 1906-1935. He laid out flowerbeds around the Abbey, with exotic plantings following an exhibition of ‘French Gardening’. He used the old walled kitchen garden for Warley Abbey as a plant nursery for Birmingham Parks Department growing...

I didn't know there was once an ice house, Rosie. But no self-respecting grand house would be without one! There were gate houses too at one time. I'll post something on the history of gardening and Birmingham Parks Dept who were based there into the 1990s. The rose garden was delightful. Derek

The Iron Bloke, David S Mitchell, quotes Christopher Long in 1984, but makes the point that ferrous scrap always has value and no vast dumps have been found. https://www.theironbloke.com/about-1

Lyn, yes it is another sad loss, at least the Woods continue to thrive and the house in Lightwoods Park which is nearby. Derek

Pedro, there's a story on many places of the internet that the railings collected could not be used in the war effort as the iron was unsuitable or there was simply too much collected. Some say railings were sent down the Thames to be dumped at sea. Some say that the whole thing was staged...

I was one when 'Warley Abbey' was demolished, so I have only seen paintings and photographs. Does anyone remember the building? Folk memory talks about monks, but this is a misapprehension as this was never a religious building. Samuel Galton Jnr, a Birmingham gunmaker, bought the Warley Hall...

I'm delighted that Warley Woods continues to flourish under Warley Woods Community Trust who have some history pages. https://www.warleywoods.org.uk/Pages/FAQs/Category/history I lived in Bearwood as a child until my 30s, so I have many memories including winter sledging. Part of the cost of...

Wellesbourne still has a civil airfield and a museum including an Avro Vulcan which can taxi on specified days, but isn't in flight condition.

I'm delighted that Ernest Wright are still putting together hand-made scissors in Sheffield. On the expensive side, but they will last a lifetime or more.https://www.ernestwright.co.uk/collection/

I had to look that up: 'A putter (Northumberland), hurrier (Yorkshire), waggoner or drawer (Lancashire) was the local term for the person who brought empty coal tubs up to the coal face and took loaded tubs to the pit bottom' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_coal_mining_terminology)...

Enjoy your birthday!

Happy Birthday, Dave!

Thanks Mike, appreciated. Derek

Kat, Wed 13 March is the next Real Peaky Blinders talk. At the Old Library near the Custard factory. I'm looking forward to it. Derek

Given that the population size of Birmingham was smaller then, I'm surprised at the numbers. I was prompted to find this National Archives Blog on Internment of Enemy Aliens in 1940 which describes the experiences of Italians instancing the caterers Carmine (Charles) Forte and Frank Berni (who...