-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
Jay Blades : The Midlands Through Time
- Thread starter Genmac1
- Start date
DavidGrain
master brummie
I missed the first 20 minutes of the programme but was able to see it again by going on to My5 on the internet
Janet Hunt
master brummie
I also watched it was very informative, I cannot wait to see the next one
jay has done really well considering hurdles..now lives in shropshire
Blades was born in Brent, North London[7] and raised in Hackney, East London with his mother and maternal half-brother.[8][6] As an adult he learned that his father had 25 other children, from different mothers, in a number of different countries.[6] He has dyslexia, which was not diagnosed at school.[6] He experienced racism both at school and from the police.[6] As a young man he worked as a labourer and in factories.[6]
He enrolled in Buckinghamshire New University as a mature student to study criminology.[6][9] It was only then, aged 31, that he was diagnosed with the reading ability of an 11-year old.[10]
Blades was born in Brent, North London[7] and raised in Hackney, East London with his mother and maternal half-brother.[8][6] As an adult he learned that his father had 25 other children, from different mothers, in a number of different countries.[6] He has dyslexia, which was not diagnosed at school.[6] He experienced racism both at school and from the police.[6] As a young man he worked as a labourer and in factories.[6]
He enrolled in Buckinghamshire New University as a mature student to study criminology.[6][9] It was only then, aged 31, that he was diagnosed with the reading ability of an 11-year old.[10]
Again I enjoyed part 2 of Jay Blades refreshing approach last night looking at a wide range of 19th Century trades and industries most of which are relevant, strongly connected to my personal family history research and growing up in the Midlands. My own personal highlights were as follows:-
- Jewellery Quarter /School of Jewellery in Hockley
- Cadbury's in Bournville
- Sunbeam Cycles in Coventry and Motor Bikes in Wolverhampton
- Women working in the small 'chain making' and as 'nailers' in Dudley areas
These are all worth separate programmes in there own rights . Already looking forward to the last programme in the series next week. Keep up the good work Jay and Channel 5 team
- Jewellery Quarter /School of Jewellery in Hockley
- Cadbury's in Bournville
- Sunbeam Cycles in Coventry and Motor Bikes in Wolverhampton
- Women working in the small 'chain making' and as 'nailers' in Dudley areas
These are all worth separate programmes in there own rights . Already looking forward to the last programme in the series next week. Keep up the good work Jay and Channel 5 team
Indeed, When he was first featured in the programme "Money for Nothing" he was working out of a workshop in Wolverhampton.
I guess it's a bit like us not calling it "Landan", when we are down there
. Nice to see Carl Chinn get some time on this week's show, which might well reach and enlighten a few people from outside the Midlands, on our proud local history.
Stokkie
master brummie
Had a day in Worcester last week and found myself looking at the tomb of King John in the Cathedral. The guide was talking to two young tourists. She put them off going to B'ham as 'it wasn't historical' compared to Civil War Worcester. Turned out she was a retired sociologist from Sutton!
I guess I'd have sent them to the Jewellery Quarter? But I did think about Birmingham and history.
I'm looking forward to watching Jay Blades.
I guess I'd have sent them to the Jewellery Quarter? But I did think about Birmingham and history.
I'm looking forward to watching Jay Blades.
What a thing for a guide to do, she should be ashamed of herself.
I would have suggested a trip to The Black Country Living Museum as well, what a pity it is that the museum & art gallery is still closed and will be until next year, another "must see" in my opinion.
I wonder whether she was a proper qualified sociologist or just used that title to enhance her self esteem. Sociology is far more about the ordinary people than a few random Kings and their climbing up an oak tree or a Bishop being killed on his altar and similar occurrences.
I do go to Worcester quite often and now the cathedral is allowing dogs in for a year trial period, I pop in and have a look around. I find the guides in the cathedral not the best in all frankness. They are just too focused on big man history and always waiting to pounce upon your and tell you all about their version of past events, usually revolving around the aristocracy.
Fortunately, programmes like The Midlands Through Time are filling a demand for more social history and showing what the Midlands has to offer.
Fortunately, programmes like The Midlands Through Time are filling a demand for more social history and showing what the Midlands has to offer.
I feel there is and should be a place for all types of history. They should be seen as a part of the whole subject and shouldn't be in competition with each other. There is a place for the study of the Civil War for example alongside the study of social and economic history. Local history has it's place alongside British and World history, whether that guide in Worcester likes it or not. For example, I have been to the D-Day beaches, to the Somme, Ypres, Dachau, the Palace of Versailles, the Colosseum, Windsor Castle, Bosworth Field and to Worcester Cathedral. An interest in one type of history, should not in my opinion, preclude an interest in another.
I absolutely agree. The problem with history is it becomes divisive between the academic and everyday people and is used as a way of separating them from the other. People also take ownership of history and use it to define themselves with superior knowledge. I often encounter this with church guides etc.
Fortunately, things are changing for the better, despite some holding on to their golden past that never was.
Sadly the third and final episode aired last night on Channel 5. Once again Jay brimmed with enthusiasm discovering more Midlands characters this time in the 20th Century. I knew about quite a few but there were some I hadn't heard of before.
He initially concentrated and featured Coventry which I could strongly relate to having been a student in the city for 3 years in the early 1960's. At this time it was a privilege to be present to witness the final stages of the building of the new Coventry Cathedral and its consecration in 1963 by the Queen after the devastating blitz bombing during WW2. Also to be in the city that rebuilt itself.
I could also relate to the birth and development of the iconic Mini and other famous automobile marks in the Midlands. It was great to see some of these 'vintage' cars at the British Motor Museum. The Gadon Motor Museum near Warwick is worth a visit. Please don't forget the Motorcycle and Bicycle Museums of other famous marks such as BSA, Triumph, Sunbeam and Raleigh .
I was not aware that Malcolm X had visited Smethwick shortly before his untimely death in USA. Also I was not aware of 2 Tones Genre started back in Coventry. I was certainly aware of the Balti Triangle centred around Small Heath in Birmingham
As I said in my last post each one of the people /topics he covered in the 3 episodes could justify one episode each in their own right
He initially concentrated and featured Coventry which I could strongly relate to having been a student in the city for 3 years in the early 1960's. At this time it was a privilege to be present to witness the final stages of the building of the new Coventry Cathedral and its consecration in 1963 by the Queen after the devastating blitz bombing during WW2. Also to be in the city that rebuilt itself.
I could also relate to the birth and development of the iconic Mini and other famous automobile marks in the Midlands. It was great to see some of these 'vintage' cars at the British Motor Museum. The Gadon Motor Museum near Warwick is worth a visit. Please don't forget the Motorcycle and Bicycle Museums of other famous marks such as BSA, Triumph, Sunbeam and Raleigh .
I was not aware that Malcolm X had visited Smethwick shortly before his untimely death in USA. Also I was not aware of 2 Tones Genre started back in Coventry. I was certainly aware of the Balti Triangle centred around Small Heath in Birmingham
As I said in my last post each one of the people /topics he covered in the 3 episodes could justify one episode each in their own right
Richard Dye
master brummie
Absolutely MWS and those unfortunately are either academics (who sometimes consider themselves to be elites) or the elites or so called aristocracy’s. I am a huge fan of Churchill but much of what he did was manipulation, many times for the right reason.
What is saddening is that at this point in time we have no way to retrieve the actual facts & so we have what we have. I certainly hope that going forward we can all be more honest about our history, which I doubt as-the planet seems to be going the other way.