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Sandwell Valley.

G G Jean

G G Jean

Brummy Wench.
I hope this is posted in the correct place but I think this nature reserve is well worth a visit. We went today and had a lovely peacefull walk round the reserve and sat in the hide watching the various ducks. You can take your own food and drink and are benches all over the place to just take in the wildlife. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead. Jean.
 
I am in a state of some shock. I can actually see birds in Jean's photos I swear I can ;)
 
Well I'll be blowed Bernie and I thought I was taking photo's of the lovely lake and grasses. Maybe you can make the birds larger?. I took three of them from the hide. Full of blokes talking fishing. Jean.
 
Your right Jean, it is a lovely place, i am a conservation volunteer there, we mend fences, clear paths, etc. Here is a photo of us replacing a fence by the car park a couple of weeks ago. I hope you have lots more visits to our lovely valley.

Chucka
 
Well done chuka. People like you who are 'hands on' and do this work voluntarily should be applauded. I must pay a visit it looks lovely.
 
It is lovely, and as Wendy says, thank you Chucka for the work you do to keep it looking as it does. I have a bit of a vested interest as part of it was my playground as a child living in Hamstead. We played for hours near the foredraft as we called it. On a sad note one of our babes, my cousins youngest boy, drowned in the fordraft when he was just five years old. I always say a silent prayer for him whenever I visit.
 
Chucka you must get a great deal of satisfaction in the voluntary work you do and well done. Di it is a lovely place to visit and I will go back shortly. It is a pity that they could not open a small snack bar for visitors. They do have a drinks machine though and there are not many places that allow you to take in your own food and drinks and there are benches scattered along the pathways where you can just sit and take in the surroundings. It must still have sad memories for you Di. Jean.
 
Di.Poppitt said:
It is lovely, and as Wendy says, thank you Chucka for the work you do to keep it looking as it does. I have a bit of a vested interest as part of it was my playground as a child living in Hamstead. We played for hours near the foredraft as we called it. On a sad note one of our babes, my cousins youngest boy, drowned in the fordraft when he was just five years old. I always say a silent prayer for him whenever I visit.
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Hi Di, sad story about the young lad drowning, but could you please tell me where the "Foredraft" was.

Chucka
 
Did anyone listen to Edd Doolan and Lee Copplestone from the RSPB Sandwell Valley today?. They are doing another garden survey and if anyone is interested to contact the center for details. TTFN. Jean.
 
Chucka, the foredraft was a brook that ran across the field near to the school and then ran behind the pit. The pit entrance was on the left going towards Spouthouse Lane. In 1953 the stream, had swollen due to heavy rain, and the brook was a torrent.
The landscape has changed over the years. On the top of the bank also running from the pit up to the canal at High Bridges, which takes you out onto the Newton Road, there were coal trucks, and there was the brickworks at the junction of Old Walsall Road and Hamstead Lane, a series of pulleys took huge buckets across the road swinging above your head as you walked in the village. Wouldn't 'elf and safety have a few words to say today.
 
Does anyone know how to get to the farm from Sandwell Valley?. Can you drive there if so any directions please. Jean.
 
Thanks Di, i know where you mean now but as i came from the West Brom end we didn't know the local names.

Chucka
 
Jean, which farm do you want to visit, Sandwell Park Farm is in the valley its self, turn off Dagger Lane into Salters Lane, 1st right and down the hill straight to the farm. To get to Forge Mill Farm you turn off the Newton Rd the side of the Crematorium into Forge Lane and the Farm is on your left hand side, it is sign posted.

Chucka
 
It is looking good Chucka, you must be happy with the result when you have worked on a piece of land that is being conserved.

As to the names, in Hamstead we had very different names than the maps show today. We called Hamstead Road, which runs from Old Walsall Road past Sandwell Valley, The Lane. Looking at old maps it was called the Lane and nothing more than a track. The miners houses were all in rows, one had a brick with the date the houses were being built, 1888, always known as 88 Row. There were fields with names that tied up with Hamstead families, one such was Allin's field. One of my mother's school masters was 'Gaffer Allin' . They gave no quarter did they. I have such good memories of the village.
 
Chuka it is Forge Mill Farm and thanks for the directions. Di what lovely memories of the place. I will certainly be going back with my packed lunch and drinks shortly. Keep up the good work Chuka. Jean.
 
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