Putting The Black Country on the map

Today sees the launch of a new ordnance survey map and this one finally has THE BLACK COUNTRY clearly marked as an area for the first time! Yay! As you all know I'm very proud of my area, it's a special place and recognition of it's heritage is long overdue. So you can imagine how chuffed I was to be on BBC radio WM this morning with a little snippet saying how pleased I was.Go Here for the Black Country alphabet song!

2008 Friday fun 7

The Ghost of Gibbet Lane, Stourbridge

Gibbet Lane is a short cut between Stourbridge and Kinver and has been used for many centuries. Strange, creepy sounds are said to haunt the underbrush that lies on both sides of the lane. Trees creak and groan in the wind and the scurrying of night creatures also break the stillness. People have reported uneasy feelings. They feel like they are being followed by something sinister and strange that haunts the night.



In times gone by, the bones of cutpurses and murderers hung in chains along the road. Their mortal remains left hanging for months; a fatal warning to others contemplating a criminal career.



The gibbet post was driven into the ground at the exact spot where William Howe shot and robbed a wealthy local farmer, Benjamin Robins, on a winter’s night in 1812. It was market day in nearby Stourbridge. Mr Robbins was wearing a well-filled money-belt, having sold some sheep. He had celebrated the sale in the near by Nag’s Head hostelry, before setting off on foot to his farm in Dunsley.



The victim was a tough individual. After being robbed and left for dead, he managed to stagger home leaving a trail of blood in the snow. He lived for ten days before dying on 28th December. On his deathbed he gave a description of his attacker.



His brother was quick to react. He rode to Stourbridge and ordered one hundred “Wanted” posters. The crime caused such a sensation that the famous Bow Street Runners, Harry Adkins and Sam Taunton (ace detectives of their time), were brought in by the local magistrate in a determined effort to bring the robber to justice.



They interviewed many locals which paid the dividends. Thomas Bates reported that he had noticed a suspicious character lurking in bushes. He described a man wearing a tricorn hat, a dark riding coat and carrying a pair of pistols stuck into his belt. Others reported similar sightings.



The investigators followed the trail and discovered their quarry was a servant of the Marchioness of Downshire, by the name of William Howe. He had some instinct that the Bow Street Runners were on his trail as he packed his bags and left without giving notice.



But Mr Howe was finally apprehended at the Castle and Falcon pub in London. He was sent in irons to Stafford Gaol to await trail. When on trial, after a mere seven minutes the verdict of “guilty” was reached and the sentence of hanging by the neck until dead (and then being cut down and dissected and anatomised) was carried out within 48 hours.



However, when the verdict was announced, the attending Stourbridge magistrate immediately applied for the body to be released to them and hung in chains near the sport where the crime took place. Recent murders in Kidderminster, Bridgenorth and on Whittington Common resulted in the request being granted as a warning to others.



Vast crowds gathered to witness the arrival of the body and follow the procession. The body was suspended in chains “for the moral benefit of the local population.”



The corpse swayed in the breeze for many months and was little more than a skeleton when it was stolen at night by a local surgeon, who felt his profession had been cheated from using the body for medical advancement.



The legend of William Howe became widely circulated and sightings of the phantom started to occur regularly during the last century. Howe’s spirit has been reported to appear as a malicious figure which glides rather than walks. One witness, who claimed to have lashed out at the spectre in fright, says he stumbled back after his stick passed straight through the ghostly apparition.



Equally disturbing encounters with the spectral shade of William Howe continued to emerge regularly in the local press. The old tale was enlivened once more in 1908, when a skeleton with a rusty dagger protruding from its rib cage was discovered near the ‘old gibber tree.’ It is now speculated that William Howe is not the only lonely shadow haunting the old lane.



The most recent investigation into the Gibbet Lane phenomena took place in December 1975, when three paranormal researchers hailing from Dudley kept a four-night vigil in the vicinity of William Howe’s haunting. Bill Oddy, Kevin Stokes and Roy Banks took scientific equipment and spent the December nights searching for paranormal activity. In a summary of their findings, they explained how they heard eerie tapping sounds, shared the feeling of being followed or being invited to follow a presence, and witnessed a black, human form crossing the lane.



But the researchers concluded that, due to their lack of convincing evidence, the surrounding countryside around Gibbet Lane is at peace. Perhaps the spirits are finally at rest...

(Story courtesy of Charlotte Duckworth)

2008 Friday fun 2

I appologise for not posting a Friday fun last week but I had a book release. Dangerous to Know http://www.moonlitromance.com just in case you didn't know lol.
So, this week I am indebted to 'The Village Voice' for some snippets of times past in the Black Country.

Parish records from Sedgley church in the 1600's are full of nicknames for various people and shed a fascinating light on the inhabitants.
Edward Pershouse, a young man called ye goat.
Thomas Thominson known as Dobbin.
Edward Fellows commonly called the Giant.
and Harry Evans of Gornal Wood called Harry the painter.

My favourite story though is about a gravedigger from Oldswinford. He was reputedly asked to prepare a grave for a Mr Button. He duly did so and submitted his bill to the grieving widow.
To providing one Button-hole the sum of 2/-

Friday Fun 17

I thought we'd have a few more sayings and phrases this week just to keep your 'ear' in so to speak.

More Black Country sayings -
In a Tiswas - In a state of confusion.
This has a historic explanation. A way to prevent an attack by mounted soldiers was to scatter special nails called Caltraps, Crows foot or Tiswas in the road.
This was a four-legged nail device made in such a way that however they were thrown down, one spike was always pointing upwards. The idea was to lame the approaching horses. A bit like the stinger device the police use today to stop cars.
I suppose the saying originated from this time with the horses and riders not knowing which way to turn to get away from the spikes.
Now you'll hear people say 'I was all of a tiswas.'

I culd ave drapped cork-legged - I could have dropped down dead with surprise.

A blind mon on a gallopin' oss culd a sid it - How could you not notice that you fool?

He's about as gain as a glass eye - He looks good but he's useless.

Friday Fun 15

The Black Country as you've gathered is famous for it's ghosts. As it's almost Halloween here's an article on The Station Hotel which is situated at the foot of Castle Hill in Dudley.

Thanks to John Blythe for the following piece.
Featured on television by ‘Most Haunted’ the Station Hotel Dudley in the UK, holds many dark secrets, particularly in the cellars. The story tells of a hotel manager who enticed a servant girl into the cellar. Spurning his advances and threatening to tell his wife, the girl was murdered by him.

When ‘Most Haunted’s’ resident psychic Derek Acorah went to the hotel, he reported the name of a male spirit George Williams/Williamson who was having an affair with a female by the name of Elizabeth Hitchen. George Williams allegedly murdered Elizabeth by strangling and stabbing her. Acorah then revealed that Williams disposed of Elizabeth’s body by means of a chute within the hotel, which would have been used, at the time, for the delivery of bottles and barrels. Williams was then reported to have buried the body near the front of the hotel. According to Derek Acorah, Elizabeth Hitchen’s body remains there.

Originally built in 1910, the Station was demolished in 1936 in order to build a larger Hotel. This became particularly popular with theatrical artists playing the Hippodrome Theatre, once situated opposite. Laurel & Hardy, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and George Formby are amongst the famous names that have stayed at the Hotel.

It is still a nice comfortable hotel with a good restaurant decorated to reflect its former glory. Ask to be seated at ‘Georges’ table.

I have held a number of public paranormal investigations at the Station Hotel and have never been disappointed with the level of paranormal activity. If you visit make sure it’s on a cellar tour night, we have had people touched, pushed, slapped and in the case of one unlucky customer; thrown back off a chair just as the Planchette was about to start, all in the cellar, and don’t forget your camera, ‘orbs’ a plenty at the Station Hotel, currently rated as my number one hotel for paranormal activity.

The ‘Thing’ we photographed in the cellar; at the bottom of the barrel chute, is probably the murderer George but it will take further investigation before we are sure of its identity. If you do decide to stay one night ask for a room on the haunted landing, 214 is the one in which the bed and chair moved when ‘Most Haunted’ filmed there. Nice!

John Blythe is Senior Executive Manager for Haunted Weekend http://www.hauntedweekend.com who organizes public paranormal investigations in haunted hotels and castles throughout the UK. He has appeared on television with Haunted Weekend clearing a haunted house and has featured in and written for many paranormal magazines. He is also a featured expert on the paranormal for World Reviewer, a website that specialises in unique experiences; http://www

Friday Fun 14

The Black Country is renowned for the inhabitants sense of humour and love of 'saftness' in the form of practical jokes. Many of the jokes are told in the names of two Black Country characters Aynuk and Ayli.
Here's a typical joke from The Book of the Black Country by Jon Raven

Ayli was late for work and the gaffer asked him where he had been.

Ayli said : "I've been to 'av me 'air cut."

Gaffer : "In the firm's time ?"

Ayli : "Well it grows in the firm's time, doh it ?"

Gaffer : "It doh all grow in the firm's time !"

Ayli : "I day 'av it all cut off !"

and another

Aynuk was walking along the canal one day when he heard a cry for help coming from the water. Aynuk looked down and spotted a bloke drowning. Instead of helping him out Aynuk ran along the canal bank, up a road and through a factory gate. He rushed up to the foreman and said :
"I've just seen Jack Edwards drownin' in the cut. Can I 'ave 'is job ?"
"Sorry Aynuk," said the foreman, "I've just gid it the bloke wot pushed 'im in."

Friday Fun 11

Photo courtesy of Carl Higgs

This is a view of Askew bridge, not far from my home. The bridge itself is not as a skew as it used to be. In the olde coaching days this was the turnpike road and you can just see the toll house in the photograph (now a private home) This section of the road is reputed to be haunted and many motorists have reported seeing a dark figure in a black cloak running across in front of them. Mr Nell and my eldest belle have also seen this.

Friday Fun 6 (late)

I'm home and here's Friday's post - a bit late. I'll blog about the holiday in the week once we've uploaded some pictures for you all to see. In the meantime I thought I'd talk about the food in the Black Country.
The picture above is faggots and peas. Not the nasty meatballs that the manufacturors make but real faggots made with onions, bread, liver, kidneys and bound together with kell. The peas have to be mushy.
Other well known dishes are gray -paes and bacon. (grey peas and ham)and chawl (potted pigs head)I've helped my grandmother make faggots and chawl many times. Other famous dishes are grorty pudding and bread pudding. I make a mean bread pudding even though I say so myself.
So here are some food words for you
Paes - peas
Taeters - Potatoes
Hummock - a slice as in a hummock of bread.
currans - currants
Mate - meat
suck - sweets

Friday Fun 5

My village of Gornal is famous for two main things. The villages are Upper Gornal, Lower Gornal and Gornal Wood. Gornal men used to be highly sought after by architects as they were skilled bricklayers and the area locally is the home to several brickmakers. The ground around here is very rich in clay and evidence of quarrying can still be readily seen today.
For todays class I thought I'd teach you all a saying or two.

E gid him a right cog-haiver - He hit him with a good punch.
Yow'm like a bibble in a can. - You never shut up.
That wo get the babby a new bonnet - You're not earning enough.

PS The first person to post in the comments the second thing that Gornal is famous for gets a prize!

Friday Fun 4

Dudley Castle was founded in 1071 and overlooks the town known as the capital of the Black Country. It's haunted by the ghost of the Grey Lady and there are rumours of a secret tunnel leading from the castle to the ruins of the Priory which stands below the hill.
The castle and the towns Station Hotel were investigated by The Most Haunted team.
Today, as the castle is set within the grounds of the zoo, and as Kate Hardy talked in the previous post about some of her local dialects insect names, guess what the topic is?

A black bat is not the flying kind. Here, a black bat is a big beetle.
A doorbug is a woodlouse, possibly because of their habit of creeping under doors.
A Bobhowler is a moth.
Chookie is a chicken - like the Australian chooks.
Flen - is a flea
Oss or Hoss is a horse
A tunky is a fat pig. You might hear - Er's a big as a tunky pig.

Friday Fun 3

Now most of you know about my passion for old buildings. This one is a tithe barn with roosts. It is just across the road from me and is part of a farm that's a listed building. The site on which the farm stands is an ancient heritage site as there has been a manor there since the Norman times. You can still see the medieval field layouts in the ground markings. We suspect our evening pipistrelle bats roost in or near the barn.
So, on todays lesson lol
This involves the words bist and bay. You can clearly see the link with old german. Bist is usually used as meaning are you as in Bist thee gooin ter town? ie are you going to town? How bist thee ma mon? How are you my good man?
Bay is nothing to do with horses. It usually means aren't you or isn't it. eg Yow bay gooin theer am yow? You aren't going there are you?
A classic Black Country statement using this is shown below
That bay a bay bin it?
That's not a bay window is it?
Now you have bin, bay and bist you can start to practice. I'll leave you with another word or werd - bostin' A term of high praise!
More next Friday.

Friday Fun 2

I'm off to the conference later but I thought I'd leave you with some more lessons in 'spaking Black Country' while I was gone. The picture is of the famous Crooked House pub which is five minutes walk from my house. The pub defies the laws of gravity in that you can seemingly watch a penny roll uphill along the bar.

I thought you might like some descriptive phrases.

He's a right lummock - He's a big blundering man.
Stop yer mitherin - Stop worrying.
Goo an wash yer donny's - Go and wash your hands.
He's as jed as a nit - He's as dead as a headlouse.
Put t'wud in the hole - shut the door.
Her culdn't stop a pig in an entry - That woman has bow legs.

There'll be some more next Friday!

Friday Fun

Okay, since a few of you wanted to know what yampy meant I think the next few Fridays will be devoted to teaching you all Black Country.
The Black Country dialect is one of the oldest in Europe, it is very similar to old german and the english that was spoken in the middle ages. Many scholars have said that if Chaucer were alive today he would have no trouble communicating in the Black Country. The dialect varies a little from village to village with Darby End and my village of Gornal having the strongest dialects.
Many words still end in -en as in gooen meaning going. The A sound is often pronounced as an O. Man becomes Mon for example. So here are some words and phrases to start you off.
Bin - this is not a receptacle for rubbish but instead means been. So you may be asked 'Where have yow bin?' which means 'Where have you been?'
An answer might be 'Ah've bin ter Brummagem' This means 'I've been to Birmingham.'
A good example of old english words that are still used would be the words Midden or miskin. In anglo saxon it meant a dung heap but was often used to mean rubbish heap. Today it means the outside bin or rubbish as in 'Ah threw it on the midden,'
Next Friday I'll post some more about the Black Country and our dialect with some pictures.