Older Press Releases
September 2009
Summer Sales Beat Christmas Rush
Tickets to sell out events at the Black Country Living Museum will be going on sale today, giving early birds the chance to beat the Christmas rush! Visitors are urged to book up early for this year’s magical events which include Halloween at the Museum, Traditional Bonfire Night, Santa Hunts and Traditional Christmas Evenings to avoid disappointment.
August 2009
One Wedding and a Funeral at the Black Country Living Museum
Forget Dawn and Garry’s Eastenders wedding or Danielle’s dramatic funeral – the soap storyline of the year takes place at the Black Country Living Museum on Bank Holiday Monday. The Museum’s resident soap stars get hitched and also lay a loved one to rest but in the time honoured tradition of all soap sagas proceedings do not go to plan.
August 2009
Centenarians Reunited at the Black Country Living Museum's Historic Boaters’ Gathering
Two centenarian canal boats will be reunited at the Black Country Living Museum’s Historic Boaters’ Gathering on Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September, 2009, along with 25 other historic working boats. 101 year old tunnel tug, Sharpness who used to work the Worcester and Birmingham Canal Tunnel, will moor alongside 100 year old President, the only preserved steam powered narrowboat on the canals today.
August 2009
Museum Sitting Pretty after Bench Donation
The Black Country Society has ensured visitors to the Black Country Living Museum will be sitting pretty this summer with a £1000 donation to the Streets Ahead Campaign for a specially commissioned bench. The bench will be situated in Folkes’s Park which was formally opened by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester in the spring of this year.
August 2009
Festival Signs Up Headline Act
Robb Johnson, one of the finest singer/songwriters working in the UK today,along with his band the Irregulars will be this year’s headline act at the Women Chainmakers’ Festival which takes place on Saturday 12th September, 2009 at the Black Country Living Museum.
July 2009
Christine Blower Headlines at Chainmakers' Festival
General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Christine Blower is to be the main speaker at the 2009 Women Chainmakers' Festival which returns for its fifth year at the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley on Saturday 12th September, 2009.
July 2009
Air Your Dirty Laundry in Public and Win a VIP Day!
The Black Country Living Museum is getting in a bit of a lather over its latest new attraction – the Brew House at the Museum’s Tilted Cottage. The Museum is recreating ‘Washday Monday’ and is appealing to the public to air its dirty laundry in the hope a few ‘soap stars’ come forward with their wash day memories. The story that scrubs up the best will win a VIP trip to the award winning attraction and two lucky runners up will each recieve a family ticket which admits 2 adults and up to three children.
July 2009
Friends Chip in for Restoration
The Friends of the Black Country Living Museum have chipped in with a £1000 cheque towards the restoration of elaborately decorative tiled wall panels in Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop.
July 2009
Neighbours from Hell – Back by Popular Demand!
Fizzog Theatre Company will be treading the boards at the Black Country Living Museum over the summer holidays and will shine the spotlight on School Holiday Activities from Saturday 18th July - Sunday 6th September 2009.
June 2009
New Attractions Gear Up for Motoring Festival
The Black Country Living Museum’s 2009 Festival of Black Country Vehicles promises to be the torque of the town with new motoring attractions and dream drives making a winning formula on Sunday 26th July, 2009.
June 2009
Jazz It Up Aer Kid!
Top national and international acts will gather together at the Black Country Living Museum on the 11th July to play Jazz at the Museum, an exclusive jazz extravaganza celebrating 25 years of the Birmingham International Jazz Festival.
June 2009
Red Letter Day for Midand Red Bus
A red letter day is planned at the Black Country Living Museum for the D9 Midland Red Bus which celebrates its 50th birthday on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June, 2009. The Black Country Museum Transport Group will be going off their trolley as they mark the occasion with a bus trip down memory lane. The
June 2009
VOLUNTEERS STEP BACK IN TIME TO WELCOME ROTARY MEMBERS
Visiting Rotary Club members from across the globe have been given a taste of the Black Country’s heritage courtesy of volunteers from the Black Country Living Museum.
May 2009
Schools Out and a Timetable of Fun is In!
Swap classrooms for cobbled streets and a timetable of holiday fun at the Black Country Living Museum from Saturday 23rd May - Sunday 31st May, 2009. Take a history lesson like no other and avoid the half term headache whilst keeping children absorbed for hours! Travel back in time to the early 1900s where modern conveniences like washing machines, cookers and bathrooms are just a twinkle in the eye and dolly tubs, black leaded grates and 'buckets and chuck its' are the must-have gadgets of the era!
2009
HELP MUSEUM HIGHLIGHT HUMPHREY’S HISTORY
The Black Country Living Museum is looking for help with the next phase of its ‘Old Birmingham Road’ project, the construction of a block of four shops which formerly stood in Oldbury.
May 2009
New Museum Director Appointed
The Black Country Living Museum today announced the appointment of Andrew Lovett as its new Museum Director and Chief Executive. Andrew Lovett is currently Director of Corporate Resources and Deputy Director at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and will take up the post, which has been held by Ian N. Walden O.B.E. for the past 33 years, on August 3rd 2009.
May 2009
100 Year Old Boat Steams Ahead to Birthday Celebrations
President the only preserved steam powered narrowboat on the waterways today, celebrates its 100th birthday on the 2nd May 2009 at the Black Country Living Museum with a party fit for a centenarian, before undertaking a 5-month Birthday Tour of the canals and waterways.
April 2009
Museum gets Green Light from Waste Fund
The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is celebrating a £132,550 grant from the Veolia Environmental Trust, which will be used to recreate history at the award-winning Dudley attraction.
April 2009
May Day Celebrations at the Black Country Living Museum
May Day celebrations get off to a colourful start when the centuries old tradition of Maypole Dancing kicks up its heels at the Black Country Living Museum on Monday 5th May. Children from the Harlequin Youth Theatre with be demonstrating some fancy footwork as they perfrom a Maypole dance and weave their way around the Maypole in the school yard.
April 2009
Museum Turns to the Dark Side!
For one night only the Black Country Living Museum will be throwing open its doors after hours and on Saturday 16th May, as part of the European ‘Nuit des Musées’, the Museum will be offering visitors the chance to enjoy some nocturnal culture!
Saturday 4th April – Sunday 5th April
Museum Friends Enjoy Some Good Clean Fun
Join the Friends on a journey into the past as they move into houses and cottages in the canal-side village including Pitts Cottage, the Brook Street back-to-backs and the Nailmaker’s House. Discover how families coped before the advent of washing machines, fridge-freezers, vacuum cleaners and the indoor loo!
March 2009
Whisk up a Winner for Easter
Take the scramble out of Easter and whisk up something special this holiday with a trip to the Black Country Living Museum. Enjoy a cracking programme of activities guaranteed to put the spring back into your step!
March 2009
A Royal Walk in the Park
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited the Black Country Living Museum on Friday 20th March, 2009 to inspect the recently completed Workers’ Institute and declare the adjacent Folkes Park open.
Sunday 22nd March, 2009
Mum’s the Word for Free Event!
Mother’s Day is made to order this year when Mum’s go FREE at the Black Country Living Museum on Sunday 22nd March, 2009. Mother's of all ages can enjoy a trip around the award-winning Dudley attraction FREE OF CHARGE when accompanied by a paying child!
March 2009
Visitors get Starry-Eyed over Museum Observatory
Visitors to the Black Country Living Museum will be over the moon with the latest event to be hosted at the award-winning Dudley attraction. Volunteers from the Pendrell Hall Observatories Group will be hosting a Victorian Astronomy and Technology Day giving visitors the chance to ‘see stars’ in the Museum’s own Victorian-style observatory.
February 2009
Museum Project Motors Ahead thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund
A major new attraction ‘The Black Country Motor Company Limited’ has been unveiled at the Black Country Living Museum today thanks to a £347,500 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant, matched by a major grant from the European Regional Development Fund and a grant from the Lord Austin Trust and volunteers. The cash boost paved the way for a new home for the Museum’s highly prized collection of Black Country built vehicles and is the latest development in a major £10 million expansion plan which will see the Museum literally double in size.
February 2009
Museum Boss to Retire After 33 Years at the Helm
After more then 33 years as Museum Director and Chief Executive of the Black Country Living Museum, Ian N. Walden O.B.E has today announced his decision to retire at the end of July, 2009.
January 2009
HEART OF THE BLACK COUNTRY
A major new exhibition for all weathers is unveiled tonight at the award winning Black Country Living Museum which comprises three unique elements.
January 2009
2008 - A Vintage Year!
2008 was a year of accolades with The Black Country Living Museum scooping an impressive 10 awards over 12 months
December 08
Escape the Pressure of Christmas Present and Relax in Christmas Past
'Tis the season to be jolly and visitors to the Black Country Living Museum can leave the stresses and strains of Christmas present behind and step into Christmas past at the Museum's Traditional Christmas Evening's on Thursday 18th , Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Monday 22nd December, 2008.
October 08
Museum Turns Up the Heat for Bonfire Night!
Ignite memories on November the 5th when the Black Country Living Museum combines Bonfire Night Celebrations with a trip down memory lane. The awardwinning Dudley attraction turns up the heat with an evening of music, entertainment and old-fashioned family fun and Bonfire Night - without the bangers - gets off to an explosive start!
October 08
Museum’s Halloween Nightmare
Halloween is a real nightmare at the Black Country Living Museum where visitors are invited to trick or treat themselves to a spooktacular evening on Friday 31st October, 2008. Dust off your broomstick and grab your hat and cape for a bubbling cauldron of activities in the Museum village.
September 08
Museum Dishes Up Catch during Seafood Week
The Black Country Living Museum will be dishing up a catch during Seafood Week when Beacon Radio stars Fresh and Jo launch the Museum’s Sponsor-a-Brick Appeal on Tuesday 16th September, 2008 to raise funds for the reconstruction of Hobbs Fish and Chip Shop.
September 08
HLF SAY “YES” TO BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has confirmed that a grant of £347,500 has been awarded to the Black Country Living Museum to pay for a new phase of the ‘Streets Ahead’ Development. By January 2009, the Museum plans to have constructed a new vehicle restoration and period display unit - Bradburn and Wedge, as part of ‘Moving the Black Country’. This stage of the new development will enable the Museum to showcase its significant collection of Black Country cars and motorcycles.
September 08
Local Museum Takes On Royal Attraction
Queen Victoria would not be amused but staff at the Black Country Living Museum are ecstatic! Last night the local attraction went head-to-head with Windsor Castle in the prestigious Group Leisure Awards for Best UK Attraction. Celebrating joint runner up position alongside the London Eye and Alton Towers, the Museum was just pipped at the post to first place by Windsor Castle.
September 08
Famous Five Rebuild History One Brick at a Time
Five top celebrities have lent their support to the Black Country Living Museum’s Sponsor-a-Brick Campaign which helped to rebuild the Workers’ Institute at the awarding-winning Dudley Museum.
September
Come Dancing’s Quickstep to Hidden History
Black Country Living Museum researchers have discovered that TV’s Come Dancing is a quickstep in the right direction to unearthing the history of 41 Hall Street, Dudley – the latest addition to the Museum’s £10 million ‘Streets Ahead’ expansion programme.
September 2008
60 Year Old NHS Takes Tonic from the Past
A trip back in time to the Black Country Living Museum proved just the tonic for nurses from Russell’s Hall Hospital and across the Midlands as they stepped forward into the future to celebrate 60 years of the NHS.
