Press Releases
August 2010
Museum puts the Accent on Dialect!
Professor Henry Higgins may have helped Eliza Doolittle to lose her cockney accent but language experts at the Black Country Living Museum will ensure the region’s voice is in fine fettle with a series of dialect workshops on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 August and Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 August, 2010.
July 2010
Trade Union Heroines Remembered at Chainmakers’ Centenary Festival
Saturday 18 September The pioneering work of a formidable group of Black Country women will be honoured at the Women Chainmakers' Festival held at the Black Country Living Museum on Saturday September 18, 2010. The event celebrates the 1910 Women Chainmakers strike –100 years after the women, led by Mary Macarthur, marched for better pay and shaped industrial relations in Britain. The main speaker at the TUC organised event will be former cabinet minister the Right Honourable Tony Benn.
July 2010
Festival Showcases Rare Gems Sunday 25th July, 2010
One of the largest gatherings of AJS cars will make their motoring debut at the Black Country Living Museum’s Festival of Black Country Vehicles on Sunday 25th July, 2010. The cars, believed to be amongst just 33 still in existence in the world, will line up next to more than 150 historical Black Country vehicles spanning over one hundred years. These include Austin, Bean, Clyno, Jensen, Lomax, Quantum, Rickman, Star, Sunbeam, Swallow, Turner, Westfield and a rare Crescent Cyclecar.
June 2010
Museum gets in a Steam over Free Father’s Day Event!
Sunday 20th June, 2010
The Black Country Living Museum will be getting all steamed up for Father’s Day on Sunday 20th June, 2010 when steam power takes over the Museum. Dads of all ages can enjoy a visit to the award-winning Dudley Museum FREE OF CHARGE when accompanied by a paying son or daughter!
June 2010
Blue Peter’s Horrible History at Museum
BBC 1's flagship children’s programme, Blue Peter, have filmed ‘Gruesome Great Britain – The Victorians’ at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, as part of CBBC’s Horrible Histories Week. The episode will be shown on Friday 4th June 2010 on BBC 1 at 4.35pm.
June 2010
Museum Celebrates Family Life with Half Price Evening
A perfect summer’s evening is on the menu at the Black Country Living Museum as part of National Family Week. On Saturday 5th June the Museum will throw open its doors after hours for half the usual admission price. A programme of family entertainment is lined up to celebrate the occasion and on the last weekend of half term, it has never been easier to spend quality time with the family.
May 2010
KIDS GIVE THE THUMBS UP TO BLACK COUNTRY TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo have been voted as two of the top ten tourist attractions in the West Midlands, by children and parents from the region.
May 2010
Museum Banks on a Taste of the Past
The Black Country Living Museum will be inviting visitors to taste a real Midlands pint during the month of May when Hansons Mild returns to the Black Country as guest ale at the Museum’s Bottle and Glass Inn. Banks’s Brewery and the Dudley Museum hope a taste of the past will bring visitors pouring in.
May 2010
Night at the Museum Selling Out Fast
Hundreds of people have rushed to snap up tickets to the Black Country Living Museum’s half price ‘Night at the Museum’ event on Saturday 15th May, 2010. With just one week left to purchase the remaining tickets bosses are urging people to book up now to avoid disappointment.
May 2010
Tugs pull in the Crowds at Museum
Tug boats are set to pull in the Bank Holiday crowds at the Black Country Living Museum where the bi-annual Tug Boat event takes place from Saturday 1 May – Monday 3 May, 2010.
April 2010
Half Price ‘Night at the Museum’
Saturday 15th May, 2010 Building on the success of last year's event The Black Country Living Museum will be throwing open its doors after hours on Saturday 15th May as part of the ‘Museums at Night’ event. The Black Country Living Museum aims to inspire and engage by opening its doors to late night visitors at half the usual daily admission price.
April 2010
Museum’s 7-millionth Milestone
Today, 5th April 2010, the Black Country Living Museum greeted its 7-millionth visitor since first opening its doors to the public in April 1978. The Twigg family from Coventry – Jon and Jayne Twigg and children Olivia 15, Louren 11 and Alfie aged 2 received a warm fanfare welcome and lifetime membership to the award-winning open-air museum near Dudley.
March 2010
Rededication of Springfield War Memorial
A Wolverhampton war memorial honouring soldiers who lost their lives in both world wars will be rededicated at a service held at the Black Country Living Museum on Saturday 27th March, 2010. The Museum is delighted to welcome Colonel Tony George MBE TD DL Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands, The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Surjan Singh Duhra and Mayoress Mrs Ranbir Duhra and The Worshipful The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Pat Martin and Consort Mr William Martin.
March 2010
Cracking Drama takes the Scramble out of Easter Friday 2 April – Sunday 18 April
Brash, bolshie and back by popular demand - Fizzog Theatre Company perform their indomitable brand of street theatre whisking up a ‘living soap opera’ at the Black Country Living Museum from Friday 2nd April to Sunday 18th April. A packed programme of Easter activities ensure something for everyone and visitors to the Museum who wear an Easter bonnet will be admitted for half the normal admission price!
March 2010
Tarrant tunes in to Museum’s radio appeal
Radio broadcaster and television presenter Chris Tarrant tuned in to an urgent appeal from the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley for donations of pre 1939 vintage radios for their latest exhibition. The ex Capital Radio breakfast show host and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire presenter proved he was on the same wavelength as the Dudley attraction by posing for pictures with a 1934 Art Deco Murphy ‘24’ radio.
March 2010
Mum’s the Word for Free Event!
Sunday 14 March, 2010 Stuck for inspiration this Mother’s Day? Mums go FREE at the Black Country Living Museum on Sunday 14th March where mothers of all ages can enjoy a trip around the award-winning Dudley Museum FREE OF CHARGE when accompanied by a paying child!
March 2010
Make Smoking History!
The Black Country Living Museum has teamed up with Dudley NHS to make smoking a thing of the past. The museum which is setting up a tobacconist shop is hoping to find smoking memorabilia dating between 1935 and 1939 to deck out its shelves and Dudley NHS is hoping smokers will stub it out and consign their habit to history!
January 2010
Museum Unveils New Exhibition
The Black Country Living Museum has teamed up with Smethwick Heritage Trust to present a new exhibition entitled ‘Smethwick’, as part of the Museum’s permanent display ‘Heart of the Black Country – The Black Country and You’.
January 2010
Novel Debut for Museum Inspired Book
Halesowen-born writer, Anna Lawrence Pietroni, returns to her roots and the source of her inspiration – The Black Country Living Museum, to launch her debut novel ‘Ruby’s Spoon’ on Saturday 6th February 2010. Anna will present a talk in the Workers’ Institute followed by a book signing in the Museum shop. Normal Museum admission prices apply.
December 2009
Museum Toasts Record Year
Champagne corks popped at The Black Country Living Museum as staff toasted a successful 2009 before welcoming in the New Year. The Museum enjoyed a 10% increase in visitor numbers during 2009 together with a sell out Christmas season - with almost 12,000 tickets for festive events being snapped up by December 1st.
December 2009
Rare Car Motors Back in Time for 100th Anniversary
A rare 1930 AJS Saloon car, believed to be one of just 33 still in existence in the world, was today reunited with its original owners, A. J. Stevens and Company, at the Black Country Living Museum - just in time to celebrate the Wolverhampton motoring company’s 100th Anniversary!
November 2009
New Development is a Hard Habit to Quit!
The museum which is setting up a tobacconist shop on its new 1930s high street needs memorabilia dating between 1935 and 1939 to deck out its shelves. Preedy’s Tobacconist Shop is set to open at the museum next summer and had more than 40 shops in the Midlands. The Dudley attraction is hoping to strike it lucky and set fans aflame with a public appeal for all things smokin!
9th November 2009
Museum Stands on Ceremony for War Memorial
A Wolverhampton war memorial honouring soldiers who lost their lives in both world wars was at the centre of a Remembrance Service held at the Black Country Living Museum today.
October 2009
Bright Sparks Turn Up the Heat on Bonfire Night Tickets Sales
Thursday 5th November 6.30pm – 10.00pm Pre-book only on 0121-520-8054
Bright sparks have turned up the heat on Bonfire Night ticket sales at the Black Country Living Museum where demand for the 5th of November Guy Fawkes extravaganza has rocketed. Tickets are smokin’ hot and selling out fast and more than half of the pre-book only tickets have been snapped up!
October 2009
£50,000 Gift Helps Museum Drive Accessibility Forward
A £50,000 gift from ‘The Patrick Trust’ family charity will ensure history is accessible to all, the Black Country Living Museum has announced today. Thanks to the generosity of Birmingham-based businessman, Alex Patrick, who is a trustee of the Trust, the gift enables the award-winning museum to address access issues on its historic site and to purchase a multi-accessible period bus.
October 2009
Doris Drives History Forward with a £50,000 Gift for Dudley Museum
A vintage vehicle called Doris is ensuring history is accessible to all at the Black Country Living Museum thanks to the generosity of Birmingham-based businessman, Alex Patrick. The businessman, who is a trustee of The Patrick Trust, dug deep into the coffers and donated a £50,000 gift enabling the museum to address access issues including the purchase of a multiaccessible period bus through his family charity ‘The Patrick Trust’.
Saturday 26th September, 2009
All Aboard for 100th Birthday Celebration!
A double-decker tram will be celebrating its 100th birthday on Saturday 26thSeptember at the Black Country Living Museum after a 25 year restoration project returned the open-topped tram, which was once used as a coffin store, back to its former glory.
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.
