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Local historian to publish new book

Local historian Ray Fellows is set to publish his new book covering the history of Wednesfield this month.

Wednesfield’s well-known local historian Ray Fellows is set to publish his new book covering the history of Wednesfield this month.

In the book, entitled ‘Wednesfield Our Heritage’ Ray not only deals with local history, but also talks about heritage sites and buildings that Wednesfield has lost over the years and those that we are in danger of losing.

Covering buildings from the regal Cinema in 1962, the Ideal Cinema (Smack) in 1990 and Sidebothams’s in the 1990’s, to Alcock’s Farm / Larry’s Tyres in 2011 and the soon to be demolished Tivoli Theatre / Temperance Hall as part of Sainsbury’s car park extension.

Book available 26th January

‘Wednesfield Our Heritage’ will be on sale at High Street News (Wednesfield) and Waterstones (Wolverhampton) from Thursday 26th January and Ray will be promoting the book in-store at Waterstones at 1pm.

The following in an excerpt from the book, describing Wednesfield around 1948-1950…

A stranger approaching Wednesfield for the first time will probably do so via the main Wolverhampton – Bloxwich Road. The distance is only two miles – a three penny ride on the trolley bus and the feeling of turning ones back on Wolverhampton was not immediately apparent. Just beyond New Cross Hospital however, a hump backed bridge over the canal affords a momentary glimpse of the general lie of the town, and very soon the narrow high street and the cluster of houses built around the parish church unmistakeably reveal Wednesfield’s village origin. 

A brief stay in the town will also reveal equally unmistakeably, that Wednesfield was in every sense a separate community, exhibiting sturdy independence and a strong sense of civic pride. These virtues, desirably in any town have been stimulated in Wednesfield by threats of encroachment and absorption by neighbouring towns. Wednesfield is one of the oldest, if not the oldest of the Black Country townships, for it has had a separate existence and identity for upwards of a thousand years.

One reply on “Local historian to publish new book”

I would very much like to purchase a copy of this book to give to my uncle for his birthday. I was born in New Cross Hospital and lived all my life until the age of 20 in Wednesfield. My uncle, Tony Burrows, lived in Lichfield Road Wednesfield throughout his childhood too. He now lives in Bournemouth and, like me, is becoming nostalgic.
Pam Stanton ( nee Wagstaff)
ps I live in Alveley Shrops now and I am the secretary of our Historical Society so you can see my interest in history is wide!

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