It’s an extra special “Open Weekend” at The Bonded Warehouse this October as we’ll be celebrating our 40th event…!
Celebrate Our 40th Open Weekend at The Bonded Warehouse!
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The Blackcountry Man Boat Trips 2025
The 2025 schedule of boat trips on The Blackcountry Man is now live! There are evening cruises with music ranging from ABBA classics, Soul and Motown to Rock and Roll – Fish and Chips included! We also have a selection of day trips to Kinver and Stourton Locks.
For further information please contact 07889 908090 or tripboat@yahoo.com. All other details can be found here:
https://www.thebondedwarehousestourbridge.co.uk/boat-trips/
Next Level Folk Club – Saturday 29 March 2025, 7.30pm
Next Level Folk Club is pleased to present Donnelly and South (Plus Quantum Penguin)
Keith Donnelly, one of the most popular, and yes, slightly crazy, figures in the folk world, teams up with the scene’s most exciting new voice – Lauren South. Keith’s songwriting and guitar-playing often take a back seat to his onstage madcappery. Not so in this duo (he promises!). Lauren’s stunning vocals on her own originals, Keith’s songs, and the odd ‘trad’ song, not forgetting her violin, guitar and shruti box playing, never fail to ‘wow’ audiences wherever she goes. They make a fun and energetic combination and have received rave reviews across the country’s folk clubs and festivals.
“a revelation. Keith’s guitar craft was absolutely stunning, and their arrangements felt light and easy despite being wonderfully complex and a joyful place in which to be lost. Lauren’s singing is world class… Humble, honest, powerful, intriguing and mesmerising.”
– Adam Beresford-Browne, Nuneaton Folk Club
“just stunning. Keith Donnelly and Lauren South are one diamond duo combining gorgeous singing and musicianship with barely controlled craziness.”
– The Albany Theatre, Coventry
“What an absolute joy… Superb!”
– The Woodman Folk Club
Support is from Quantum Penguin. Matt Woolley (a.k.a. Quantum Penguin) is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter from Shropshire. His love of storytelling through song blended with driving instrumentals means his set is one minute lilting and filled with emotion and the next joyfully energetic with soaring fiddle, guitar or bouzouki.
He has been nominated twice for Folk Musician of The Year at the Shropshire Music Awards. His recently-released second album Adélie has also received Album Of The Series on The Salopian Mixtape podcast. From songs that make you cry to rip-roaring fiddle tunes that will make you stomp your foot, Matt will guide you through the full spectrum of emotions while you sing along!
“Matthew’s love for the folk tradition shines through his soulful singing and exceptional multi instrumental accompaniments.”
– Debra Hannis – Chippenham Folk Festival
“A rising star indeed.”
-Will Sartin – Patakas
“The multi-instrumentalist is a delight to watch and hear… a new generation of folk singer”
– Sofia Lewis – Sound of Shrewsbury Folk
Your host will be Christopher Crompton.
Doors open at 7pm for a start at 7:30pm.
SNT OPEN WEEKEND 2025 – Boater’s Entry Form
The Trustees of Stourbridge Navigation Trust have decided that the Annual Stourbridge Open Weekend at The Bonded Warehouse will go ahead again this year on October 18th and 19th. This will be the 40th Open Weekend staged by the Trust, and its predecessor; although the first was 42 years ago in 1983 as Covid-19 caused us to miss two years.
We are determined that this anniversary event will be one to be remembered. It will also be recognising 50 years since the start of determined efforts by a band of volunteers to reopen the Town Arm after neglect following the 1962 IWA Battle for the Stourbridge Canal. This year also celebrates 40 years of the legal existence of the present Trust and the availability of the Warehouse to community use with the formal opening in1986. The year 2000 saw the Trust become financially sustainable and stopped relying on public funds and begging bowls. Also, 25 years ago, the Open Weekend boaters were treated to a mud-free towpath. This had been completely rebuilt with the Trust working in partnership with British Waterways (now Canal & River Trust) and Dudley Council using funding all raised by the Trust.
For Boaters attending this year we will be producing a special boater’s plaque with no extra cost to boaters above the Boat Entry fee of £15.00.
One request we make now – we need volunteers to help run the event. Like all voluntary organisations, we are short of help. Why not do your bit to help run this event? A few hours between Friday morning and Monday lunchtime would be very welcome. Or how about becoming a Trustee? Please email your interest as soon as possible to our Manager.
Please download the Boater’s Entry Form below and return the completed form to us by post or simply popping in to The Bonded Warehouse, Canal Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4LU.
The team of Harbour Masters look forward to welcoming you this year.
We wish you a good cruising year.
Save the Date – Open Weekend at The Bonded Warehouse – 18th / 19th October 2025
This October we will be celebrating our 40th Open Weekend at The Bonded Warehouse!
The dates for your diaries are Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October 2025, 10am to 5pm. As always, it is free entry.
Further details will be added over the coming months so watch this space.
Trust stalwart sadly passes away.
The Trust is sorry to inform you that we sadly lost Ruth Dyche last Wednesday 10th July 2024.
Ruth was involved with the very early restoration of the Bonded Warehouse etc., and for a number of years served as a Trustee. She was always actively involved in helping out at the Trust’s main events such as the Open Weekend and Santa’s grotto, and was also the Trust’s Licencing Officer from 1997 up until when Covid finally stopped the scheme. The scheme raised several thousands of pounds for the Trust over the years.
Ruth’s funeral will be held at the Stourbridge Crematorium at 11.40am on Monday July 29th. There will be a ‘Get-together’ afterwards at the Bonded Warehouse. Everyone will be very welcome.
Casual informal dress please. Family Flowers only. Any donations to Mary Stevens Hospice.
The Trust remembers Ruth with affection and gratitude and extends sincere condolences to her husband Chris and his family.
Stourbridge Navigation Trust – Open Weekend – 19th / 20th OCTOBER 2024
The Stourbridge Navigation Trust Open Weekend will take place on 19th / 20th October 2024 from 10.00am until 5.00pm.
The Open Weekend as always will feature food and craft stalls, a rally of over 30 boats, classic vehicles exhibitors, a real ale bar, children’s rides, live music and other traders – we hope it will be a another great success and much enjoyed by the local community.
Please mark your diaries and tell your family and friends about this forthcoming event and we look forward to hosting you at the Open Weekend 2024.
The event is free to enter but please note that Canal Street will be closed to non-authorised vehicles for safety reasons whilst the event is ongoing so public parking will need to be found on nearby streets.
Long serving SNT volunteer recognised by Lord Lieutenant.
Earlier in the year the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands decided to recognise the 50th anniversary of the legal entity called the West Midlands County by recognising 50 residents of each of the 7 Boroughs for their voluntary service during that time.
Our very own Chris Dyche, a long-standing Trustee at Stourbridge Navigation Trust, was justifiably one of those to be recognised. He was invited to a prestigious gathering in the Great Hall of the University of Birmingham on the afternoon of Sunday, 23rd June, accompanied by his daughter, Sharon Steventon, to be recognised by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Sir John Crabtree CVO OBE.
It is so pleasing to all of the fellow Trustees at SNT and indeed the Severn Valley Railway to see that he is to be honoured at such a high profile event for his significant voluntary efforts.
Chris has made a massive difference to the community and is an exemplary example of volunteering. His voluntary work started at least 50 years ago as a Member of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society (SWCS) from the early 1970’s. During the 1970’s he was a member of the Society’s Stourbridge Sub-Committee, and involved in the early restoration work on the Stourbridge Town Arm Canal. (At that Time the Canal was totally unavailable & the Tow Path impassable in places). He then became Treasurer of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Society in June 1979, a position he held until June 2020 before a step up to Chairman of SWCS for four years in early 2001 – 2004. Following this, he also served a year’s term as the Society’s President and is now a Society Vice President. Ultimately he was awarded Membership of the Society in 2008.
When the Stourbridge Navigation Trust was formed as a stand-alone organisation c1984 he became Trust Treasurer. Stourbridge Navigation Trust Ltd incorporated in 2002 and he became Financial Director, a post he still holds today. He also serves as Financial Director of Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd. (A full owned subsidiary of Stourbridge Navigation Trust Ltd.) .He is actively involved in most of Stourbridge Navigation Trust’s activities including holding key responsibilities for the Trust’s Annual Open Weekend from which started in 1983 and runs to date.
As an addition to the above waterways oriented roles Chris was an ordinary member of the Severn Valley Railway from the late 1960’s and became a regular volunteer at Kidderminster station as a Booking Office Clerk since 1996. He rose to the position of Chairman of the SVR’s Stourbridge Branch for about the last fifteen years.
So, you can just imagine the time and effort that Chris has selflessly put into these organisations and surely they would be lesser entities if he had not been around.
Once again hearty and well deserved congratulations to Chris who has volunteered with SNT for the whole of the 50 years and more.
He confesses to being a bit overwhelmed by this recognition, as he isn’t an accolade person, but he did report that he thoroughly enjoyed the event at which he was accompanied by his proud daughter Sharon.
Stourbridge Navigation Trust, based at The Bonded Warehouse, is always on the lookout for new volunteers so it is perhaps an opportune time, inspired by Chris’s achievements, to issue a plea to people who might be looking to do some voluntary work at the Trust or indeed to become a Trustee – if you wish to get involved at whatever level please get in touch and you will be made most welcome – it’s very rewarding and has a good social atmosphere with like minded local people.
Stourbridge Canal Drained of Water.
Part of the Stourbridge Canal was found drained of water this morning (Thursday January 4th 2024).
A keen walker shared these images with The Stourbridge News after snapping the almost empty stretch of canal, between Amblecote and Wordsley, at around 9am today.
He said he later noticed the lock gates had been opened to allow water to flow back in and it looked as if the dried-up waterway had been refilled although water levels still appeared lower than usual.
The Canal and River Trust has been contacted for comment.
Photographs courtesy of Alan Meese / Stourbridge News.
Update 6th January:
A Trustee at Stourbridge Navigation Trust became aware of the problem and acted accordingly. He advises that whilst latterly the local youth have left the canal alone it does still occur occasionally. On this occasion the top gate of the bottom lock was opened and a paddle drawn at the bottom end sometime on Wednesday evening.
He put the paddle down again and reported it to CRT before 9 o’clock on Thursday morning as he couldn’t shut the top gate due to debris which require a long handled rake to clear. The pound was full again by 10.30 as a boat was coming down.
This sort of malevolent activity is not confined to Stourbridge as sadly it happens all over the country from time to time.
Stourbridge Military Vehicle Parade – Saturday 9th November 2024
The Bonded Warehouse is proud to once again welcome the Stourbridge Military Vehicle Parade which assembles in Canal Street at 10.45am before proceeding to the top of the Stourbridge High Street [by The Chequers Wetherspoon Pub] for a prompt 11.00am start. The colourful parade finishes in Canal Street where approximately 30 vehicles will be on display until 3.00pm for the public to take a close look at a range of military vehicles, including a tank, and to chat with the enthusiasts who maintain them.
The parade itself will be led by the Shirley Pipe Band and can be viewed proceeding along the Ring Road making its way to the starting point and then down the High Street, Market Street and Bath Road to Canal Street where the vehicles will assemble by the Bonded Warehouse.
They event held last year proved to be very popular and those looking to attend on Saturday 9th November are strongly encouraged, for safety reasons, not to park in Canal Street as this may obstruct the military vehicles, some of which are very large and tricky to manoeuvre . Access to Canal Street will be managed by authorised representatives of the event. Parking can be found in nearby streets such as Mill Race Lane and Old Wharf Road but please be considerate where you leave your car.
Refreshments will be available from a mobile outlet parked in Canal Street.
Wear your poppy with pride and come along to enjoy the parade. You will be made most welcome.
A new website has been launched to provide more information about the parade and this can be accessed from:
www.stourbridgemvp.co.uk
