The Bonded Warehouse, Canal Street
Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4LU
T. 01384 395 216
E. stourbridge-trust@btconnect.com
The Stourbridge Arm of the Canal is surprisingly very pretty and full of history as illustrated by the following splendid 7 minute video of a walk down The Crystal Mile.
The narrators are Graham Worton of Dudley MBC, Keeper of Geology and Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark Project Lead and Ian Dury a local glass expert who is based at The Ruskin Centre in Amblecote.
We hope you enjoy and learn something new about the Stourbridge Canal and associated history from viewing the video.
People living with dementia were the beneficiaries from the first ever Stourbridge Vintage Collectors and Memorabilia Fair that was held at the Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge on Sunday 30 April 2017.
This special event was created and organised by Stourbridge businessman Jim Cadman and his wife Pat raising £2,140 for the Alzheimer’s Society to support local services, research and campaigning for people living with dementia.
Jim Cadman said: “It has been a pleasure working with the dedicated people who look after those living with dementia in recent months and we will continue to support them in the future.”
“We are already making plans for the second Stourbridge Vintage Collectors and Memorabilia Fair next year and in addition my wife and I will be visiting local dementia cafes in Brierley Hill, Dudley and Wolverhampton in the autumn of this year to talk about the great Hollywood films of the 1950’ and 1960’s. We will be taking a collection of photographs, magazines and film posters from the period that we hope will stimulate some happy memories for those attending”
Emma Dowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society said: “Our thanks go to Jim Cadman and his wife Pat for raising vital funds and supplying us with memory boxes to be used at our local dementia cafes. We rely heavily on the generosity of individuals and the support from Jim Cadman has been fantastic, not only in raising money but also helping us to raise awareness in the media and in the community about dementia.”
To find out more about dementia and local support please contact Alzheimer’s Society Black Country Office on 0121 521 3028 or visiting Black Country Office, Part Ground Floor, Castlemill, Burntree, Tipton, DY4 7UF.
As part of the International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge Bead and Glass Fair will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday 26th and 27th August 2017 at the Bonded Warehouse – open each day from 10.00 to 16.30. Admission FREE.
There will be light refreshments available – with various stands selling hand made glass beads and jewellery, findings, glass supplies and tools and lots more.
For more details of exhibitors, please visit www.gallowglassbeads.co.uk or contact Pat on 07710 760295
For some time concern had been expressed about a large ivy-clad sycamore tree at the side of the dry dock and as Spring approached it became evident that the roots of this large sycamore tree were beginning to cause damage to the 200 year old canal retaining wall, now part of the wall enclosing one side of the much used dry dock.
Of course, removing trees is a complex matter so the Trust approached the Council about any required permission for the felling of the tree. Being within a Conservation Area, the Council eventually decreed that an S211 form would be necessary and a six week waiting time would be required for the application to be considered. After eight weeks patient yet frustrating waiting for the consideration period to elapse (for the tree by this time was bulking up by quickly spurting into leaf) we didn’t receive any prohibitive reports and the decision was made to initiate the removal of the tree.
The position of the tree, as illustrated in the photograph, was very difficult to access and our qualified contractors, Absolute Tree Solutions, decided that the only way to attack it would be to climb up and cut it down incrementally. The major part of the work was completed in a day, including removing all the significant amounts of debris, and the following week the work was finally completed.
Further work will soon be undertaken by the Tuesday Club to clear shrubbery along the bank where the tree once stood and also to trim some smaller branches from other trees over-hanging the roof of the dry dock which gets littered with leaves piling up in the guttering.
Typically for the Trust, nothing that can be used goes to waste and at least one of our resident boaters benefitted by removing some of the larger pieces of the tree trunk for use next winter on their boat fires.
Join us for a 2.5 hr cruise down the Stourbridge Canal with a fish & chip supper whilst being entertained by Sax Appeal playing Rock, Pop, Blues and Classics. Full bar service on-board.
Tickets £18.00. Booking early is essential as this event will certainly sell out quickly. Call 01384 375912 / 07889 908090 to book your place.
The volunteer force known as the Tuesday Cub became the Tuesday & Thursday Club last week in order to complete the work to recover and refit the seating in the Blackcountry Man trip boat in readiness for the first trip of the season. It was amazing to see the range of skills deployed (including upholstery as a ‘first’) by the enthusiastic group who can generally make a good job of any task that crops up at the Bonded Warehouse.
Needless to say the extra hours given to fitting the seating did the trick and the shiny new seats were all neatly and securely installed for the Saturday excursion – a 50th Birthday Party. We hope the trip was enjoyable and that the seats were comfortable!
In 2017 the Rally is returning to Stourbridge. The dates are 19th to 23rd July. The location is the Bonded Warehouse, at the end of the Stourbridge Town Arm. Our hosts are the Stourbridge Navigation Trust.
Stourbridge is synonymous with glass, so appropriately one of our craft activities involves that material. This will take place at the Red House glass cone, it involves working in the glass fusing studio to design and decorate a glass tile with Bullseye glass. Participants will also be treated to a guided tour of Red House and a demonstration of glass blowing.
Slightly nearer the moorings is the Ruskin Glass Centre and Webb Corbett Visitor centre on Wollaston Road, Amblecote (access from the last bridge over the Stourbridge Arm). Formerly the factory for Royal Doulton, the site now provides workshops for a thriving community of craftspeople in both traditional and contemporary glassmaking, together with other crafts. You can learn about the history of glassmaking in Stourbridge and see the whole glassmaking process from start to finish, including blowing, cutting, kiln work, stained glass and lamp work. There is also an excellent café which serves an exciting and affordable menu of breakfast, snacks and hot lunch dishes, using locally sourced organic produce. This is open from 8.30 am (except Sunday and Monday).
Speaking of food, we are not providing breakfasts this year at the Bonded Warehouse. However we will be serving a Sunday tea to provide you with sustenance for the Register AGM.
The Friday craft session is production of shiny greetings cards. The shiny bit comes from old CDs, so bring a few of those with you. On Sunday morning you can try some bomb making. No, not the explosive type but bath bombes! A popular session will be that on Friday afternoon when Keith Hodgkins will show more of his extensive collection of aerial photos of Black Country canals (and railways). For the technical workshops, we are running Cylinder Heads again by popular demand. Hopefully we will have a session on lubrication oils and a practical introduction to scumbling (wood graining). The one big change from previous rallies is that we will start on Wednesday evening. The opening event is a buffet, this will be held in the function room of the Duke William on Coventry Street. Note, because of licensing restrictions we can not accommodate under 18’s at the buffet – sorry. Thursday is a rally whole day out – a visit to the Severn valley Railway. Travel from the Town station on what the locals call the tram to Stourbridge Junction, then by train to Kidderminster. There is plenty of time to travel on the SVR steam trains to Bridgnorth and to include a visit to the Engine House exhibition at Highley or the riverside town of Bewdley. After the rally is a Black Country convoy cruise. Ian McKim Thompson is arranging this. It includes visiting Dudley Tunnel on the trip boat with a meal at the Gongoozler restaurant at the Portal at Tipton Also a visit to the current terminus of the Dudley No2 canal at Hawne basin, where a barbeque is planned. The final destination is the town arm at Walsall, where we spend two nights. Visits to the excellent New Art Gallery and other museums are setup for the day. Hence the aim to pack two Town Arms with RN boats, Stourbridge one weekend and Walsall a week later! The rally bar will as usual feature several local real ales – some brewed less than a mile from the warehouse.
Finally, just a reminder that is our tradition we have a raffle. Please bring along anything suitable as raffle prizes.
The Stourbridge pre war Car Club comes to the Bonded Warehouse on its 50th Anniversary – a great day out to see lovingly restored cars of yesteryear.
The Club covers all Historic Vehicles i.e. 40 years old but membership is not restricted to ownership of such vehicles. This is a group of like minded car enthusiasts who enjoy their cars and each other’s company at events and shows. The club will exhibit cars and there will be music, food, and access to the first floor of the Warehouse for the kitchen, conveniences and an internal exhibition.
Open and Free to the Public.
Specialist dealers will be travelling from all over the country to participate in this show at the Bonded Warehouse. In addition to the specialist dealers at the event, tables will be manned by a team offering a wide range of memorabilia and collectables that have been donated by supporters including unique items from celebrity contacts in the world of show business and sport.
To support this fund raising event any unwanted items from your attic, garage or back of the wardrobe will be gratefully received for onward sale in aid of the charity – to arrange collection or to find out more information about the event please contact us on 07971 624 627 or email: jwc@corstone.co.uk.
Open to the Public from 10.00am to 4.00pm (Trade from 9.00am)
Profits from this special Memorabilia & Collector’s Fair will be donated to The Alzheimer’s Society.
This year the Trust will be staging the 36th annual Open Weekend. The event which runs from 10 am until 5 pm on both days will attract many canal boats which will be moored along the historic Stourbridge Canal.
There is free admission to the site and there are a number of attractions which include classic vehicles, traction engines, amusements, canal boat trips, fairground organs and a craft fair in the Bonded Warehouse. We are also planning more food outlets to cater for a range of tastes as well of course as the beer tent and live music.
Mark your diaries now so that you can attend this wonderful local event with something for all the family.
Public parking needs to be found ‘on street’ in nearby locations within easy walking distance of the Bonded Warehouse site.
The Bonded Warehouse
Canal Street
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY8 4LU
T. 01384 395 216
E. stourbridge-trust@btconnect.com
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