More September 1914 casualties

Three more men from places now within the Solihull Borough are known to have died in September 1914. They were:

Private Albert Newell, of West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own), died 20th September 1914. He’s commemorated at Bickenhill and Marston Green.
Private George Edward Paston, of King’s (Liverpool Regiment), died 21st September 1914, aged 32. He was apparently born in Berkswell but was living with his wife and his son at his father-in-law’s home in Leicester. His peace-time occupation was a brick-burner. As far as we know, he’s not commemorated in the Solihull Borough, so please tell us if you know differently.
Corporal Claude Percival Wilks, of the 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, died 26th September 1914. He’s commemorated on memorials at Catherine-de-Barnes, Elmdon and Solihull.

If you have any information about any of these soldiers, please let us know – email heritage@solihull.gov.uk or phone 0121 704 6977.

Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian

9 June 2014 0

Hemlingford

Solihull was the only former Rural District Council to become a Metropolitan Borough Council in its own right under the 1972 Local Government Act, which came into effect on 1st April 1974. A little more than 40 years before, workers were taking up the cobbles in Solihull’s High Street – a graphic illustration of the incredibly rapid growth of the Borough. The population had more than doubled in 7 years, from just over 25,000 in 1932 to 52,610 by 1939.

Continue reading “Hemlingford” →

1 April 2014 0

Tell us your memories of 1954, 1964 or 1974

2014 marks the 40th/50th/60th anniversary of Solihull becoming a Municipal Borough (1954), County Borough (1964) and Metropolitan Borough (1974).

We’d love to hear your memories of those times – for example, did you see Princess Margaret visit Solihull on Charter Day? Did you attend the teenage dance at the Civic Hall in 1964 to raise funds for the ‘Elevation Day’ clock? Do you remember the creation of the present-day Metropolitan Borough in 1974?

Please tell us what you remember of events then, or let us have your thoughts on how life in the Borough has changed since those times. There’s a memory sheet (PDF) attached below for you to fill in and email back to us at heritage@solihull.gov.uk

Solihull Borough memory sheet

Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian

22 March 2014 1

First car registered in Solihull

When Solihull became a County Borough on 1st April 1964, it also became constituted as a registration and licensing authority for motor vehicles and drivers. From that day, Solihull drivers had to obtain their tax discs from the Local Taxation Officer at the Council House in Poplar Road. The DVLC (later DVLA) took over vehicle licensing from 1974.

Continue reading →

5 March 2014 1

Solihull prepares for Charter Day

This is an extract of a longer video by local film-makers and photographers, filmed in March 1954 when Princess Margaret presented then Urban District of Solihull with a Royal Charter of Incorporation as a Borough. It shows the area around Poplar Road and Warwick Road, including then Council House (now the Assembly Rooms pub).

Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian

4 March 2014 0

40th/50th/60th anniversary of Solihull Borough

Solihull is unique in being the only former Rural District (1894-1932) to have grown to the status of Metropolitan Borough in its own right.

2014 marks 60 years since HRH Princess Margaret visited Solihull to present the then Urban District (1932-54) with a Royal Charter of Incorporation as a Borough.

Solihull's Mace — The Mace is the symbol of Royal authority, delegated to the Mayor

Just ten years later, “the village”, as most Silhillians still called it, had grown to such an extent that the Municipal Borough served a population of 100,000. This was considered sufficient to become a County Borough in 1964, and take on responsibilities previously carried out for residents by the County Council.

Another ten years on, and 1974 saw the effect of the Local Government Act 1972, which re-organised local authorities and saw Solihull County Borough merge with Meriden Rural District and Hockley Heath Parish to form the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull we have today.

All this makes 2014 a special year for us: a 40th, 50th and 60th anniversary!

We’re hoping that you’ll be able to tell us your memories of the events in 1954, 1964, and 1974 that marked the rise of Solihull from an Urban District to a Metropolitan Borough.

Post your memories here, or e-mail heritage@solihull.gov.uk.

David

2 March 2014 7

@OurSolihull changes to @SolihullLife

The New Year brings a fresh look for “Solihull Life In A Day”, which saw tweets, posts, photos, drawings and one-day diaries archived to give a snapshot of life in the Borough on an ordinary day – Tuesday 12th November 2013. You can see the curated themes at http://storify.com/oursoliday

We felt that Solihull Life shouldn’t just be for one day, so we’ve changed our Twitter and WordPress profiles to reflect our ongoing efforts to capture, preserve and share the life and heritage of the Borough. We’ll be featuring some of our photos and documents, and we’ll be asking for your help with some of our forthcoming projects.

2014 marks one hundred years since the outbreak of the First World War, and library staff have been working with local historians and community groups to find out about those with a connection to Solihull who served and gave their lives.

Less well-known is that 1st April 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of Solihull Metropolitan Borough, the 50th anniversary of Solihull County Borough, and the 60th anniversary of Solihull Municipal Borough, which saw Princess Margaret visit the then Urban District of Solihull to present the Royal Charter.

We’d be delighted to hear from you if you could contribute any anecdotes, stories or memorabilia relating to the First World War or the 40th/50th/60th anniversary of the Borough. Please email Tracey Williams at heritage@solihull.gov.uk

Tracey

1 January 2014 0