FLORAL MARQUEE
Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country is often seen of a collection of 20 or so towns falling within the four Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley , Sandwell , Walsall and Wolverhampton . While no one quite agrees on the exact boundaries of the region , there is one thing we know for certain : Black Country folk changed the world . They built world ’ s first successful steam engine ; put the first steam train ( the Stourbridge Lion ) on US soil ; fuelled the introduction of the first minimum wage ; produced the anchor for the Titanic ; practically built the Crystal Palace and so much more .
From the early 20th century onwards , the Black Country region became one of the most industrialised parts of the UK with coal mines , iron foundries , glass factories , brick works and more dominating the landscape . The sheer intensity of industry earned the Black Country a worldwide reputation and its goods were shipped around the globe . But industry at such scale came at a huge cost , and the landscape was turned inside out for its resources . In 1862 the American Consul to Birmingham Elihu Burritt famously described the region as “ black by day and red by night ” because of the ubiquitous black smog by day and the fiery glow of the furnaces by night .
Up until the 1950s and 60s , the Black Country preserved the physical , economic and social landscape of the earlier part of the century , but eventually the pace of change began to erode the essential character of the region . Following two major waves of industrial development , the last mine in the Black Country closed in 1968 , bringing about the end of a unique area , one that is preserved at the Black Country Living Museum for you to explore .
AJS ‘ H-Series ’ Motor-Cycle and Sidecar Combination , built 1927
This motorcycle was built in 1927 by A . J . Stevens & Co , Wolverhampton . Founded in 1909 , the company had a reputation for robust and well-engineered motorcycles . This machine is powered by a V-twin 799cc engine . Great distances can be quickly covered using a motorcycle , but the rider is exposed to the elements and the carrying capacity is restricted to what a machine not much bigger than a bicycle can accommodate . The side-car combination offered greater passenger comfort and practicality . It represented motorcycling ’ s response to the growing challenge of the emerging light weight car , which aimed to bring motoring to the masses . The Black Country has a proud history of motorcycle manufacturing with AJS , Diamond , Orbit , Star , Sunbeam and Wolf being other builders of motorcycles associated with the area .
Ford Model-T Van , built 1921
The American Ford Model T is regarded as the vehicle that brought motoring to the masses . It was the first car to be manufactured using revolutionary ‘ just-intime ’ mass-production methods . ‘ Just-in-time ’ meant that parts arrived when they were needed in the production process rather than earlier . Removing the need to store large amounts of supplies . This reduced costs making the simple and reliable car more affordable .
The Model T chassis was easily adapted and ideal for use as a small commercial vehicle . Motorised delivery vans sped up deliveries and did away with the need to feed and stable horses . Brevitts , a company established by Joseph Brevitt , a key maker in Willenhall , started a delivery parcel service initially using pack-horses and carts . By 1914 they had a fleet of 40 vehicles . This Ford Model-T van was the company ’ s first ever motorised vehicle and could often be seen making trips into central Birmingham .
AJS , Nine Tourer , built 1931
A J Stevens & Co ( AJS ), was best known as a maker of high quality motorcycles , but they also built motor cars at its factories in Wolverhampton . Launched in August 1930 , the AJS Nine had powerful brakes , a fuel consumption of around 36 miles per gallon and could achieve a top speed of around 60 miles per hour . Despite its successful design , the AJS Nine was too expensive when compared to its competition and production ceased when the company went into liquidation in October 1931 .
Thank you to Hedges Direct for the supply of hedging to our features in the Floral Marquee . www . hedgesdirect . co . uk
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