In the 1950s, many of the remaining slums were demolished and council houses were built to re-house the occupants. At Netherton, tower blocks were built for the ex-slum dwellers, which must have seemed like palaces compared to the dreadful houses in which they once lived. Some of the new homes were built on derelict industrial sites and old mine workings, such as parts of the Russell's Hall Estate, where old mines and spoil heaps once stood. The estate was Dudley’s largest post war development and was built between 1957 and 1964, when it was finally completed.


The Chapel Street redevelopment, Brierley Hill.

Dudley’s first tower block was Wychbury Court flats, which officially opened on the 24th November, 1964. Wychbury Court was a 16 storey tower block, containing 87 flats, in Westley Street. The building survived for just over 36 years. It was demolished by a controlled explosion on the 15th July, 2001, along with neighbouring Romsley Court.

As part of the slum clearance programme, the slums in the Birmingham Street area were demolished. Fisher Street had been widened in the 1930s and it became the main road into the new bus station, which was built at the end of Fisher Street and across Birmingham Street. The new bus station was officially opened by the mayor, Councillor Arthur Silcox on the 27th September, 1952. The old bus station was replaced by the car park alongside Birmingham Street, which is still there today. The original bus station was demolished in 1984 and replaced by the new bus station, which became fully operational in 1987. The old bus station was on the slope of the hill at right angles to the current bus station, which was built on a level site along Fisher Street. There were several accidents at the old bus station when buses rolled back down the hill and injured passengers.

From July 1927, until March 1967, trolley buses ran into Dudley from Wolverhampton. The terminus was at Stone Street Square. Midland Red also had a bus depot in Dudley, in Birmingham Road, on the corner of Wolverton Road. The depot, along with the other local bus services was taken over by West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive in 1973. It was closed in 1993 and demolished in 1994 to make way for the Castle Gate traffic island, on the town’s new southern bypass. The island was built in 1997 and the bypass opened on the 15th October, 1999.


The bus terminus and car park in Stone Street Square in the early 1960s.

In the 1950s, schoolchildren in poor health could be sent to open air schools for up to three months to help with their recovery. Places for them were reserved at the Malvern Open Air School and at Astley Burf Camp, near Stourport, which was under the control of Dudley Education Committee. Schoolboys could also go on a free fortnight’s holiday to Rotary Boys’ House at Weston Super Mare, thanks to Dudley Rotary Club. The children greatly benefitted from their time away.


High Street and the Market Place before redevelopment. From an old postcard.

There were several extreme weather events in the area. On Wednesday the 7th June, 1950, over half an inch of rain fell in 45 minutes and hailstones measuring about half an inch across, fell at Netherton. St. Peter’s Road was about two feet deep in water and houses in St. Thomas’s Road suffered water damage to their roofs. Everything inside was soaked as water rushed through them. Some chimneys were struck by lightening and manhole covers were forced-up and broken. In March, 1952 there were heavy snowfalls and blizzard conditions, along with drifting snow. On the 14th June, 1954, heavy rainstorms caused flooding in the Dudley Wood area, leading to Mousesweet Brook overflowing into St Anne’s Road.

In 1958 work began on Bishop Milner Roman Catholic School, Burton Road. It could cater for up to 600 pupils. The school was officially opened by the Archbishop of Birmingham on the 21st September, 1960.

An early twentieth century view of the northern end of Hall Street and part of the Market Place. From an old postcard.


Wolverhampton Street in the early 1960s.

In 1962, much of the south side of the town centre was designated as a clearance area, in readiness for the development of a new shopping precinct. Many buildings in King Street were demolished, including some grand early 19th century houses, the impressive Green Dragon pub, on the corner of Flood Street and the Salvation Army citadel. Buildings in the northern end of Hall Street were also demolished in readiness for the building of Birdcage Walk. Other casualties included the Woolpack and Stanton's music shop in Castle Street, along with the Dudley Arms, the Brown Lion, the Seven Stars and several fine shops in the Market Place. Beaconsfield House, the birthplace of Brooke Robinson, in Upper High Street, also disappeared.

On the 1st April, 1966, under the terms of the 1958 Local Government Act, Dudley County Borough became part of Staffordshire and took over Sedgley, Brierley Hill, Coseley and part of Amblecote. Under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, Stourbridge became part of Dudley Metropolitan Borough. Under the same Act, the West Midlands metropolitan county, was formed on the 1st April 1974. It covers the cities of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, and the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. In 1986, metropolitan county councils were abolished under the terms of the 1985 Local Government Act and so Dudley became a unitary authority, under the control of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

         
Read about Stourbridge
in the 19th Century		   Organisations and Buildings at Stourbridge in 1892
         

Work continued on the development of the new shopping centre. The first part of the project was the building of Birdcage Walk, named after a glass aviary at the King Street end, which was stocked with parrots from the zoo. At the opposite end, facing Fisher Street is a sculptured frieze by Bainbridge Copnall, depicting local industry and education. Birdcage Walk was officially opened in April 1964.


Birdcage Walk.


Oldswinford Church and Rectory.


Halesowen Precinct.


King Edward VI Grammar School, Stourbridge.

Demolition of the northern end of Hall Street began in March 1965 and buildings in around six acres of the town centre were compulsory purchased by the council in readiness for demolition. The first part of the shopping centre, completed in August 1967, was the main thoroughfare, which replaced the northern end of Hall Street. The 130,000 square feet shopping centre was to be known as the Churchill Precinct, celebrating Sir Winston Churchill. A 40 feet wide screen, containing 17 glass panels, designed and built by Bainbridge Copnall was erected 12 feet above the shopping mall. In the centre was an image of Winston Churchill dressed in ceremonial robes. The Churchill Precinct was officially opened by Viscount Cobham on the 8th September, 1969.


The Winston Churchill screen. From an old postcard.

On the 28th October, 1972, the local authority opened the Dudley Information Centre in the precinct, which gave advice about local attractions and activities and was an agent for the Heart of England Tourist Board. The centre also sold books and guides about the local area.


The pedestrian footbridge over King Street.


The Market Place.
There were some problems. In August 1970 a large piece of glass fell from the Churchill screen, which cost £8,000 to repair. The screen was again damaged by the wind-tunnel effect of the precinct and was also vandalised. It was removed in 1991 and put into storage. In 1973 work had to be carried out on the floor, which was too slippery in wet weather and the rooftop car park was unpopular with the staff in the shops. In 1991, the council sold the shopping centre to LCP Estates Limited, on condition that they refurbish the already outdated buildings. The refurbishment was carried out at a cost of £4 million. The work was completed in 1993 and included a glass roof above the precinct, automatic doors at the entrances, and a new decor.


An engineering workshop at Dudley Technical College.


A Science laboratory at Dudley College of Education.
The Black Country Living Museum is one of Dudley’s top tourist attractions, along with the zoo and the canal tunnel.

It began in 1968 when the idea for a museum was promoted by members of the Black Country Society, who established a trust fund at a meeting in February, 1970. Dudley Council then set up a Black Country Museum section in the museum department and developed the idea of an open air museum to preserve and record the region's heritage.

In 1973, a 26 acre site was purchased alongside Tipton Road that had been used for coal mining and sewage treatment. The site contained a canal that ended at some limekilns. Initially there was much clearing-up to be done on the site and many businesses and organisations gave large sums of money towards the project. The project rapidly got underway thanks to the efforts of the museum's first director and chief executive, Ian Walden, who was in charge for almost 34 years.

By the mid 1970s work had begun on a typical Black Country village containing many buildings, some of which were demolished and moved to the site to be re-erected. The museum opened to the public in 1978. The village has a wide variety of shops, houses, a school, a chapel, a pub and industrial buildings. It depicts life in the Black Country up to the 1920s.


A busy day in the village.


An early view of Emile Doo's chemist shop.


Emile Doo's chemist shop, as it is today.


The canal and some of the museum's narrow boats.


The Wolverhampton District Electric Tramways Company, tram number 34.
The museum also has a coalmine, a working Newcomen steam engine, buses and trams, a large collection of Black Country made vehicles, a boat dock and boat repair facilities alongside the canal, with a collection of narrow boats, a cinema, a bakehouse, a fish and chip shop, a rolling mill, a tram depot and a lifting bridge over the canal. There is also a steel trap works, a nail shop, a forge and a chain maker’s shop. Until recently there was also a funfair.


The Newcomen mine pumping engine.


The popular funfair, that was at the museum until recently.


Sidebotham's steel trap works, from Rookery Street, Wednesfield.

The official opening of Conway Garage on the 20th March, 2009. Left to right: John Hughes, Ray Jones, The Duke of Gloucester and Ian Walden.


The frontage from John Russell & Company Limited's Old Patent Tube Works, from Wednesbury.


The original display in Rolfe Street Baths, hall one.
In 2009 and 2010, other buildings were added to bring the village forward in time to the 1930s, including a variety of shops, a second fish and chip shop, house rooms on the first floor, the Cradley Heath Workers’ Institute and café, a park and Conway Garage. There are many very helpful museum guides in the various buildings and also buses and trams to transport visitors around the site. The new shops were officially opened by Carl Chinn on the 16th July, 2010, in 'Old Birmingham' Road.

Some of the new shops. Left to right: Hartill's motorcycle shop, Preedy & Sons tobacconists, Griptons wireless store.

The other new shops can be seen on the hill, above the village. Left to right: Hobbs & Sons fish and chip shop, H. Morralls gentlemen's outfitters, and Humphrey Brothers builder's merchants.
 

Carl Chinn.   Ian Walden.
 

Inside Hartill's motorcycle shop.   Racecourse Colliery pithead on a snowy day.


Racecourse Colliery winding engine.


The rolling mill.
Ian Walden retired on Saturday the 25th July, 2009, after nearly 34 years. The museum's growth and much of its success was down to Ian's hard work. He was replaced by Andrew Lovett.

On the 16th February, 2012, the museum's collection was awarded designated status by Arts Council England. It is now run by the Black Country Living Museum Trust, a registered charity. The latest project, called Forging Ahead will see the erection of many buildings, some original and some replicas, to allow the museum to tell the story of the Black Country up the 1960s.


The village at night.
 

Operating the Newcomen engine.

  

Bonfire night, 2007.


Dudley Zoo and Castle.

Another museum in Dudley is the Mushroom Green Chain Shop, which was saved thanks to the efforts of the Black Country Society. It was restored in early 1970s and completed in 1977. It is open to the public on the second Sunday of each month from April to October and gives demonstrations of chain making. It is run by volunteers.

The borough's municipal housing schemes continued at a rapid rate. In 1974 the number of council dwellings was as follows: Dudley, 11,973; Brierley Hill, 9,035; Sedgley, 3976; Coseley, 2,240; Halesowen, 5,045; Stourbridge, 5,762.
Total - 38,031.

   
View the Entry for Dudley in the Birmingham and District Trades Directory for 1961/62
   

Marsh & Baxter Limited

Marsh & Baxter Limited was founded in Brierley Hill by Mr. Alfred Marsh. It began after he bought a pork butcher's shop in High Street, Brierley Hill, in 1867. He established his ham curing and sausage manufacturing business in 1871.

The firm cured ham, at a time when hams were only cured in the winter and early spring, before going into storage. There was always a high demand in the summer when demand often exceeded supply. To overcome the problem, Mr. Marsh became one of the first people in the UK to use refrigerated storage.

In 1912, Mr. Marsh acquired A. R. Baxter’s business at Dale End, Birmingham, and established the private company, Marsh & Baxter Limited. Alfred Marsh died in 1918 and after World War One, the firm absorbed a number of smaller businesses, including C. & T. Harris (Calne) Limited. It became famous as a producer of York hams, Wiltshire bacon, sausages, pork pies, meat pies and cooked meats.

In 1962 the firm was taken over by FMC (Falstock Marketing Corporation) and in 1963, due to redevelopment, A. R. Baxter’s premises in Birmingham, was closed and a fine new factory was built in Castle Bromwich.

In the mid 1970s, the firm had 50 retail shops in the Midlands and delivered its products throughout the Midlands and South Wales. The products were also sold in many other shops and supermarkets and were exported to other countries.

The Brierley Hill factory closed in December 1978. The site is now occupied by the Moor Shopping Centre, High Street, Brierley Hill.


An advert from 1975.
   
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