Celebrating the borough’s heritage (From Dudley News)

Celebrating the borough’s heritage

10:11am Friday 24th August 2012 in Dudley Council Noticeboard

Tea with the Mayor, civic tours, performances by local groups and the chance to delve into local history will mark heritage open day next month.

To celebrate the national event, Dudley Council has organised events in Stourbridge and Dudley on Saturday September 8.

In the Council House on Priory Road, Dudley, people can join the Mayor and Mayoress for tea between 11am to 3pm. There will be guided tours of the council chamber and the chance to find out more about the civic insignia at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm when visitors can also see the mayoral badge chain and mace.

There will also be photographs of Dudley town centre over the years and a children’s trail, quiz and colouring activities.

StourbridgeTown Hall will be open from 10am to 3pm where there will be exhibits from the Black Country Society and Stourbridge Historical Society and archive material from across the Black Country.

There will also be performances by local amateur groups from 12.30pm and a guided town walk at 11am. People should meet in the town hall foyer at 11am.

Dudley borough residents could also get the chance to delve into their own local history with a competition launched to coincide with the event.

From September 6 to 9, people or organisations from across the Black Country are invited to nominate their postcode, with four lucky winners receiving a brief history of their neighbourhood.

The My Postcode History competition has been launched by the Distinctly Black Country Network, an organisation which aims to help people find out how the local urban landscape has changed. To enter visit http://distinctlyblackcountry.org.uk/postcodehistory

Councillor Melvyn Mottram, Mayor of Dudley, said:

“Heritage Open Day is a great chance to find out more about our history and see some of the borough’s treasures.

“I hope people will join us at one of our events and if anyone is keen to find out more about the area they live and work in, they can nominate their postcode and be in with a chance to win a brief history of their neighbourhood.”

For details about heritage open day events in Dudley visit www.discoverdudley.org.uk  and go to events, or www.heritageopendays.org.uk