Take a trip back through time to the golden age of railways with Sedgley Local History Society
Sedgley residents can take a fascinating trip back in time to the golden age of the region’s railway network at the next meeting held by Sedgley Local History Society.
The meeting, which takes place on Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 pm in St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley, will feature a talk by Keith Hodgkins, vice chairman of Tipton Civic Society and passionate Black Country heritage campaigner.
Keith’s PowerPoint presentation traces the evolution of the main lines and branches with vintage and more recent images recalling the days when the region’s industries were well served by a network bringing in raw materials and leaving with products as diverse as steel bars and sausages.
The evening is sure to delight all train users and everyone interested in the scenery of the highways and byways of track travel.
As usual, visitors are invited to come along. Individual talks cost £1.
This talk is sponsored by Sedgley Estate Agents, Roden Boydell
It’s painless, takes less than an hour and saves lives, yet only four per cent of people in the UK do it.
But, this Friday, Sedgley residents can do something amazing and give blood as part of a nationwide donor drive by NHS .
Donating blood is easy – during the process, a tiny drop of blood is taken from the fingertip, allowing nurses to check haemoglobin levels and ensure that giving blood won’t make the donor anaemic.
If all is well, the donor then proceeds to give about 470ml of blood – an amount which is quickly replaced by the body.
Once someone has given blood, they are advised to have a short rest before being given some refreshments – usually a drink and biscuits.
Sedgley Community Centre in Ladies Walk
The NHS Blood and Transplant service will be at the Community Centre in Ladies Walk from 1pm until 3.30pm and 4.30pm until 7pm.
Call 0300 123 23 23 to make an appointment or visit the Give Blood website for more information.
The Gornal AFC squad - playing for the love of football
Since November 1950, fans of this renowned local football team have enjoyed action-filled matches, played not for money, but out of love for ‘the beautiful game’.
It’s a feeling of excitement and a sense of passion many fans find lacking in top league matches. And, for Gornal Athletic Football Club’s new chairman Mat Danks, it’s the reason he returned to the team’s Garden Walk ground after an absence of several years.
“When I was a reporter for the Dudley News, I’d regularly attend matches to report on Gornal AFC,” he explains, “but, after leaving the newspaper to run my PR company, I tended to go and see bigger teams such as West Brom instead.
“However,” he continues, “I eventually fell out of love with top league football. Because of all the money involved, going to see a match has become a bit like going to the cinema – people’s expectations are much higher and they demand to be entertained.”
So, disillusioned with big name matches, Mat decided to go and take another look at his local team, Gornal AFC. And, it was a decision that led to some surprising developments.
Gornal AFC's new chairman, Mat Danks
“I began getting involved with the club and, before I knew it, was asked if I’d like to become chairman,” he explains. “They’d already got a great set of people and a fantastic manager, former Gornal striker Ian Rowe. I think they just needed someone with a business brain to build on this already excellent team.”
It’s a partnership that certainly seems to be paying off – this Saturday sees Gornal play Shifnal Town FC in the FA Cup preliminary round.
“We’ve got exceptional players and a strong squad,” says Mat. “Only one team goes up and we want to be that team.”
Saturday’s match promises to be a thrilling one but, according to Mat, fans can always expect plenty of action at any Gornal game.
He says: “You’re watching blokes who play for the love of the game. Although local, non-league clubs don’t enjoy the financial rewards of bigger teams, that doesn’t mean the excitement on the pitch is any less. In fact, very rarely will you see as much action as during one of our matches.”
Mat’s enthusiasm is infectious – something borne out by the way Gornal AFC is now attracting more and more fans through the club’s active use of social networking site Twitter.
“Social media is really helping us build bridges with teams all over the country,” he explains. “Using Twitter, we’ve developed links with Glaswegian Saturday morning side Tally Vic, for example. It’s opening doors and helping us connect with many new fans.”
And among Gornal’s ever-growing legion of supporters are the lads from Sedgley indie rock band, The Lines, who can also count Mat as one of their biggest fans.
He says: “I’ve seen them play about 50 times, all over the UK and abroad. They’re a superb band, a top bunch of lads and it’s great to know they support our team.”
Join the ranks of Gornal AFC’s many supporters for the all-important FA Cup match this Saturday, August 20. Kick-off is at 3pm.
The award-winning team is looking for enthusiastic new players
An established local under-14s football team is calling for youngsters across the Black Country to put their best feet forward and join the squad for the new season.
Having won both league and cup trophies last season, Gornal Girls FC wants to build on this success when the season begins in September.
“However, to achieve this, we need enthusiastic local team members who are free to attend training once a week,” says under-14s team organiser, Craig Whittingham.
“We find that, while Gornal Boys FC has no trouble getting new recruits, the girls are often not so keen to come forward. That’s why we’re calling out for local lasses who love football to get involved and join a great team.”
Players are coached by an FA-qualified and CRB-checked coach with a valid first-aid qualification.
Training sessions at this charter standard club usually take place on Thursdays from 6pm, with matches played on Saturday mornings at Pensnett School.
Players, once signed, receive a full strip in addition to other training wear. To qualify, members will need to be in years eight or nine from this September.
Contact Craig on 0785719219 or visit the club’s websitefor more information.
Hello world and, especially, anyone who lives in Sedgley 🙂
Not only is this a historic village, it’s one surrounded by beautiful countryside and home to a terrific range of independent businesses, excellent pubs and restaurants and some very talented individuals.
As well as featuring all the latest news in the village, this site also aims to showcase people from all backgrounds, including artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and anyone doing something a little out of the ordinary.
We want to hear from YOU, the local community, about where your favourite places are, what hobbies you’re involved in and what really matters in your neighbourhood.
Get in touch and let’s keep the Sedgley scene vibrant 🙂
Sedgleyscene 