Simon Briercliffe
@simonbriercliffe.bsky.social
Historian at the Black Country Museum and elsewhere: talk to me about the Black Country, Shropshire, modern and local British history, the Irish in Britain, museums, local heritage and all stops in between. Baby gaeilgeoir. https://simonbriercliffe.com/
Back onto historic pub interiors today. Here's one of my favourites, the Seven Stars in Smethwick in 1964, showing the reality of life beyond the headlines in that year: drinkers quietly getting on together. Most pubs in the town had a colour bar, but not this one.
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Back onto historic pub interiors today. Here's one of my favourites, the Seven Stars in Smethwick in 1964, showing the reality of life beyond the headlines in that year: drinkers quietly getting on together. Most pubs in the town had a colour bar, but not this one.
Got to live the dream this afternoon by researching pies (open the pic for the full view).
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
November 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Got to live the dream this afternoon by researching pies (open the pic for the full view).
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
This is Albert Lawrence, landlord of the Royal Exchange in West Bromwich, pictured in 1962 with his new food offering, Dormston Pies. The company went on to invent the Black Country classic, the Balti pie.
I knew I was right to hang onto books from my MA 15 years ago - I'm a long way from KCL but every so often my inner geographer emerges. Today I'm trying to find the quote about "knocking through" in Jonathan Raban.
October 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I knew I was right to hang onto books from my MA 15 years ago - I'm a long way from KCL but every so often my inner geographer emerges. Today I'm trying to find the quote about "knocking through" in Jonathan Raban.
It's Halloween for chickens too
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It's Halloween for chickens too
It's Maude's 12th birthday - seems very fitting that it's Halloween.
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 PM
It's Maude's 12th birthday - seems very fitting that it's Halloween.
Really shocked to just hear about the passing of Bunny Bread, who created (among many others) the murals of Benjamin Zephaniah in Handsworth Park, and Malcolm X in Smethwick. His work was so detailed and full of life, how sad.
October 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Really shocked to just hear about the passing of Bunny Bread, who created (among many others) the murals of Benjamin Zephaniah in Handsworth Park, and Malcolm X in Smethwick. His work was so detailed and full of life, how sad.
I immediately heard Japanese! Daylight! Fireworks! in a Banzai voice
October 26, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I immediately heard Japanese! Daylight! Fireworks! in a Banzai voice
Busman's holiday today, down the mine at Hopewell Colliery.
October 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Busman's holiday today, down the mine at Hopewell Colliery.
Spending my day off with a holy well and mushrooms.
October 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Spending my day off with a holy well and mushrooms.
I think there's something going on about the era of closure and remediation too. The Black Country had massive waves of mine closures in the 1870s and 1920s, they were just left to rot. It's what planners always commented on in the 1940s.
October 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I think there's something going on about the era of closure and remediation too. The Black Country had massive waves of mine closures in the 1870s and 1920s, they were just left to rot. It's what planners always commented on in the 1940s.
I'm not sure there's enough data yet to make this case about Reform, the vote share maps aren't nearly as clear, but most journalists and politicians seem to completely miss the historical nuance between regions.
October 20, 2025 at 9:44 AM
I'm not sure there's enough data yet to make this case about Reform, the vote share maps aren't nearly as clear, but most journalists and politicians seem to completely miss the historical nuance between regions.
As everyone knows, the gift shop is the main bit of a museum, and my excellent colleagues at BCLM have just updated ours - now featuring Punks and Chancers teeshirts, exclusive Black Country Type prints, merch from my pub and a lovely book section.
October 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
As everyone knows, the gift shop is the main bit of a museum, and my excellent colleagues at BCLM have just updated ours - now featuring Punks and Chancers teeshirts, exclusive Black Country Type prints, merch from my pub and a lovely book section.
They're mostly a set of gossipy or fanciful stories about life at the foundry and the people there, with some great use of Black Country dialect - almost like a zine.
October 10, 2025 at 9:06 AM
They're mostly a set of gossipy or fanciful stories about life at the foundry and the people there, with some great use of Black Country dialect - almost like a zine.
I have a set of hand-drawn comics/gossip sheets/newspapers donated alongside our aluminium foundry at @bclivingmuseum.bsky.social, dating from (I think) late 1940s. Does anyone know any lit that will help me explore this as a source? I've found work on company mags but this is very different.
October 10, 2025 at 9:06 AM
I have a set of hand-drawn comics/gossip sheets/newspapers donated alongside our aluminium foundry at @bclivingmuseum.bsky.social, dating from (I think) late 1940s. Does anyone know any lit that will help me explore this as a source? I've found work on company mags but this is very different.
I'm here in the Caribbean Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton (formerly Enoch Powell's constituency office!) to hear @warinderjussmp.bsky.social, Roger Mackenzie and most importantly Angelina Osborne talk about her research into links between transatlantic slavery and the Black Country.
October 8, 2025 at 6:53 PM
I'm here in the Caribbean Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton (formerly Enoch Powell's constituency office!) to hear @warinderjussmp.bsky.social, Roger Mackenzie and most importantly Angelina Osborne talk about her research into links between transatlantic slavery and the Black Country.
Found a beautiful little stray on the road - currently waiting to see if she's microchipped, but there's a big part of me that wants them to let us take her home.
October 4, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Found a beautiful little stray on the road - currently waiting to see if she's microchipped, but there's a big part of me that wants them to let us take her home.
The most important objects in the museum collection
September 25, 2025 at 6:59 PM
The most important objects in the museum collection
A perfect autumn day in the shire.
September 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
A perfect autumn day in the shire.
Interesting that one side are anti-racism campaigners, the other side are just people who happen to have turned up to a march organised by a fascist, racist thug.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
September 13, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Interesting that one side are anti-racism campaigners, the other side are just people who happen to have turned up to a march organised by a fascist, racist thug.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Lunchtime pint in this beautiful pub.
September 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Lunchtime pint in this beautiful pub.
Made a new friend at the beach this evening.
September 3, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Made a new friend at the beach this evening.
Made friends with a robin which flew into the house.
August 24, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Made friends with a robin which flew into the house.
We've had builders in the last two weeks, and our quaint little old house is starting to resemble The Money Pit. However, it does mean that I'm starting to build a wallpaper archive. Stand by for multiple types of woodchip.
August 23, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We've had builders in the last two weeks, and our quaint little old house is starting to resemble The Money Pit. However, it does mean that I'm starting to build a wallpaper archive. Stand by for multiple types of woodchip.
Blackberrying on Wenlock Edge like I'm AE Housman or something
August 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Blackberrying on Wenlock Edge like I'm AE Housman or something