2008 - 2009

Sweet Freedom

Balsall Heath Local History
“Bringing History To Life”
Annual Report 2008-2009

This Year’s Highlights

Sweet Freedom was a great success and is now touring around various locations in a condensed form. It is proving popular.
The Society ran it's own Local History Day at Kings Heath Church. It was well supported despite the major building works which were taking place.

Several sessions were organised at Balsall Heath library to promote the society and to collect oral history memories for the Schooldays book.
The website was upgraded to a new content management system which will make it easier to add new material.

AGM key details

Development Officer’s Report: Particular mention was made of the successful Genealogy Class and the increased profile of the Society thanks to all the publicity in The Heathan. The difficulties caused by the closure of the Library, with whom we had run three successful sessions in the last year, were also highlighted. The meeting thanked Chris Sutton for his hard work.

Treasurer’s Report: Presented by The Treasurer. Our income for the year has been substantially increased by an Awards For All grant and funding from the ERDF Cluster project (European Money). We currently have an application pending with the Heritage Lottery.

Election of Officers: Chair: Albert Johnson re-elected. Proposed by Val Hart. Seconded Bernard Jackson.
Officers: Vice Chair: Diane Stead, Treasurer: Pat Johnson, Programme Secretary: Bron Salway, Committee Secretary: Val Hart. All re-elected.
Committee: Margaret Pendry re-elected. Peter Salway elected.
It was also agreed to ask John Flattery if he would like to join the Committee.
The Chair expressed thanks to retiring Committee members Ann & Alan Hemming who had made a significant contribution to the work of the Society for many years.
Balsall Heath Local History Society, St Paul’s Community Project, St Paul’s Centre, 73 Hertford Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 8NJ, Tel. 0121 464 1888/1890.

Committee Members. 2008-2009
President: Richard Albutt (elected November 2005).
Chair: Albert Johnson.
Vice Chair: Diane Stead.
Treasurer: Pat Johnson.
Programme Secretary: Bronwen Salway.
Committee Secretary: Val Hart.
Committee Members:
Pete Salway.
Margaret Pendray

Future Plans
Schooldays book is due ut this year and another book is being planned - photographs of the changes in Balsall Heath since the war. It is hoped to work again with the Library now it has re-opened. We had several good sessions there in the last year.

Publications
Any of our publications can be obtained from the Society. Please phone 464 1888. *Balsall Heath, A History by Valerie Hart.*
The development of Balsall Heath from the sparsely populated farmland and heath of the eighteenth century to the ‘genteel neighbourhood’ of the 1840s, the ‘populous quarter’ of 1891, to the busy and crowded suburb of the 1930s and 1940s. A story of change spanning two centuries. Published by Brewin Books.
Size: A5 128pp. Price: £7.99 *The Flicks.*
Memories of the old days at the cinema in Balsall Heath. The magic of the silver screen from the early days of silent films to the glamour of the 1950s, recaptured through contemporary accounts and people’s memories.
Size: A5 48 pp. Price: £2.00 *Brown Paper and Goose Grease.*
A Dictionary of Traditional Remedies compiled by the Society. The old remedies in this book have chiefly been collected from the memories of people in Birmingham. Efficacy of the remedies is not guaranteed and in some cases no longer recommended.
Size: A6 48pp. Price: £1.00 *The Moseley Road Trail*
The Development of the Moseley Road from the 1740s.
Size: 1/3 A4 12pp, broadsheet. Price: 20p. *The Moseley Road Baths*
A quick dip into the delights of this historic pool housed in a glorious old building at the heart of Balsall Heath.
Size: 1/3 A4 12pp, broadsheet. Price: 20p *Balsall Heath and Highgate Past and Present.*
Edited by Val Hart and Alan Hemming.
This treasure chest of fascinating photographs of the area is arranged under topics such schools, shops, events and celebrations and places of work. It includes many striking images from long ago as well as some of our more recent pictures.
126 pp. Price: £11.99. Charity Registration Number: 1101945