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Lost Wolverhampton
Alec Brew
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R485
R392
Discovery Miles 3 920
Save R93 (19%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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Wolverhampton in the West Midlands was granted city status in 2000
but its origins lie in Anglo Saxon England. During the Middle Ages
Wolverhampton was a prosperous Staffordshire market town and a
centre for the wool trade. Its coal and iron deposits enabled it to
grow rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, when it became one
of the most heavily industrialised areas of the country,
specialising in coal mining, iron and steel production, engineering
and manufacturing. The wealth brought into the town is seen today
by the many civic buildings in Wolverhampton from that era, and
large areas of social housing were built in the 20th century to
accommodate the population. Much has changed in Wolverhampton in
recent decades, following the large scale urban planning schemes of
the 1960s and 1970s and later, and regeneration schemes for the
city centre rebuilding old shopping centres and reflecting a change
in working practices from industry and manufacturing to more
service-based employment, but Wolverhampton has still retained its
distinctive identity. Lost Wolverhampton presents a portrait of
this corner of the West Midlands over the last century to recent
decades that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing
not only the industries and buildings that have gone but also the
people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and
much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost
Wolverhampton will appeal to all those who live in the area or know
it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.
The ancient Norwich firm of Boulton & Paul were brought into
aircraft construction in 1915, and quickly became one of the great
innovators. They pioneered metal construction and built the frame
of the largest aircraft ever built in Britain, the R.101 airship.
The Overstrand, the last of their superlative medium bombers, was
the first aircraft in the world to feature a power-operated gun
turret, and after their move to Wolverhampton in 1936 and change of
name to Boulton Paul Aircraft their gun turrets became a vital
component of the war effort, not least in their own Defiant, which
fought in the Battle of Britain and was the most successful night
fighter in the dark nights of the Blitz. Their post-war Balliol
trainer was the World's first single-engine turboprop and their
last production aircraft, because the technology of their gun
turrets was translated into their world lead as manufacturers of
power operated control units, and then fly-by-wire. Becoming part
of the Dowty Group and later GE Aviation, their advanced aerospace
product line is now invested in the firm of Moog, still in
Wolverhampton, still innovating.
The first great British aircraft engine manufacturer, the Sunbeam
Motor Car Company turned to the sunrise industry of aviation in
1912, and was among the first to buy an aircraft to test their
engines, flown by a full-time test pilot, the famous Jack Alcock.
Through the First World War Sunbeam was a vital supplier, of both
engines and aircraft, particularly to the Royal Naval Air Service.
Consistently Sunbeams were the most powerful British engines
available, and they were fitted to the first aircraft to torpedo an
enemy ship, the only aircraft to fly at the Battle of Jutland, and
the first seaplanes to operate in the heart of Africa. After the
War they powered the greatest of British Airships the R.34, the
first aircraft to fly the Atlantic east to west, and the first to
make the double crossing, and the R.33, the British dirigible with
the highest flying hours. As Sunbeam reverted to car manufacture
their aero engines were fitted to a succession of land speed
record-breaking cars, including the first to exceed 150 mph and the
first to exceed 200 mph, ironically, faster than any
Sunbeam-powered aircraft.
The Boulton Paul Balliol was the last British aircraft powered by
the iconic Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and the last piston-powered
advanced trainer in both the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm.
Yet it began life as the world's first turbo-trainer, conceived in
the last days of the Second World War, and became the first
aircraft with a single prop-jet, beating the rival Avro Athena into
the air by two weeks. However, policy changed and it was with the
trusty Merlin that the Balliol ultimately went into production.
Boulton Paul Aircraft hoped for huge orders-opening a second
production line at Blackburn Aircraft in anticipation-but the RAF
decided to switch to all-jet training; even though a dozen were
sold to the Royal Ceylon Air Force, total Balliol production only
ever amounted to just over 200 examples. Consigned to another
footnote in aviation history, this was the last aircraft Boulton
Paul-already world-leaders in the manufacture of power controls-
would ever build. The Boulton Paul Balliol: The Last Merlin-Powered
Aircraft is a detailed account of the journey of this aeroplane and
its creators, and the shifting sands within the highly competitive
post-war aeronautics industry. This is a beautifully illustrated
insight into how a small, pioneering British manufacturer dealt
with the fluctuating demands of its era, enhanced by the author's
own story as a Boulton Paul enthusiast and restorer.
Collection of over 200 archive pictures highlighting the
developments that have taken place in the Shropshire market town of
Bridgnorth during the last century. Every aspect of life in
Bridgnorth is explored, from schools, churches and shops to
sporting achievements, ceremonies and events.
Pictorial history of Heath Town, Wolverhampton. Images and research
create a window into a golden age.
Fighting over the beaches of Dunkirk and in the Battle of Britain,
guarding the night skies during the perilous months of the Blitz,
pioneering electronic countermeasures, and serving air-sea rescue
roles all around our coasts, the Boulton Paul Defiant played a
vital part through most of the Second World War, finishing it in
the important target-tug role. The Defiant is rightly considered
Wolverhampton's highest profile contribution to the war, and the
most important product of Boulton Paul Aircraft. This book
celebrates the contribution of the Defiant to the war in over 200
illustrations, most from Boulton Paul's own archives, and many
never published before. It exposes some of the false myths attached
to an aircraft held in great affection by many of its crews.
RAF Cosford was built as part of the pre-war RAF Expansion Plan in
1937 and in 1938 it was designated as a site for one of the new
Technical Training Schools, aimed at strengthening the knowledge
and manpower of the air force. By the outbreak of war, Cosford
housed over 3,500 trainees. In 1939 it became the base for No 9
Maintenance Units, who were responsible for maintaining, repairing
and modifying aircraft for battle. During the war Cosford grew and
became the site of a major new RAF hospital, as well as the base
for the first all-female Air Transport Auxiliary Unit. Towards the
end of the war re-patriation centres were built for ex-prisoners on
the base and over 13,000 POWs passed through Cosford, before
returning to their homes. RAF Cosford (now DCAE Cosford) continues
to train numerous new recruits and houses a major RAF Museum. This
book highlights Cosford's central role in the air force during the
war years and the many images evoke the men and women, who lived
and worked there. A fascinating insight for those visitors to
Cosford and aviation enthusiasts.
Shropshire Airfields tells the story of the county's airfields,
from the quieter days before the Second World War, when the Midland
Gliding Club first flew from Long Mynd, to more recent times.
Shropshire Airfields is illustrated with over 200 photographs,
accompanied by detailed captions, and is sure to appeal to all
those with an interest in Britain's airfields and the people
connected with them.
Staffordshire boasted one of the first dedicated aerodromes in
Great Britain when, in 1910, Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton, hosted
the first ever All British Flying Meeting. Since then, flying has
always featured in the county. In the First World War Dunstall Park
was joined by other aerodromes at Perton and Halford Lane,
Smethwick, and even during the demise of flying in the 1920s,
itinerant joy flight operators and flying circuses still operated.
During the 1930s municipal airports were established at Walsall,
Stoke and Wolverhampton, where the new Boulton Paul Aircraft
Factory was built. The Second World War saw an explosion of
airfield construction across Staffordshire as important training
bases were built. After 1945 only RAF Lichfield remained in use,
although RAF Hixon was used as a sub-site for the RAF Depot at
Stafford. Then, in 1956, Boulton Paul reopened disused airfields in
the area when they made RAF Seighford their Test Flight Centre.
Since then, although the three municipal airports have closed,
private flying is becoming ever more popular and airfields such as
Tatenhill, Penkridge and Halfpenny Green are thriving once more.
This fascinating collection of over 200 photographs vividly
chronicles the highs and lows of flying in Staffordshire and the
Black Country. From pictures of an early aviation meeting at Burton
on Trent to the frenetic activity of the Second World War and the
microlights of today.
This series of photos in the Images of England Series, this time by
local author Alec Brew, depicts Wolverhampton, a central Midlands
town. This collection covers the town centre as well as some of the
surrounding areas, and records the changes that have taken place
over the last one hundred years. Wolverhampton was a town of both
heavy industry and vehicle manufacture. Coal, iron, and steel works
were an integral part of the town's history, and there was also a
growth of suburban estates as the town expanded. As well as
featuring some of the important people of the town, the aspects of
ordinary every day life are covered, from schools, work, and the
fate of the local football team, the Wolves. All in all this volume
is a must for everyone who knows Wolverhampton. For those who have
lived there for many years it provides a nostalgic stroll down
memory lane, while for newer residents it serves as an excellent
means of discovering more about the community's history.
This collection of over 200 old photographs illustrates scenes from
the communities of Willenhall and Horseley Fields. These pictures
show how relatively unchanged the streets and buildings of
Willenhall are. A walk around the town today shows that it is still
possible to see many of the features which appear in the oldest
photographs in this book. By contrast, the old area of Horseley
Fields has all but disappeared. The history of Willenhall or
'Humpshire' as it is affectionately known, as a world-renowned
centre for lockmaking is illustrated and we see people at work,
leisure and sport. The book also looks back to the more industrial
days of Horseley Fields. Through the medium of photography the book
captures the essence of life as it used to be in Willenhall and
Horseley Fields and will appeal to both young and old. This is the
third book written by the author, in a series which, by the
millennium, will cover all the environs of Wolverhampton. Codsall
and Claregate and Tettenhall and Pattingham are already available
and four more are in preparation.
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