A visit to the Black Country Museum at Dudley is a great day out. Set across 26 acres, there are shops, houses and industrial areas that represent the Black Country's story. Many of the exhibits and buildings have staff on hand dressed in period costume, to explain their role.
As the museum's own website explains:
"You'll learn how steam power, human ingenuity and an increasingly interconnected world transformed this region into a manufacturing powerhouse. You'll meet our historic characters who'll tell you stories of what it was really like to live and work during this revolutionary period of history. Most importantly, you'll see history brought to life before your eyes - you'll hear the clang of hammers; smell the smoke billowing from red brick chimneys; and maybe even taste the best fish and chips in the world."
My photographs illustrate the features of the museum for their graphic qualities rather than being a technical explanation of how things work. Even scrap metal can be seen as abstract art. I can vouch for the fish and chips.
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| Engine House | Pit Head | |
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| Part of a boiler | Boiler cover | |
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| What are they? Chimney pots? | Engine Flywheel | |
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| Petrol Pumps | Worker's Institute | |
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| Shop Fronts | ||
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| Row of shops over the bridge | Barge under the bridge | |
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| Hardware | Hardware store with cash machine | |
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| Pharmacy | Toiletries on offer, because you're worth it! | |
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| Inside the school | Huge Anchor |
1.0 Strict 