After days of rain the sun rose on a beautifully clear, nippy morning as members of the club descended on the BCLM. Fortified by coffee we set off in different directions to explore the site. This isn’t a venue you can do in a day which is why the entry ticket is valid for 12 months making it great value as there’s so much there. It was relatively quiet except for a few coaches of ankle munchers which meant care had to be taken not to accidently include them in shots.  The costumed staff were a mine of information and full of amusing tales.  The highlight had to be the pawn broker who was hilarious and very happy to be photographed. Apart from the Victorian/Edwardian buildings there’s a new street with shops from the 50’s and 60’s, a real trip down memory lane for those of us of a certain age. Lunch in the Workers’ Institute was interrupted by a fire alarm going off so we had to decamp to the Elephant and Castle, a replica of the one demolished in Wolverhampton – they’re serving Banks’s ale but that may not be for much longer. We were given replacement food once we could go back to the Institute, although poor Glyn could only look on as they seemed to have forgotten his order (he did get fed eventually). If you haven’t been it’s well worth a visit as there’s something for everyone and it will certainly bring back memories from childhood.

A big thank you to Margaret Beardsmore and Sally Arnott for arranging this.