The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, West Midlands is opening a new 1940s-60s high street on 8 July, featuring new shops and historic characters.
The immersive high street is home to five new shops – Burgin’s Newsagents, Laurie Thomas Hairdressers, Marsh & Baxter, Stanton’s Music Shop, and West Bromwich Building Society. These join E. Minett’s Ladieswear.
Per a statement from the Black Country Living Museum, the businesses “represent different areas of the Black Country and have been brought to life with invaluable support from the Black Country community, who have shared memories and donated items, from pots of Brylcreem to personal safes”.
Each new shop at the open-air museum “has multiple stories to tell of ordinary people and objects that impacted people’s daily lives, as well as wider societal changes, such as the impact of post-war prosperity, migration and “the rise of the teenager'”, the museum said.
New historic characters to appear at the museum include Jane Burgin and her daughter-in-law Cynthia, who run Burgin’s Newsagents.
Visitors will also meet Laurie Thomas, who owns the hairdressers. The museum said he can be found “entertaining customers with his swanee whistle, harmonica and tales of his imaginary pet monkey”.
Additionally, the Black Country Living Museum’s fairground is returning with new period rides such as ‘Super Sonic Jets’ and the ‘Chairoplane’, as well as stalls and traditional games.
New shops and historic characters
The high street is part of the museum’s £30 million ‘Forging Ahead’ project. Earlier this year, the Black Country Living Museum opened a new learning centre for visiting students. It is also recreating Wolverhampton’s Elephant & Castle pub.
Andrew Lovett, the museum’s chief executive, said: “As the biggest single development in our 43-year history, Forging Ahead gives us the momentum to thrive once again for our community following the unprecedented difficulties presented by the pandemic.”
The Black Country Living Museum is the UK’s largest open-air museum, home to reconstructed shops, pubs and houses.
