The Black Country's place in aviation history is indisputable, ranging from the balloon that took off from Wolverhampton Gas Works in 1862, setting a world altitude record, to the powered flight controls for the European fighter aircraft, destined to serve well into the next century. In a wide-ranging and fascinating account, the achievements of numerous Black Country firms are brought to life, including Sunbeam, the premier aero-engine supplier at the beginning of the First World War, and Boulton Paul, the makers of one of the Battle of Britain fighters, the Defiant. As well as describing the earliest flights in the area - Cody's kites in Wolverhampton in 1902, and Spencer's airship at Amblecote in 1905 - the author brings to life the flying circuses, which brought aviation to the region. Many people may remember the airfields at Walsall, Wolverhampton and Perton, and the Black Country's 'own' airline, Don Everall Aviation, but it is less well known that the world's largest aeroplane was once constructed in Oldbury and that heavy bombers were built in Smethwick.Illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, The History of Black Country Aviation is a readable and authoritative account of the subject, and contains much to surprise and inform Black Countryman and aviation enthusiast alike.

The History of Black Country Aviation

BREW, Alec

History

Sutton Pub Ltd

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. This collection of over 200 photographs chronicles the highs and lows of flying in Staffordshire and the Black Country.

Staffordshire & Black Country Airfields

The History Press

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.

Willenhall to Horseley Fields (Archive Photographs S)

Europe

Boulton Paul Aircraft

Military

Tempus

Bridgnorth Revisited

History Press Ltd

The defiant file

Engineering & Transportation

Transportation

Air-Britain Historians Ltd

Wolverhampton Reflections

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

Amberley Publishing

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.

Lost Wolverhampton

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.

Boulton Paul Defiant: An Illustrated History

Staffordshire Airfields Through Time

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