Open Day – 17th October

A Step Back in Time at Our Annual Open Day

Our Annual Open Day was a great success, with members and new visitors alike coming along to enjoy our farming-themed exhibition. The display brought together photographs of farms that once stood in and around Great Wyrley, offering a fascinating glimpse into the village’s rural past. It was lovely to see so many photographs bringing back memories of a time when farming played a much bigger part in everyday life in our local community.

Alongside the photographs of farms that once stood in and around Great Wyrley, visitors could browse a fascinating collection of old documents and everyday household items. The tables displayed an assortment of objects from days gone by, including old bottles, jars, packaging, utensils and a beautiful washbowl and jug. There was even an old-fashioned hot-water bottle and a chamber pot, reminding us of the days when many homes had no indoor toilet and the only alternative was a cold, outdoor privy. These everyday objects may seem unusual to younger generations, but for some of our visitors they would have brought back familiar memories of childhood and homes without the comforts we now take for granted.

The exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to look back at Great Wyrley’s history, share memories and appreciate just how much life has changed over the years. A big thank you to everyone who helped organise the display and to all those who came along to support our Annual Open Day. It was lovely to welcome both familiar faces and new visitors, and to share a little piece of our village’s past with them.

Coffee Morning – 15th September 2026

What a delightful and entertaining morning we had at our Coffee Morning on Thursday 15th October! Our guest speaker, David Bartley, had us laughing from beginning to end with his wonderful Black Country humour. It’s fair to say that some of our members probably haven’t laughed so much in years!

David was a natural comedian, delivering one joke after another with perfect timing and a wonderfully relaxed manner. You could easily have imagined yourself watching a stand-up comedian, except David didn’t need to resort to swearing to get his laughs! His humour was warm, natural and thoroughly entertaining. There were moments when we thought some of our older members might actually lose their teeth, as they were laughing so hard. The laughter continued throughout the morning!

Alongside his jokes, David entertained us with his humorous poetry, adding another dimension to an already hilarious performance. It was one of those mornings when the laughter was infectious, and you couldn’t help but join in. David certainly knows how to entertain an audience, and his down-to-earth personality made him a real pleasure to listen to. A huge thank you to David for giving us such a memorable morning. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his talk and are already looking forward to welcoming him back for another dose of Black Country humour!

Coffee Morning – 17th September 2026

We were delighted to welcome Paul Drury as our guest speaker on Thursday 17th September. Paul shared his experiences of serving aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, offering members a fascinating insight into life at sea in the service of the Royal Family.

His talk was both informative and entertaining, with plenty of humour along the way. His knowledge of the Royal Family and their time aboard Britannia brought an interesting perspective to the presentation, giving members a glimpse into a world that few get to experience.

Paul proved to be a very engaging speaker, and his entertaining stories and wealth of knowledge were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning, and we would like to thank him for taking the time to share his experiences with us.

OPEN EVENING – 12th August 2026

We held an OPEN EVENING on Wednesday 12th August 2026 from 7pm-9pm. All our archives were open for visitors to look at and committee members were on hand to answer any questions or queries were happy to help. We had a special guest at this open evening. Stefan Wild who give us a talk about his new book, entitled “Trot on regardless” between 7.45-8.15. Stefan talked about the trouble between Birmingham and Leeds Football teams in 1985. He was involved with other Mounted Officers, he was wounded and was away from work for a fortnight. Apparently he does not go to football matches any more.

The evening went really well. Stefan Wild gave an interesting and illuminating talk. With the eclipse and the hot weather numbers were low, but a good evening, as it was free with refreshments, a few came for burial records and went away happy. Thankyou to all that attended, we look forward to seeing you at our next events.