Black Country Bugle

I feel this is the time to write a review of this fine publication as the passing of their
regular weather contributer Gordon Hensmn who was cremated on Wednesday
past at Gornal Wood.
Gordon was a socialist, humanist, traveller, linguist and meteorologist, not necessarily
in that order. He had a wide variety of interests but although born’across the werter’
in Quinton he attended Halesowen Grammar School where his love for all things
and particularly Black Country things became apparent.
He attended the University of London where he studied Geography and this tied in nicely with his love of weather and climate and his subsequent dispatches in the
Black Country Bugle.
On a personal level I have known Gordon for thirty years through his late wife and sons love of bellringing at Cradley St. Peters, where we shared many a convivial
annual meal in the evening or latterly Sunday Lunch where politics, wine, travel
and education were our common topics.
It is fitting that his eco friendly coffin was draped in two Black Country Flags and
a fine send off to a true adopted son of the Black Country.

This news paper is always in my grand parents house and it confuses the hell out of me.
My old man used to go into to this store and request the articles and pictures printed in higher quality for him to keep. Starting in the 1970’s and even it 2012 it has been a weekly newspaper.
The archives and information held and collected by the Bugle is an ground breaking feat in its self.
The whole idea of the Black Country is in need of a lot of love and the Bugle definitely pinors our local history.

If ever you need a dose of nostalgia and local flavour then the Black Country Bugle will tell it like it is. I always love the look and feel of this paper as it always feels like a piece of historical treasure due to the unwavering reluctance to change and unwavering loyalty to their original brand when the paper was created way back when.
If you aren’t lucky enough to see this in a local shop then I urge you to support this very community feeling, hyper local paper by buying it online. It truly is a stalwart in preserving a sense of Black Country pride from the accent, to the history and a sense of preserving our weirdness. If you are nosey then this paper will make you feel like you are on the inside track even when you have no idea who it’s talking about.

This is a newspaper where nothing is new. But that isn’t a bad thing. It is full of nostalgic and historical news items, looking back over the Black Country’s history. The Bugle has been going since 1972 and is still published weekly in 2012.
The paper operates from small offices on Cradley Heath High Street, though it is now owned by Staffordshire Newspapers.
My Granddad used to read it every week and would clip out pictures and stories that featured people he knew. It is Black Country through and through and something that always makes me proud to call Cradley Heath home.