The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Joe Smith: Bilston, Ten Pin Bowling and Dudley Canal
Time for one final parade and celebration of civic pride as Bilston loses its borough status and is swallowed by larger neighbour Wolverhampton.
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Overview
This compilation film shot by Joe Smith records the final civic Sunday parade in Bilston in 1965 before the borough disappeared within its larger neighbour Wolverhampton. Times are also changing with the arrival of flashy ten-pin bowling in Wolverhampton at the Ambassador, but in contrast we see the birth of a new interest in industrial heritage with scenes showing efforts to save the historic Dudley canal tunnel.
The Inland Waterways Association had organised protest trips through the Dudley canal tunnel since 1960 but were unable to stop its closure to regular traffic in 1962. It did however re-open to canal traffic in 1973.
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