Gornal tycoons on the march
I noticed the Gornal Carnival pictures in the Bugle dated June 15, on the front page and page 3. I dont think I can help you date the pictures despite the fact that I did collect and use a number of Gornal Carnival pictures in my two Gornal books.
REGARDING the Black Country Bugle’s front page of Wednesday June 15 2022, the event was Gornal Carnival which was revived in the early fifties.
It always assembled in New Street and started there, and after a tour of the three Gornals it finished at Garden Walk
I worked quite hard to collect such pictures and still believe there must many more images of the Gornal carnivals awaiting rediscovery.
On the front page of picture, we can see John Timmins (on the right) leading the procession.
John was a member of
football ground, where there were competitions, a fun fair, food stalls etc.
The unnamed street looks like the aforementioned New Street, the three men leading the parade were, from left to right, Jack Brooks, Ernie Hemmings, and Jack (John) Timmins, well known local business a local fruit and greengrocery dynasty and in 1932 he had bought the Matthew Southall business – hence the appearance of Timmins and Southalls trucks seen in the carnivals.
John’s brother William also went into the trade man and owner of Matthew Southall fruit and vegetable wholesalers.
I hope this information will be of interest to your readers.
Derek W Haden (ex-resident of Abbey Street from 1943 to 1958) and ran a shop in Bird Street. John was a great local benefactor and played a very active part in a number of Gornalbased activities.
He served on the local Urban District Council and the Staffordshire County Council.