Tom Larkin will be sharing his research at the free talk, entitled Memories and Stories: Post War Housing in Bilston, taking place at Bilston Craft Gallery on Wednesday 29 April, 2015. Visitors will be able to share and hear memories of living in the town in the 1940s and 50s, and organisers are particularly keen to see photographs and hear memories from the Stowlawn Estate in its early days.
The event is free and takes place from 1.30pm to 4pm; refreshments will be provided. It is being held as part of the gallery's latest exhibition, Bilston's Happy Housing: Otto Neurath's Vision for Post War Modern Living, which runs until 2 May, 2015.
Bilston Craft Gallery curator Sophie Heath said: "I'm delighted that Tom, author of Black Country Chronicles, active member of the Black Country Memories Club and a well known figure in the local community, is able to share his research with us, and we are looking forward to an entertaining afternoon of reminiscence.
"I'd encourage anyone who either grew up in Bilston in the 1940s or 50s, or is interested in the development of their town, to come along and get involved."
Bilston's Happy Housing tells the story of how Austrian sociologist Dr Otto Neurath brought modernist thinking from Vienna to the Black Country and inspired Bilston's town planners with his radical, community focused approach.
Neurath was invited to be the town's Consultant for Human Happiness in 1945. Although his ambitious ideas of providing state of the art social housing similar to that of 1920s Red Vienna were modified, the essence of his vision remained and ultimately resulted in Stowlawn Estate.
For more information please visit Type=links;Linkid=5983;Title=Bilston Craft Gallery;Target=_blank; or call 01902 552507.
- released: Tuesday 7 April, 2015