New Dudley museum opened by tennis ace Jordanne Whiley

The 25-year-old, who has won nine grand-slam titles, cut the ribbon at Dudley Museum before dozens of people flocked inside the corridors to look at the historic and rare items on show.

The family of Duncan Edwards, the Dudley-born Manchester United player who died in the Munich air crash in 1958, attended the opening of the museum, which houses some of his former sporting wear.

It was also revealed at the opening that contingents from Manchester and Munich will be visiting Dudley next week for a tour of Duncan's home town - ahead of the 60th anniversary next year of the air crash that claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight of the 'Busby Babes' footballers from Manchester United.

Jordanne is the current Wimbledon doubles champion which she won while pregnant. She has won the title four-years-in-a-row. Jordanne said: "I'm glad to be here. I didn't know what the museum was going to be like inside. I had a tour around the place and I didn't know there was so much stuff here. My favourite part is probably the Roman section with the coins."

She has donated one of her tennis kits to the collection housed inside the 'Heroes Gallery', which pays tribute to famous and influential people from Dudley.

Her white sporting kit, which she wore while playing at Wimbledon, will appear alongside Duncan Edward's football shirts and caps, and items from champion jumper Joseph Darby.

The museum, based on Tipton Road, forms part of Dudley's tourism hub, which is made up of Dudley Zoo and Castle and the Black Country Living Museum.

The collection features items from the former Dudley Museum in Dudley town centre, which closed down in December. It cost Dudley Council £200,000 to develop.

Inside, there are exhibits spanning through the ages, dating back millions of years and then to the modern day.

There are sections displaying Roman coins and medieval clothing, robotic dinosaurs and tributes to the engineering past in Dudley and the Black Country.

Dudley Museum, based at the Archives building next to BCLM, will be visited next year by the Duncan Edwards contingent.

The event has been organised by Rose Cook-Monk, who produced the film 'And then Came Munich' about Duncan Edwards which won her a 'producer of the year award' from the Women's Film Institute.

She said: "Seventy people, some from Manchester and some from Munich, will come to Dudley to lay the foundations for next year's 60th anniversary of the Munich air crash."

In a speech addressing the crowds at the museum opening, the mayor of Dudley, councillor Dave Tyler, said: "I can't believe I am with sporting royalty today with Jordanne, she is a marvellous athlete.

"I also want to pay special thanks to Duncan Edward's family who are here today."

He added: "I think the opening went well. I spent a great deal of time going around to speak to ordinary members of the public, particularly young children and parents who said they liked the exhibition. I think one of the kids said the museum was brilliant.

"We always want to attract more people to Dudley, we have got to look at the overall project of the museum with the archives. With the Black Country Living Museum nearby, it is a good place to visit. I would encourage people to come along to the museum."

Duncan's second cousin, Laurence Brownhill, 74 from Dudley, welcomed the sporting collection of Duncan's at the museum, but would have liked to see more of his items on show - as a large chunk belongs to Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Duncan's first cousin Keith Edwards, aged 79 from Old Arley in Warwickshire, said: "I think it is a great thing to see the contingency visiting Dudley next week."

The contingency will meet at St Francis Parish Church in Laurel Road, Dudley, on Saturday (07).