Black Country Festival: Bostin' start with road run and community events - PICTURES and VIDEO
Black may be in the title but the launch of the Black Country Festival to celebrate the region’s proud history was all about colour.
Thousands of people flocked to special events – from road runs to classic car shows and fun days – as the month-long festivities got under way on Saturday,
Runners braved sweltering conditions to take on the Black Country Road Run – including West Midlands mayor Andy Street and blind fundraising legend Dave Heeley – which took place around Halesowen.
The 10K event, organised by the Halesowen and Rowley Regis Rotary Club, also included a shorter family fun run.
WATCH: Highlights from the Black Country Road Run
Alan Bowler, one of the organisers, was delighted with the large turn-out. He said: “It was a very good day and everything really well. There might have been a few people who were put off by the desperately hot weather but we probably had about 1,000 people come along. The feedback has been really positive.”
This year the runners received new medals incorporating the Black Country flag, which went down really well with entrants, said Mr Bowler. “We’ve always done very well with the weather but it was exceptional this time,” he added.
The event, which started in 2012 as the Halesowen Fun Run, has helped raise in excess of £140,000 for local and national charities since it began. It was re-branded as the Black Country Road Run in 2013.
A few miles down the road, crowds lined the streets to see a cavalcade of classic cars parade along the High Street as part in the second Dudley Classic Car Show, with a display of 29 vehicles coming to a stop in the town centre.
PICTURES from Dudley Classic Car Show
The magnificent motors, including a Rolls Royce, an Aston Martin, two E-type Jaguars and Morris Minors, filled Market Place, Stone Street and Stone Street Square.
Dudley mayor, Councillor Alan Taylor, awarded the ‘best in show’ to a red Mini 1275CC from 1970.
Event organiser John Emms said: “We had a really good day. with hundreds of people attending. Lots said they were really pleased they had come down to see as they said they hadn’t visited Dudley for years. We built on last year’s event and plan to do the same for next year.”
Around 1,000 people attended the Gornal Fun Day, where Andy Street made another appearance, hotfoot from the road run.
PICTURES from Gornal Fun Day
Basking in the sunshine, families enjoyed Punch and Judy shows, face painting, fair rides, bouncy castles, tombola stalls, a birds of prey display and a battle reenactment group.
Joan Porter, one of the organisers, said: “The whole event went really well and the weather was brilliant. It was a real good turn-out. The local windmill was also open which was fantastic.”
It was a brilliant start to the month-long Black Country Festival, now in its fifth year, which runs until July 29, with the actual Black Country Day on July 14.
A street food festival is at Stourbridge’s Bonded Warehouse on July 6 and Halesowen Carnival is at Highfield Park on July 7 (see page 5), the same day as the Chain Makers Festival in Cradley Heath, Tividale Park Fun Day and Netherton Park Fun Day.
For a full list of events view the Express & Star guide
