Royal opening for 1930s park
A new park modelled on the style of the 1930s will be coming up roses at the Black Country Living Museum when it gets the royal seal of approval.
Final planting is taking place at Folkes Park ahead of a visit from the Duke of Gloucester on March 20.
A disused brick storage area at the site in Tipton Road has been transformed into the pre-Second World War parkland scene as part of the museum's £10 million expansion plan.
It is set in two-acres of grounds and fits in with the building of the 1930s High Street.
Museum director and chief executive Ian Walden, who recently announced he was retiring, says he is looking forward to welcoming museum patron, Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester for the first time in more than eight years.
"He has been a patron for more than 20 years and we're glad we're going to get the chance to show him the significant changes we've made to the site since his last visit," he said.
"The park is substantially finished with just the final planting to be completed and will feature trees and shrubs, rose beds and a rock garden.
"It's going to look great and we're hoping to get a bandstand erected in the middle of the park."
The design of the bandstand will be based on one in Brinton Park, Kidderminster, which unlike traditional cast iron bandstands is made from concrete.
Mr Walden added: "We chose this design to reinforce the link between us and Dudley Zoo which has many 1930s concrete buildings." Folkes Park is named after the Lye firm which provided funding to create the attraction.
It is situated next to the Cradley Heath Workers' Institute which the Duke of Gloucester will also tour at the official opening.
The institute dates from 1912 and was originally located next to Mary Macarthur Park in Cradley Heath.
It will be used as a 300-seater venue for the museum where costumed performances, living history theatre, education and entertainment activities will take place.
Upstairs is a memorial exhibition to Mary Macarthur – one of Britain's greatest union leaders – and tells her life story including standing as the first Labour Party candidate for Stourbridge in 1918.
Visitors had their first glimpse of the institute when the £1.5 million project was opened back in November.
