The Black Country In England Celebrates The Black Country Festival, 14th July

[♥ Lily ♥]

The Black Country: The truth behind the myth

14th July, Black Country Day, England




It's a part of England that has its own language and even flag,
but where did the Black Country get its historic name from?




On Black Country Day, Jennifer Meierhans tries to discover the truth behind the name:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-engl...ehind-the-myth

[♥ Lily ♥]

Black Country Festival, England: http://black-country-festival.co.uk

[Kamal900]

Do the people of Black country speak a dialect that is very different from other accents or dialects in England?

[♥ Lily ♥]

10 things people from the Black Country know to be true


Sandwell Valley Park is favourite picnic spot

Today marks National Black Country Day, and there are certain things that only a true Black Country resident can relate to.

The Black Country is an area in the UK famous for being the centre of industry. In fact, the name comes from a large amount of surfaces being covered in black soot from the coal used in the factories at the time.

It is well known for the special slang, the importance it played in the industrial revolution and of course Peaky Blinders.

But there is much more to it than that.

1. It has a special day

14th July was selected to celebrate all things Black Country, and there is a historical reason behind this.

On 14th July 1712 The Newcomen Engine, the world’s first steam engine was invented in the Black Country.

So this special date celebrates the important contribution that this area has made to world history.


The Black Country flag

2. Yam Yam

People from this area are known as Yam Yam, and it is easy to understand why.

There is a special dialect which you are only aware of if you are a true resident.

Expect to hear a lot of the word ‘yow’m’ knocking about when you visit, and this is where the nickname Yam Yam comes from.

3. Special slang

Anyone from the Black Country has a fine tuned ear which allows them to quickly detect fellow residents.

You will commonly hear ‘ar’ instead of ‘yes’, ‘babby’ instead of ‘baby’ and ‘bostin’ instead of ‘brilliant’.

Just go with the flow, and you will pick it up easily.

4. Black Country Museum is a gem

You’ve definitely spent a Saturday here, or visited as part of a school trip.

It’s also been used as a location to shoot BBC drama Peaky Blinders.

Either way you love finding any reason to visit.


Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

5. So is Sandwell Valley Park

A sprawling park, complete with a museum about life in the Black Country and an interactive farm yard.

A peacock has pinched items from your picnic basket at least once during a trip here.

6. Everyone wants to be part of it

There is fierce debate over exactly which areas make up the Black Country.

The official view is that it consists of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

But people from neighbouring areas stake a claim and try to be part of it as well.

7. So much history

For a relatively small area there is a lot of history to be discovered.

The name itself is linked to the South Staffordshire coal seam, which is said to be the thickest layer of coal in Britain, so thick that it turns the soil black.

It played a vital role in the industrial age, and it has offended quite a few important people like Queen Victoria.

8. Plenty of famous faces

The Black Country isn’t short of famous faces, and the residents love telling people that the likes of the famous and popular British comedian Lenny Henry, the incredible singer Beverley Knight, and multiple award-winning actress and writer Julie Walters are all originally from here.




A famous former resident

9. Unfair reputation

If there is one thing that annoys Yam Yams more than being called a Brummie is the unfair stereotypes and assumptions about the area.

Historical descriptions haven’t always been kind about this centre of industry, but residents still love it and see the beauty in it nonetheless.

10. It inspired Mordor

J.R.R Tolkien was so inspired by the landscape of the Black Country that he used it as the inspiration behind Mordor.

Mention this to any resident from the Black Country and watch their eyes fill with pride and joy.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/14/10-thi...#ixzz4mnOr2Jn2

[♥ Lily ♥]

Do the people of Black country speak a dialect that is very different from other accents or dialects in England?

Yep.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/fe...ents/a_b.shtml
http://www.sedgleymanor.com/dictionaries/dialect.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Country_dialect

[Neon Knight]

I always thought Birmingham was Black Country.

[NordicMan]

If England doesn't take care of its borders, it will literally become a Black country.

[♥ Lily ♥]

If England doesn't take care of its borders, it will literally become a Black country.

1.) The English and the Welsh voted to leave the EU. The Scots oppose UK Independence from the EU and Brexit and crowds of people who live in Scotland were seen holding placards up in protests saying 'Immigrants welcome here' after the people living in England and Wales voted for independence from the foreign and unelected EU Presidents who currently control the immigration borders and make the vast majority of laws for each EU governed state. (New migrants who aren't part of the British Commonwealth will have to go elsewhere in Europe where each state has no borders, in order to receive future help after Brexit negotiations are finalised.)

2.) The black population in England is statisically 3.5% at the moment. (Many were brought to the UK on ships from the Caribbean Islands and British Commonwealth nations to help rebuild our badly-bombed nation and economy after WW2, following the collapse of the British Empire.)

3.) England's white population by itself is many times more people than Scotland, Wales, NI, Ireland, and all the tiny Scandinavian populations - combined!

4.) Despite all the people who left this island to colonise other Anglo-Celtic nations, and despite the amount of British expats who leave Britain each year.... England's white population is currently a lot more people than Australia and Canada's total populations - without even needing to figure-out the white populations within their lower populated nations!!

Do the maths and you'll see. I worked-out the maths figures out for this several times now. Calculate the amount of white people from the white percentage with the total population in England .... and then note this figure and compare with the total population amount for other Northern European nations all combined together, and compare to the actual amount of people living in Canada and Australia (not all of whom are white in their total population figures.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England

[Graham]

Do the people of Black country speak a dialect that is very different from other accents or dialects in England?

Doesn't sound that different to the neighbouring areas. Took a listen there.