The Horse and Jockey Pub

We Are Wednesbury

by Mike Maynard

 Did Æthelflæd ever come to this town?
 Did our people ever see her crown?
 Did she stay in a castle upon Wednesbury hill?
 Did she defend the town and Vikings kill?
 They named the town, after their God, Woden,
 The deity, the warrior Vikings called Odin.
 Saxon warriors, fought side by side,
 With Britons, and turned the tide.
 The Viking advance, was turned back,
 Wednesbury, they would not ransack.
 Brave Saxons and Britons, fought as one,
 until every last Viking, was beaten or gone.
 Now consider, of what blood are we?
 Saxon, Briton; Viking? No, not me…
 I am all, with a little Norman blood,
 and I would be so much more, if I could. 

I Have Seen Yesterday

by Keith Gwilliams

History and Where to Find It

by Keith Gwilliams

Wheere did yer say yer want ter goo to, ma mon?
  
Dudley? 
  
Just ter be nosie, wot dun yer want ter goo theere for?
  
Ter see the castle an’ the ‘istory?
  
Well, afore yoh goo traipsin’ over theere, an yer looked rahnd ‘ere abouts, in Wednesbury?
  
Fer a start, look up there on yonder ‘ill, the church yoh con see up there gos back just as ode as Dudley Castle!
  
Just tek a look in there an’ yer’ll bless yer eyes, that’s ‘istory fer yer.
  
Not soo long agoo, they found a winder an a door in theere that gos back 900 ‘ear.
  
an’ if yer want summit different, tek a look at wots ‘odin the Bible, it ay a golden eagle like moost plaeces.
It’s a fighting cock, the onny one like it in the world!
  
There’s loads moore, but ah’ll let yer look for yersen.
  
If yoh just pop inter the building just rahnd the corner ‘ere yoh con tek a look at the steps wot John Wesley praiched on - millions o’ folk reg’lar sings hymns wot ‘im an’ ‘is brother Charlie wrote. 
  
If yoh goo down that road up there yoh goo past the libry an a few yards ferther on t’other side o the road find the well wot a stately um was named for, knocked down now, but the naeme still stonds - sum folks ay got any respect.
  
Naems round ‘ere gi yer a clue as to wot went on dahn the years - ‘igh Bullen weere they used ter have bull baiting, bear baitin an’ cock fightin, not very nice an they cor do it now  thank goodness.
  
Whippet an’ pigeon raecin still goo on in sum plaeces, though - They’m alright cos they treasure the craitures an luk after em proper.
  
Down ‘eere, the Shambles is weere all the butchers wos. 
An not soo fair away, every ‘ear, townsfolk would ‘ave St Barts fair, or the Wake as sum called it - it might not be a bad idea ter start that agen, we cud doo wi sum enjoyment.
  
Another thing - folks ‘ave thought well enough of Wednesbury ter write songs about it - one yoh wouldn’t believe is Bandy Leg Lett who sode his wife in the market plaece - they used ter think yoh was allowed ter doo that - we know different now, but the last one in Britain ‘appened ere in Wednesbury onny a few yards from weere yoh’m stondin.
  
Any road, Ah cor stond ere cantin’ Ah gorra goo wum fer me tay, Ah’n got sum faggits an pays on the goo
  
Nah think on - Why bother ter goo miles for ‘istory, yoh’m stondin in the middle on it, right weere yoh bin now.
  
Tarah fer a bit.  

At the Black Country Heart

by Anne Peck

Wednesbury, once known as Woden,
Borne from the god of heroes and war,
The ancient Norse god Odin.
And ample heroes blessed this land,
Through wars and change and kings' demand.
  
Once green, fertile lands and wood,
Where warriors and farmers resided,
For its people the living was good.
But beneath the ground lay a hidden curse.
And of all their battles would prove worse.
  
The blood of war will wash away,
But on a ripped-up land for coal
And iron stone, the scars will stay.
Around the furnaces, beneath the smoke.
The people wore the iron yoke.
  
Today, now the smoke has gone,
The town is tidy, clean
And its people's strength lives on.
With pure and humble grace, so bright that you can see.
Proud to be made in Wednesbury.