THE BELLS are set to ring out across the borough to mark the start of three momentous anniversaries for Solihull Council.
On Sunday (March 10) and Monday (March 11) church bells across Knowle, Barston, Berkswell, Bickenhill, Earlswood, Shirley and Solihull town centre will mark the 70th anniversary of Princess Margaret’s visit to Solihull when the path to becoming a Municipal Borough began.
The Princess visited Solihull on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II to present a scroll authorising the incorporation of Solihull Urban district into a Municipal Borough.
This was the start of the Council’s festivities dubbed ‘Solihull Moments’ which involves a programme of events including an exhibition, talk and bell ringing across the borough.
On May 24 it will be 70 years since Solihull became a Municipal Borough, and on April 1 it will be 60 years since Solihull was elevated to County Borough status and 50 years since the Local Government Act (1972) came into effect, creating Solihull Metropolitan Borough.
Alongside the bell ringing, the Heritage Gallery at The Core is hosting a free exhibition – A Century of Solihull – until May 31.
Created by history students from the University of Birmingham, the exhibition examines the key themes in Solihull’s history over the last 100 years, showing its unique transition from a rural district to a thriving Metropolitan Borough.
There is also a local history talk by Solihull Council’s archivist and local studies librarian, Tracey Williams, at the Studio at The Core on March 16.
The Mayor of Solihull, Diana Holl-Allen, said: “Solihull has changed enormously in my life time and I remember the creation of the borough in 1974 quite vividly.
“As the exhibition at The Core shows, Solihull has gone through a dramatic change from a small rural economy to a key player in the region and the civic changes in 1954, 64 and 74 have both mirrored and reinforced its development.
“As we celebrate our 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries, I hope people will either visit the exhibition, attend Tracey’s excellent talk, or listen out for the sound of church bells. We’ll announce more events later in the year.”
Further bell ringing in celebration of the 50th and 60th anniversaries will take place on March 31 at Knowle Church at 5.30pm and on Easter Monday, April 1, at 3pm at St Swithin’s in Barston, St John Baptist in Berkswell, St Patrick’s, Salter Street in Earlswood, St James in Shirley, St Alphege in Solihull and 4pm at Meriden Church.
