so what's the deal with Walsall?

tazzy-anne said:
Wasn't meant to be racist - but some streets do look like an Asian town (& I have actually been to towns/cities in Asia...) - they have mosques & temples on streets lined with shops consisting solely of sari shops & sweet centres (of which I said is the only thing I like about it). Stating a fact isn't racist. It's just the truth.
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Herein lies the problem - using the phrase 'Little Pakistan' to refer to a place that has an area which contains predominantly 'Asian' shops. There is a difference. The town centre has a Polish supermarket - it's not 'Little Eastern Europe'.

Having grown up, gone to school and worked in Walsall all my adult life I have never seen anyone at it in broad daylight, or a drug deal 'meters from the high street' in 27 years. I have also never once felt unsafe or threatened as a schoolgirl or adult, day or night. There may be an area renowned for prostitution, but is there a town that doesn't have one?!

Like I said, good and bad people and places everywhere. There's big houses with land and stables, blocks of flats, lovely apartments, nice estates and not so nice estates. It's not a tourist destination because it's a normal town, like lots of places. Happy to agree to disagree, your experiences just vastly differ to my own.

Don't worry Jane, I'm not offended by Walsall-bashing, just saddened by racism so inherent it's like reading the Daily Mail. Interesting though, there's a group of impeccably behaved teenagers from Walsall who hold a similar opinion to yourself, having been subjected to open-mouthed stares and racist abuse by the people of Bridgnorth ;)
 
newforest said:
If a walsall saddle used English leather it would be stamped as such?
So if it is stamped and not English, that is a trading standards issue.
Customers should not assume it will be English, just because it is from a town called wallsal.
Most products these days are imported, Laura ashley for a start is.
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English can mean that the nail head was added in Walsall, or Norwich!, and means very little. It is best to search online and find opinions, such as on this thread, about what is made in England. We don't stamp England or English on our saddles as it is meaningless. And we are definitely one of the few that are made in Walsall, as I say, I am regularly in the workshop and see them being made.
 
Roofio
I am struck you posted that. Have you mailed Mike? I think it might be a good idea.

I left NR for over a year after a mod failed to deal with what I regarded as anti-Moslem and anti-Jewish posts.

When I returned - when NR went ubscription and the offenders left - Mike apologised and asked me to let him know about any further difficulties.

I am interested in this thread as far as saddles go, since I spoke to our yard's excellent saddler last week about a custom order saddle I use from a Walsall firm and I need to e-mail them, since that model is no longer on their website. I would continue to use that company.
 
Now I really want to visit. I love places like this. Find them fascinating architecturally, culturally and everything really. These are places with so much to offer rather than the sterile newbuild suburbs we see everywhere.

Wally? Can we do a roadtrip some time? I will take my camera. I am intrigued!
 
If Frances and Wally go they will probably make a blog post with pictures about it and then the rest of it will get to see it too! Gof Frances, go! Be sure to find one of the saddleries and post pics of the inside too!
 
I dont partically see anything racist written? Only a description of an area? I could say similar if asked to describe Rusholme in Manchester.. A place which is a rough :poop:hole with shops similar to as described in Walsall, it is like being in a overseas area... I also VERY much enjoy visiting rusholme ( known as the curry mile) and is a popular night out... rough as hell with shootings/drugs/murders/prossies.... but a good night out! but if someone asked me to describe it I would just say it how it is. Sometimes you dare not say anything for fear of being accused of being a racist. Alot of these suburbian towns are like this FACT... they are rough as hell... FACT! They do suffer from crime like any city areas do Its a fact of life.. nobody is pointing fingers though at any race to blame? just as they are just heavy populated with ethnic minorites, nobodys said they dislike the people! and to call another member RACIST on here is just to much when they have not been offensive to anyone inparticular. Its not against the law to mention a town has lots of mosques and indian shops as many simply do! I for one am glad as I love all the food and culture, there is a real cultural vibe in rushholme you just cant get down the local resturant, I expect the same applies to walsall, which i personally find fascinating, for some people perhaps its not their thing.

I'd keep my car doors locked at night and my wits about me though!! as I would in any city, but thats because the whole area is dodgy not just a particular culture of people.

Really the mind boggles! Ive not been active on here for a while some things never change! I am just waiting to be called a racist myself now!

p.s Even Wikipedia describes rusholme as the curry mile !
 
If the Premiere Chippery is still on the Bloxwich road and the curry houses are as good as they used too be (frequented predominantly by Asian Families) Frances and I are going.

Walsall is one towen I would feel perfectly safe wandering round at night or any time of day...or it used to be.

We can seek out all my old haunts and go and visit some of the places I used to work.
 
Excellent. I feel a roadtrip coming on! Yay. (just lead me to the chippie or the curry house or anywhere actually). When Wally talks about it, I always think "I really want to go there" and I found out when I did my family tree that I have a saddler in the family from somewhere around there too.
 
I hate my home town of Wolves but Walsall is even worse.
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WHAT?? you have to be kidding, unless the god fearing blackcountryman has changed out of all recognition.IME glaciers change faster than the avertage Black Country attitude!
 
The Premiere Chippery on the Bloxwich road, .........dwarms......MMMMmmmmm Done in beef dripping and crinkle cut.
 
tazzy-anne said:
Can you tell how much i dislike it?! I have only ever been back to get my samosas, pakoras & Indian sweeties that I love to death :D and can't get up here in staffs as no Asian communities :(
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Tazzy-Anne lamenting on the lack of Asian communities is hardly the act of a racist!

I like china town in London. To call it china town because predominantly Chinese live there and the culture is the closest you can get to being in china whilst still in this country isn't derogatory. If I then started to talk about the risks of being mugged or pick pocketed there that's not the same as expressing hatred of the Chinese or being at all racist. People on here are making connections that simply haven't been written.

All I've seen on this thread are opinions written out about why Walsall is so disliked by some, fair enough as we are all entitled to our opinions.

To call people racist is very serious indeed and hardly a just response just because someone thinks a place is foul after having worked there themselves.

I live in the cheapest town in Hampshire. I'm used to others thinking its a dump, despite it being less so than my 2 nearest cities! Oh and it's a tourist destination too!
 
Omg, if Walsall wasn't bad to start with Wally and Francis are on there way so watch out Walsall!!!!

Just joking ladies. The description of all the lovely sari shops makes me think you could get some wonderfully colourful photo opportunities Francis which you could tie in with Wally's memories and observations on how things have changed.
 
I have just been Google Street viewing it and M hard put to find some of the old saddlery workshops, I know they were fairly manky when I was there and most likely been pulled down and redeveopled.
 
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