Marking 150 years of Co-op history in Halesowen

This year marks 150 years since one of the country’s first Co-ops was established in 1871 – the Halesowen and Hasbury Industrial Co-operative Society. It signed a lease on its first shop at 8 and 10 Peckingham Street, Halesowen, and opened for business in April that year.

The Halesowen Society merged with Birmingham Co-operative Society in 1968, now part of what is Lichfield-based Central England Co-operative. The society is still represented in the town with its food store in Spies Lane.

The Birmingham Co-op History Group has produced a photographic display which is currently on show at the store to coincide with the anniversary of the first shop opening in April 1871.

Spies Lane store manager Jessica Head said: “We are delighted to be able to give space in our relatively new store to celebrate this history with the exhibition of photos and hopefully it will spark some great memories among our wonderful local community.”

Meanwhile the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley has begun work on Forging Ahead, its single biggest ever development.

Alongside a new visitor welcome centre and industrial quarter, the museum is building a 1940s-1960s town.

The new visitor centre is scheduled to open in the first half of 2022 and the historic town will welcome visitors in the first half of 2023.

Keen

The 1940s-1960s town will feature a recreation of Halesowen and Hasbury Society’s Hawne branch and will be set in the late 1940s.

The museum team is keen to hear from people who may have memories and stories associated with the Hawne branch from that time, which can help with research into what it was like to shop, or work in the store.

The team has discovered a photograph dating back to what is thought to be the late 1940s of staff outside the former Hawne Co-op store and though they have names of the some of the colleagues, they are calling on anyone who recognises any of the faces to get in touch.

Clare Weston, Researcher at BCLM, said: “We’re excited to be re-creating the Hawne branch at the museum as part of our historic town.

"We’re looking for memories that will help to bring the re-created shop to life. We’re especially keen to have stories of the staff who worked there, as the building will serve as a learning space for schools enabling future generations to engage with the real lives and real stories of people who worked hard to serve the community.”

The photographic exhibition at the Spies Lane Central England Co-op will be displayed until the end of the month, with further events and exhibitions planned for throughout the year.

Anyone who recognises a face in the photo or has memories or artefacts can contact collections@bclm.com