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SHFRC founder Marion Deague (nee Teague) recalls the early days

We started walking as a small group in 1953, but did not put it on an official footing until the end of that year when we called a meeting at St Thomas's Church Hall, Stourbridge in November of that year.

Seventy-four people attended the inaugural meeting. Laurie Mills (Blakedown) director of Downing & Mills (Oldbury) became the first president. He was particularly helpful in setting the club up. Laurie was very well suited to the task as he was the Midlands representative on Holiday Fellowship Executive Council. Co-founder Janet Weaver and I had little experience of such business. However, I was appointed Secretary and Avril Hancock became our first Treasurer.

We also got keen support from Ada Grove, whose family had a button making business in Halesowen. Ada used to walk with the Wolverhampton CHA as did ‘Curly’ Downing. We pinched Curly from them to provide the music for us at one of our socials. He was the equivalent of today’s deejay. Thereafter, we always celebrated the Club’s birthdays at Curly’s home in Tettenhall, after a walk in that area.

The Wolverhampton and Worcester groups were also very encouraging and extremely positive and helped the girls form the new group. “They were so pleased that we were including Kidderminster as that took up the gap, so to speak. Brian Fennel of Worcester provided invaluable support - fifty years later, we still exchange Christmas cards.” (See update in final paragraph - Ed.)
Other people in at the start or thereabouts included John Mees, Jack Clark and Len Poselthwaite.
“John was a ‘bit awkward’ and a ‘right pain’ in those days,” Marion recalled with fond affection. Jack was the local Valuation Officer. “He was a tower of strength. He would provide details of landowners so that we could obtain the necessary permission to walk over private land. We were never refused.
Janet roped in Dorah Knight who used to teach me at Hill Street Primary School. She then recruited Miss Turner, who was head mistress of the same school. “We thought it amusing to teach the women who once taught us!”

The club’s first official ramble was in January 1954 in the Blakedown area. Marian recalled: " To begin with we walked twice a month, once on a Saturday afternoon and all day on Sunday a fortnight later. The first walk's participants included the Cresswell family, Donald and Clarisa and their children Barbara, Christine and Stephen, Fred Stenson and his wife plus their daughter Jean together with Barbara Twigg and Irene Plant.

The venue for the inaugural walk was carefully chosen as most members had not walked regularly. We set off from the bus station, over the golf course and then by field paths to Churchill and on to Blakedown for tea at The Old House at Home. We caught the bus back to Stourbridge.

The first Sunday full day ramble took us by paths from Stourbridge over Hagley Hill and onto Clent using the bus from Bromsgrove for the return. We had socials on Saturday evenings - many people had to work all day, so they joined us as soon as they could. We moved from St Thomas's Church Hall to St John's as it was more convenient for the bus and train stations. We also had socials in Kidderminster. The Rev. Allsop and family had become members and we used their church hall, which enabled the Kidderminster members to undertake social duties. Immediately after a ramble, details were given to the County Express reporter, Jack Haden, who always included them in the next issue. Club photographer, Ron Shale joined us after a walk around Drakelow, Norman Haines joined us from the Smethwick Mountaineering Club.

Eventually, we hired buses – very few people had cars - from Sammy Johnson’s garage in New Road, next to King’s cinema. He gave us a good discount!” Janet was a family friend. "We lived opposite each other and attended the same schools - Hill Street Junior and Stourbridge Girls' High. Janet became the librarian at Brierley Hill. She had a sad life. She met Barry Vale, during a joint walk with Wolverhampton CHA. They got married, but their happiness was short-lived. Barry died of leukaemia not long afterwards. She died just one month after retiring from her job. She was only in her late fifties. “I had planned to stay with Janet as we were going to tackle some of the walks in the Ludlow area, along the route of the old 190. She so loved it around there,” Marian reflected. “I think the first members to get married as a result of meeting within the club were Betty Goff and her fiance Mr West - can't remember his first name!

I think that the youngest member the club ever had was Stephen Cresswell who walked with his family. He was about eight. Neil Holliday was about the same age when he joined. We had so many friends and walkers of all ages. It was nice to see the families grow up within the club.” Marion became a part-time youth leader and was asked if the Club could help promote outdoor activities. The members willingly agreed and arranged a number of rambles in which local history was introduced. The subjects included the Crooked House, Wolverley Church and its effigy, Harvington Hall and its secret rooms and the ruins of Witley Court - seen by peering through a high fence - plus the beautiful little nearby church that survived the disastrous fire. "We also pioneered and led rambles on Wenlock Edge, the Lickeys and a youth hostelling holiday for girls though the Wye Valley."

Marion was delighted to be invited back to Stourbridge in 1979 when the club marked its Silver Jubilee with a dinner at the Old White Horse Inn, Norton. Many years earlier, she and her husband had moved to the Cotswolds. Curiously there were seventy-four members present at the dinner - precisely the same number that had attended the inaugural meeting in 1953. Among the guests were members of the Wolverhampton CHA with whom the club enjoyed a close association. The County Express reported that: ‘The club’s acting general secretary, Councillor John Mees presided and grace was said by one of the club’s longest serving members, Mr Donald Cresswell. Mrs Deague (as Marian Teague had now become) proposed the toast to the club and recalled how she and Janet Vale (also present) had formed the club. Misses Ada Grove and Irene Plant together with Jack Clark were the only other inaugural members present at the dinner. Responding to the toast, Councillor Mees, who joined the club when he was 17, referred to the death recently of past-president, John Jowett. He also paid tribute to another old member present, Mr John Downing who for many years provided the music for dancing at the club’s monthly socials held in the old Wordsley Community Centre.’

Marion and her husband moved near near Lincoln where they helped their son attend to his farm. “I got so much enjoyment walking in the lovely hills and countryside around Stourbridge. Now, I couldn’t have chosen anywhere flatter to live! “I have enjoyed reliving those early days – it has filled me with happiness and sadness. Happy to remember all my friends, but sad to realise that so many of them are no longer with us. I hope the Golden Jubilee will be a great success and that many new members will be attracted so that the club can progress towards its centenary.”

Marion was guest of honour at the Club's Golden Jubilee celebration dinner in 2003, when the picture above was taken.
Marion Deague passed away in 2006.

Members may be interested to know that every year the Club Secretary receives a Christmas card and correspondence from Geoffrey Deague (the widower of Marion, our founder member). This year(2007), he enclosed a letter from Brian and Kathleen Fennell, founder members of the Worcester Rambling Club, which celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 2006. Apparently Brian and Kathleen, now in their late 80s, gave help and advice on the founding of SHFRC, in 1953, attended some of the early rambles, a joint weekend and SHFRC Christmas parties. They kept in close touch with Marion during her time in Stourbridge.

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This page updated 24 January 2008