Is Rubery in the Black Country? Consensus is, definitely not.

[wombatofludham]

Technically people from Rugeley (where I went to secondary school) aren't "yam yams", that soubriquet is reserved for people from the Black Country although, thanks to 1960s overspill agreements signed with Walsall and Wolverhampton to build housing for people from the two towns (just as Beeching closed the passenger service on the line) quite a few from those two towns (Wolverhampton wasn't a city then) moved to Cannock and Rugeley, so you will find plastic yam-yams in the town.

 

I gather that a chippy in Brereton, just outside Rugeley now serves Orange Chips, which are an alternative, culinary way of defining the Black Country boundaries.  Normally you only find Orange Chips within the Walsall-Stourbridge-Wolverhampton triangle, they are virtually unheard of even a few miles down the road, and Birmingham wouldn't have a clue about them, so an alleged sighting of the Orange Chip in Brereton is quite rare.  

[Andy Y]

I gather that a chippy in Brereton, just outside Rugeley now serves Orange Chips, which are an alternative, culinary way of defining the Black Country boundaries. Normally you only find Orange Chips within the Walsall-Stourbridge-Wolverhampton triangle, they are virtually unheard of even a few miles down the road, and Birmingham wouldn't have a clue about them, so an alleged sighting of the Orange Chip in Brereton is quite rare.

 

Blimey, the chips from St.Michael's are getting famous. It's now our local chippy and I'd never had them before but they are pretty moreish. We had visitors who didn't like the sound of these battered chips so we ordered the some normal ones. You've guessed it, they ate all the orange ones and left us with the plain ones.

[08221]

Technically people from Rugeley (where I went to secondary school) aren't "yam yams", that soubriquet is reserved for people from the Black Country although, thanks to 1960s overspill agreements signed with Walsall and Wolverhampton to build housing for people from the two towns (just as Beeching closed the passenger service on the line) quite a few from those two towns (Wolverhampton wasn't a city then) moved to Cannock and Rugeley, so you will find plastic yam-yams in the town.

 

I gather that a chippy in Brereton, just outside Rugeley now serves Orange Chips, which are an alternative, culinary way of defining the Black Country boundaries.  Normally you only find Orange Chips within the Walsall-Stourbridge-Wolverhampton triangle, they are virtually unheard of even a few miles down the road, and Birmingham wouldn't have a clue about them, so an alleged sighting of the Orange Chip in Brereton is quite rare.

 

We are moving to Rugeley in the next couple of weeks, must give them a try!

[Ashcombe]

We are moving to Rugeley in the next couple of weeks, must give them a try!

Rugeley is a friendly place but has suffered economically due to the closure of the pits and the power stations and resulting loss of jobs. I lived nearby in The Haywoods for 37 years before retiring to Torquay and taught in Rugeley and Brereton. Cannock Chase and Shugborough Hall are worth visiting besides exploring the canalside walks. If you’re interested in amateur theatre, Rugeley Musical Theatre Company welcomes volunteers to help back stage, front of house or on stage.

 

http://www.rmtcweb.co.uk

 

Good luck!

Edited August 18, 2018 by Ashcombe

[Andy Y]

Rugeley is a friendly place but has suffered economically due to the closure of the pits and the power stations and resulting loss of jobs.

There's a lot of residential development happening and although I'll be sad to see the cooling towers come down in a couple of years there will be a lot of commercial development on site so there is quite a bit of regeneration happening now.

 

It certainly is a friendlier place than neighbouring towns, there's a lot of positive community activity in Brereton and we've really taken to the place in the last year.

[jjb1970]

I was once close to moving to Rugely to work at the power plant. At the time I had two options, go to Rugely or return to the marine sector by accepting an offer from LR. I went with LR and stayed working in London, given what happened to the power plant soon after it was a sound decision.

[bike2steam]

There's a lot of residential development happening and although I'll be sad to see the cooling towers come down in a couple of years there will be a lot of commercial development on site so there is quite a bit of regeneration happening now.

 

It certainly is a friendlier place than neighbouring towns, there's a lot of positive community activity in Brereton and we've really taken to the place in the last year.

 

Yeah, Brereton, my dear ol' mums youngest sister used to live in Coalpit Lane in the 1960's/70's, then moved to Etching Hill area of Rugeley, in the late 70's - and is still there!! So she must like it.

Edited August 18, 2018 by bike2steam

[tigerburnie]

My favourite chippie was up the A38 at Alrewas, the chicken keebab meat un chips was a regular friday night treat.

[wombatofludham]

It certainly is a friendlier place than neighbouring towns, 

 

And a lot less murderous than in the past (for those of you not from or associated with the town, Google Dr Palmer, and the case of Christina Collins and the Bloody Steps).  

 

Rugeley also gave the world the Donkey Jacket.  Not a lot of people know that...

[Steamport Southport]

My favourite chippie was up the A38 at Alrewas, the chicken keebab meat un chips was a regular friday night treat.

 

Was the chicken rubery? 

 

 

 

Funnily enough I was in that area last week for a music festival at Catton Hall.

 

 

 

Jason

[TheSignalEngineer]

I am reliably informed that Rugeley used to be Ridgelea or Ridgelee, and then Rudgeley. When Sherry taught there she met older residents who still called it the latter. Locals are indeed Yam Yams. One identified himself proudly as such in Lidl in Okehampton the other day.

I did a lot of work on the Cannock line from the building of Rugeley B onwards. I often heard drivers talking about going to Rudgeley.

[TheSignalEngineer]

How wonderful. We were there an out '66 - '69 or so, the vicar being Rev Mark Thompson-McCausland (uncle to Alexander Armstrong) who was and is a wonderful chap. We eventually left and moved to Edgebaston/Bearwood, where Dad became one of the very first worker-priests, taking up a post as an electrical designer at T.I. in Wednesbury. (He was previously a designer at Rayrolles on Tyneside).

My Dad was to St Chads around 1974-76. He then went to Alum Rock and finally Minworth.

[Mad McCann]

I read the header in a W. Mids accent and it sounded like a positive proclamation.

 

D.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Mad McCann

[Ashcombe]

And a lot less murderous than in the past (for those of you not from or associated with the town, Google Dr Palmer, and the case of Christina Collins and the Bloody Steps).  

Rugeley also gave the world the Donkey Jacket.  Not a lot of people know that...

After Palmer's murderous exploits, Rugeley people were unhappy about the association of their town with this evil man. They pleaded with the PM of the time to allow a change of name. He agreed to this request, providing they used his surname. The PM at the time was Palmerston. The town retained the name Rugeley!!