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| Princess Margaret arriving at the Odeon, Shirley, where the presentation of the Charter took place on 11 March 1954. She was escorted by Cllr Robert Douglas Cooper, Chairman of Solihull Urban District Council and Mayor-elect of the new Solihull Borough. |
This year, Solihull borough will celebrate three momentous anniversaries in its development and formation with ‘Solihull Moments’ – a programme of events including an exhibition, talk and bell ringing across the borough.
On 24 May it will be 70 years since Solihull became a Municipal Borough, and on 1 April 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.
The path to becoming a Municipal Borough began on 11 March 1954 when Princess Margaret visited Solihull on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II to present a scroll authorising the incorporation of Solihull Urban district into a Municipal Borough.
The ‘Solihull Moments’ celebrations therefore begin on Sunday 10 March, the 70th anniversary of the eve of Princess Margaret’s visit to Solihull, with ‘Bells for the Borough’ commemorative bell ringing on 10, 11 and 31 March and 1 April (details below).
Alongside the bell ringing, the Heritage Gallery at The Core is hosting a free exhibition – A Century of Solihull – from 11 March to 31 May. 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.
The Mayor of Solihull, Mrs Diana Holl-Allen MBE, 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.”
To book tickets for Tracey Williams’ talk at The Core on 16 March, please visit Once, Twice, Three times a Borough! (thecoretheatresolihull.co.uk) Tickets cost £5 and early booking is advised. Alongside the talk, Tracey will publish a blog about Princess Margaret’s visit on 11 March. You can find it at https://solihulllife.org/
Bells for the Borough can be heard on Sunday 10 March at Knowle Church at 5.30pm and on Monday 11 March at 7.30pm at:
- St Swithin’s, Barston
- St John Baptist, Berkswell
- St Peter’s Bickenhill
- St Patrick’s, Salter Street, Earlswood
- St James, Shirley
- St Alphege, Solihull
Further bell ringing in celebration of the 50th and 60th anniversaries will take place on Sunday 31 March at Knowle Church at 5.30pm and on Easter Monday (1 April) at 3pm at:
- St Swithin’s, Barston
- St John Baptist, Berkswell
- St Patrick’s, Salter Street, Earlswood
- St James, Shirley
- St Alphege, Solihull
- And 4pm at Meriden Church
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