The official Guest of Honour at the official unveiling of the W Reeves Exhibition at The Pen Room on Wednesday 7th November was Councillor Kath Hartley, Norman Bartlam (Ladywood History Group) (TNT News), Andy Munro (Jewellery Quarter (Development Trust), Marie Haddleton (Jewellery Quarter Heritage/Hockley Flyer) and Colin Giles (Pen Museum), and Keith Stanley (BIDS). Pen Museum volunteers joined in the celebration.
Earlier in the year the old established company of W Reeves Badges (Tenby Street) decided to sell up and move out of the Jewellery Quarter. Andy Munro alerted Norman Bartlam that the company was closing and that the collection might go to a person in London.
Norman contacted Cllr Kath Hartley and applied for funds to save the badges for the local community, through the Ladywood Community Chest Fund, she approved the bid and the badges became part of the Ladywood History Group’s ‘Made in Ladywood’ mini museum.
As the History Group were short of display space, and their centre was facing closure, they talked about displaying them at various venues such as Spring Hill Library, Central Library and Ladywood Community Centre.
Eventually it was thought best to keep them all together so the collection was loaned to the Pen Room, until a home is found for the wider ‘Made in Ladywood’ collection of artefacts. This is probably a long way off and even if they do find a new home, it is very possible many of the badges will stay at the Pen Room.
Nigel Evans – Pen Museum
