| Reference Number | DSCAM/4/9/39-98 |
| Title | Material relating to Cradley Heath Greyhound Stadium/Dudley Wood Sports Stadium |
| Description | DSCAM/4/9/39: Bundle of correspondence (8 Feb. 1947-21 Dec. 1949) concerning the liquidation of the limited company following the sale of its property at Dudley Wood to Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd for a greyhound stadium, but the proposed revival of the club 'practically defunct since 1939' through a lease back of the ground; difficulties with the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise; financial backing of its supporters over the years etc.; complications leading to counsel being instructed. |
| DSCAM/4/9/40-59: Brief for applicant, and supplemental observations, in respect of application to the County Borough of Dudley Licensing Authority for a licence under Part 1 of the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934 re proposed dog racing track at near Cradley Haeth (on the erstwhile Victoria Football Ground, Dudley Wood); also copy brief on application for licence in 1939 and further observation to counsel in relation thereto, copy notices of objection (1939); copy petition against and objections (1946); related papers. |
| DSCAM/4/9/50-64: Reports of meetings; notices from Joseph Sidaway of 174 High Street, Cradley Heath of his application under the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934 for a transfer of his betting licence to Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd, and licence with transfer endorsed, and copy of his 1939 application; appeal against Dudley Corporation's refusal under the Town and Country Planning Act of a cinder track for motor cycle racing (part of the application confirming powers for a greyhound racing track, originally granted in 1939 but lapsed); details of grounds of appeal and acceptance by the Corporation; related correspondence etc.; 1946-47 |
| DSCAM/4/9/65: Vouchers relating to foregoing application etc. |
| DSCAM/4/9/66-69: Extract from Memorandum and Articles of Association of Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd; rough memoranda concerning shares and shareholders; and bundle of correspondence (6 Aug. 1946-26 Apr. 1948) concerning the raising of capital and purchase of shares; also appeal against refusal of Dudley Corporation to permit speedway racing at the stadium. |
| DSCAM/4/9/70-71: Draft agreements (1938-8 Apr. 1939) between George Norman Bridgewater of the Victoria Brewery, Cradley Heath, Staffordshire, licensed victualler (freeholder), and Benjamin Norman Brahams of 452 Unthank Road, Norwich, company director, for a lease of the Victoria Football ground for 14 years with an option for an additional 14 years, with power to form a limited company, erect stands and make modifications for greyhound racing and motor cycle racing, reserving use to the football club at the times specified, etc. |
| DSCAM/4/9/72: Appliations (7 May and 11 June 1940) for registration of land charges (puisne mortgages of the Victoria Inn, Dudley Wood and 9 adjacent cottages by Adeline Ann Bartlett of Heath House, Broadwaters, Kidderminster, wife of Joseph Josiah Bartlett, poultry farmer). |
| DSCAM/4/9/73: Duplicate licence (10 Nov. 1942) from Frederick James Bullas of 'The Castle', Oldswinford, Stourbridge, Worcestershire, manufacturer to Garratt and Co. Ltd, colliery proprietors (registered office at Congreaves, Cradley Heath) for the use of land at Dudley Wood, at £1 a quarter; plan endorsed. |
| DSCAM/4/9/74-76: Agreements (21 June 1945, 24 Nov. 1945 etc.) between G.N. Bridgewater, Cradley Heath Stadium Ltd (registered offic, The Close, Norwich) by B.N. Brahams and the said Brahams, renewing the agreement of 8 Apr. 1939 (in suspension because of the 'National Emergency'), and making arrangements to pay Bridgewater part of his expenditure in keeping up the licence on the premises during the war. |
| DSCAM/4/9/77: Agreement (30 June 1946) between Sidaway and Brahams for the application for a licence to provide betting facilities at the dog racing track and the holding of same on behalf of Brahams, who is underwriting all costs. |
| DSCAM/4/9/78-79: Particulars and conditions of sale (1 Oct. 1946) and contract for land at Dudley Wood. And draft conveyance (30 June 1947) from Thomas Leslie Tibbetts of Cradley Heath, auctioneer and surveyor and Ishmael Bennett of High Street, Cradley Heath, chain manufacturer, to Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd (registered office at 12, South Molton Street, London) of 2.484a. of land fronting Dudley Wood Road; consideration of £2200. |
| DSCAM/4/9/80: Particulars and conditions of sale [1947] by Cradley Heath St Lukes Football Club Ltd to G.N. Bridgewater, of 2465sq. yds of land at Dudley Wood, for £2000; plan attached. |
| DSCAM/4/9/81-84: Draft conveyance (11 July 1947) by Cradley Heath St Lukes Football Club Ltd to Adeline Ann Bartlett of The Victoria Inn, Dudley Wood, of 4a. 0r. 29p. of land at Dudley Wood, and a further 2465sq. yds of land fronting Dudley Wood Road; consideration of £3500. Draft legal charge (12 July 1947) by Mrs Bartlett to Phyllis Sherwood of 52 Sedgley Road West, Tipton, Staffordshire, widow, Albert Edward Victor Sherwood of 198 Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, solicitor and Alfred Sherwood of 60 Sedgley Road West, Tipton, to secure £3500 and interest. Draft leases (1947 and 12 Mar. 1948) by Bartlett to Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd of the Victoria Football Ground, with an easement for a sewer, a reservation of use on Saturday afternoons and a weekday evening in season for football, and a reservation to herself of exclusive right to supply Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd with intoxicating liquors until 25 Dec. 1976, for a term of 99 years determinable after 8 years and every 7 years thereafter, at a rent of £1010 p.a. (with a deduction of £24 p.a. to be paid by landlord to tenant for the use as a football stadium, plus a proportion of the gate over £2000 in any season, as specified). |
| DSCAM/4/9/85: Draft lease (1947) by the personal representative of the late Thomas Scriven (Sydney Thomas Scriven of Mushroom Green, Dudley Wood, civil servant; Anthony Arthur Scriven of the same, machine tool fitter; George Hackett of 101 Barrs Road, Cradley Heath, Staffordshire, law clerk) to G.N. Bridgewater of the Victoria Inn, Dudley Wood, brewer, of 2a. 1r. 30p. of land at Scolding Green, Dudley Wood, for a term of 28 years at a quarter of the gross takings and a minimum rent of £260 p.a., the land to be used as a car park in connexion with the dog racing track; power to determine of licence for track withdrawn; reservation in favour of the Upper Stour Valley Main Sewerage Board. |
| DSCAM/4/9/86-87: Draft grants of easements (1947 and 12 May 1948) to Mrs Bartlett. By William Humble Eric, Earl of Dudley and his trustees and the Round Oak Steel Works Ltd, for her to construct a drain or sewer under the Pensnett Mineral Railway near Dudley Wood Road, Cradley Heath, Staffordshire; consideration of £300 to the trustees. And by John Weaver of 'The Gables', Lantern Road, Dudley Wood, Dudley, chainmaker, for her to construct a drain or sewer under his land south of the mineral railway, near Dudley Wood Road, Cradley Heath; consideration of £250; plan attached. |
| DSCAM/4/9/88: Draft agreement (1948) between Mrs Bartlett and Percy Howard Bullas of 'Elmhurst', Stourbridge, Joseph Sidaway of 174 High Street, Cradley Heath, George Norman Bridgwater of The Victoria Inn, Dudley Wood, and George Palmer, to transfer the reservation (in #84 above and in a deed of variation of 25 Dec. 1948) of the use of the stadium for football to them, for a term of 28 years, relieving her of the payments under the lease etc. in relation to the use of the stadium for football. |
| DSCAM/4/9/89: Draft release (1949) by the Sherwoods (mortgagees) to Mrs Bartlett of any interest they may have in relation to her exclusive right to sell intoxicating liquors at the Stadium, Dudley Wood (see #84 above). |
| DSCAM/4/9/90: Abstract of title (1947) of the Earl of Dudley to part of the Dudley Settled Estates (re easement above); plan attached. Abstracts from vesting deeds of 9 June 1926 onward. |
| DSCAM/4/9/91-92: Various notices to and consents of mortgagees and freeholders relative to assignments to and by the Cradley Heath St Luke's Football Club Ltd and Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd; and acknowledgment of the right of the latter company to the production of title deeds; all 1947-48 |
| DSCAM/4/9/93: Bundle of correspondence (20 Nov. 1947-18 Aug. 1948) concerning the lease from Garratts to Cradley Sports Enterprises Ltd. |
| DSCAM/4/9/94-98: Plans of various lands at Dudley Wood acquired by the company; plan of easement; plan shewing football pitch at Dudley Wood Sports Stadium encircled by speedway track. |
| Date | 1938-1949 |
| Physical Description | #69 and #93 to be reversed and sub-numbered |
| Format | Typescript |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| Extent | 57 items and 3 bundles |
| Level | Item |