“Wednesfield should hold its own ‘Visitors Month’ and it should be in the August of each year.”

What do you think? Contact me and let me know what your views are.

The Visitor economy is very much underplayed in Wolverhampton and there is a new Visitors economy ‘blue print’ being worked on by the City Council.

But the fact is, that the City Council work will largely ignore the activity that we have here in Wednesfield. I strongly believe that there is much growth to be had, (admitted from a small base) here in our Village and surrounding localities.

Let me build my case.

We already have a very important draw to our Village in the Shopping Interest there is with the Bentley Bridge Retail Park and our historic High Street.

Bentley Bridge Retail Park attracts around 78,000 visitors a week. They arrive from all over Wolverhampton and regionally, for both the shopping and leisure offer. I do believe that we can use this footfall to encourage visitors to stay a little while and take advantage of other events that will be happening in our Village and the communities surrounding the Village centre.

What happened this year in August (2015)

• August Pop Up Market based on the canal with trading Narrow Boats – 800 attendance

• Black Country Fuschia Exhibition –Held at Ashmore Park –Doubled its visitor attendance

• Wolverhampton Celebrated the important Battle of Wednesfield, Raising the City Flag to remember the event

• Wednesfield History Society- Battle re-enactment – Thousands turn out!

• Wednesfield Aces Track- World Cycle Speedway Event – Hundreds in attendance World wide interest through this sport’s media

 

So as you can see August is a month that already lends itself to promoting a Visitors month.

In August this year (1^st & 2^nd) the month started with a Pop-up market held on our Local Canal the Wyrley & Essington Canal. It was well attended over the first weekend of that month. It will be repeated again next year (2016).

On the 5^th August Wolverhampton celebrated the Battle of Wodensfield where 5 Danish Kings were killed, and the Danelaw was turned back. This is a significant British battle.It of course gave the Village it’s name. Wednesfield name is a derivative of ‘Wodensfield’.

The second weekend on the 8th of August, Wednesfield Local History Society held their ’Battle of Wodensfield’ re- enactment. This attracted thousands of Visitors as they marched through the Village High Street in period dress to the Wednesfield High School Grounds where the Battle Re-enactment was held, again the turnout was in its thousands, and will be held again in 2016.

Also taking place in August was the Black Country Fuschia Society Exhibition at The Hub at Ashmore Park, along – side the World Cycle Speedway Finals at the Wednesfield Aces track in Ashmore Park.

The BCFS have also said they will be returning to Ashmore Park with their show next year.

So my thoughts are these.

We promote August as Wednesfield Visitor’s month. We look to coordinate all the individual events including sporting events being planned in Wednesfield into one big Schedule and we promote these events, under the Wednesfield Visitor Month banner.

This will bring focus on what is taking place here in the Village. It will not cut across any individual, or group from running their own event of interest. But with some clever marketing we can promote all the activities over a wider area and attract more visitors to all the individual events, and of course raise awareness of what is taking place here in our Wednesfield Community.

So if you are planning to run a sporting event, or some other community event, in August 2016 contact me on email@philbateman.com and tell me!

I am again going to organise my own Wednesfield Canal Festival again this will be in the second  week end in August – 13t^h & 14^th August with ‘Pop Up Market’ for Narrow- Boat traders who wish to take a punt and visit our great Village and trade with our community.

I am also hoping to be able to deliver more events in the week running up to the 13^th & 14^th August around the History of the canal and the contribution it can make to our lives today.

So if you are liking what you have read…don’t delay contact me and place the date of your activity into the Schedule of Events I will be collating and updating under the title of Wednesfield Visitor Month (August) 2016