Morning everyone,
Here’s your quick 3-minute rundown of what’s actually happening locally this Bank Holiday weekend.
🚨 Local News & Council Updates
Festival of Free Play (Half Term):
Need to keep the kids entertained next week? Sandwell’s Festival of Free Play starts Monday (May 25) and runs through until Sunday (May 31), with more than 25 free activities including GoPlay sessions, library events, creative workshops and family activities across the borough.
Stop Loan Sharks Week: A quick community reminder from Sandwell Council about the dangers of illegal lending. If you or someone you know feels trapped by a loan shark, confidential help is available on 0300 555 2222.
Free Museum Days Out: Sandwell Museum sites remain completely free to visit during half-term, including Oak House in West Bromwich and Wednesbury Museum.
We are in for a proper scorcher this weekend. Friday and Saturday stay warm with sunny intervals around 17–19°C, but Sunday could hit 28°C locally with wall-to-wall sunshine. Parks, beer gardens and Sutton Park are likely to be packed — and don’t be surprised if the roads around Barr Beacon and Sandwell Valley get busy too.
🚧 Traffic & Travel
(Times and closures are based on current council schedules and may change.)
This weekend:
Hamstead Hill: National Grid is installing multi-way temporary traffic lights this Saturday and Sunday (May 23–24) near The Garden Gate pub. Expect delays between Hamstead and Handsworth Wood during busy periods.
Next week — plan ahead:
M6 J7 Northbound Exit Slip: National Highways will carry out overnight bridge inspections over the A34 from Thursday (May 28) through to Saturday morning (May 30), between 22:00 and 05:00.
⚠️ Major warning for early June:
Hamstead Road: Road works are scheduled from Monday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 10 between Newton Road and Holland Road for carriageway resurfacing works.
College Road (A453): Severn Trent lane closures will also be in place near Perry Beeches from June 1 to June 5.
👉 Translation: The Hamstead Hill lights will slow things down this weekend, but the real disruption starts after half-term. With Hamstead Road fully closed and College Road restricted at the same time, the morning commute around Great Barr and Perry Barr is likely to be rough. It’s worth planning alternative routes now.
🎉 What’s On This Weekend & Half-Term
Sandwell Valley Hoedown: Saturday night (May 23) — Live country music from Country Bound, food, bars and dancing at Sandwell Valley Visitor Centre. Looks set to be a warm one too.
Festival of Free Play: Monday (May 25) to Sunday (May 31) — Over 25 free family events across Sandwell during half-term including park activities, creative workshops and library sessions.
Pokémon Trail (Sandwell Valley): Friday (May 29) — Follow Pokéballs around the park, complete the trail and collect a prize at the end. Includes a plastic-free goody bag.
Wednesbury World of Crafts: Saturday (May 23) — Free family craft event with live demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions at Wednesbury Museum.
Heritage Walks at Sandwell Priory: Sunday (May 24) — Guided archaeology and history walks led by Dr Mike Hodder exploring medieval West Bromwich.
Titanic The Exhibition (NEC): Running now — Massive immersive exhibition featuring real artefacts recovered from the Titanic wreck site.
Looking ahead:
Water Lantern Festival (Dartmouth Park): Saturday (May 30) — Lantern launches, live music and food stalls.
Saxon Takeover Day (Wednesbury Museum): Saturday (May 30) — Anglo-Saxon reenactments, crafts and family activities.
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That’s your week in B42/B43/B44.
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Drive safe,
Great Barr Insider