Black Country babbies to celebrate museum's new 1960s attraction

Wolverhampton's Lea Road Infant Welfare Centre looked after new parents and babies in the early 1960s

Hundreds of people have answered a call to help celebrate a museum's new attraction.

The Black Country Living Museum asked for "75 Black Country babbies" born in 2023 to join a preview event at the Dudley attraction.

Their latest opening is a replica of Wolverhampton's Lea Road Infant Welfare Centre, which looked after new parents and babies more than 60 years ago.

More than 450 people got in touch.

The attraction will tell stories about the foundation of the NHS, the impact of migration and the support and care that new and expectant mothers received in the Black Country, the museum said.

Costumed characters will include Cicilyn Sinclair, who travelled to the Black Country from Jamaica as part of the Windrush Generation and a health visitor, Lynne Davies, who helped expectant and new mothers.

The museum wants 75 babies born in 2023 to join the event

Museum spokeswoman Claire Packer said: "We proudly tell stories of Black Country people at the museum, so to celebrate the opening of our replica we wanted to make sure that the next generation of Black Country people were a big part of it.

"We chose the number 75 as 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS and the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush, two momentous occasions that we will share the significance of through our storytelling.

"We can't wait to host what will be a noisy but brilliant celebration of our new building, two important anniversaries, and the next generation of Black Country people."

The attraction is due to open in October.