This is the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, West Midlands.

The museum was established in 1975, and the first buildings moved here in 1976. Since then a 26 acre site has been developed, with the unique conditions of living and working in the Black Country from the mid 19th century to early 20th century.

It is off Tipton Road in Dudley.

This is The Village Centre at the Black Country Living Museum.

It has been built on the low ground at the northern end of the museum site which is surrounded on three sides by canals.

First up is <a href="http://www.bclm.co.uk/map19.htm" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Gregory’s General Store</a>.

It stand's next to Canal Street bridge.

The shop was built as a pair of houses and Mrs Gregory first started selling goods from one of the front rooms. As business developed the shop grew. In 1923 major alterations were made and the present shop front installed. Virtually everything required by the community in and around Lawrence Lane was stocked by the shop. Meat and dairy products were sold from the counter at the right-hand end, groceries and greengrocery from the centre and an unlikely combination of sweets and drapery from the left-hand end of the store.

This shop was originally built as a pair of houses in 1883 at Lawrence Lane, Oldhill by Charles Gregory, an ironworker.

Mrs Gregory ran a shop from the front room of the house they occupied but as trade expanded they converted both houses into a double fronted shop downstairs with living accommodation for the family above.

The shop setting is 1925 when Gregory’s store sold virtually everything the local community required, though by necessity the needs of the poor working people were fairly basic.

Like many shops at the time Gregory’s would sell a single egg, half a loaf, or an ounce of tea to customers who had barely enough money for their next meal.

The shop stocked an unlikely combination of foodstuffs and commodities ranging from meat and dairy products, groceries, fruit and vegetables to sweets, corsets and footwear.

They did a big trade in home brewing supplies which was a popular activity in the district.