Stourbridge
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Template:GBmap Stourbridge is a town in the West Midlands, England, which in 1991 had a population of 54,661. Originally the town was part of Worcestershire, but since 1974 it has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. It remains part of Worcestershire for postal and cricket purposes; a significant minority in the town still consider themselves to live in Worcestershire.
Stourbridge takes its name from the River Stour, which flows through the town and for centuries was the border of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. But the border moved a couple of miles north in 1966, when Amblecote Urban District Council (previously in Staffordshire) was incorporated into the Borough of Stourbridge. This arrangement lasted eight years until 1974, when Stourbridge was swallowed up by Dudley Metropolitan Borough and became part of the West Midlands county.
Stourbridge is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located south-west of Birmingham. The town is well known for its glass production. Much of the population is made up from the industrial overspill of Birmingham and the Black Country.
Stourbridge lies on the River Stour and is linked by a branch to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.
The town is served by an unusually short railway branch line, with a shuttle service from nearby Stourbridge Junction, on the Birmingham - Kidderminster line. The old Stourbridge Town station, when demolished, was recovered and materials used for buildings at Birmingham Railway Museum.
Stourbridge is home to two colleges - King Edward VI and Stourbridge College, in addition there is a 6th form centre at Oldswinford Hospital School.
The relatively little known "British Schindler", Frank Foley, came from Stourbridge.