Black Country deprived district in the West Midlands region, and the 45th most deprived in the country. Dudley fares better, but still has pockets of deprivation. Overall Dudley is the 100th most deprived district of the UK, but the second most affluent of the seven metropolitan districts of the West Midlands, with Solihull coming top. It also benefits from tourism due to the popularity of the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Zoo and Dudley Castle. As with many urban areas in the UK, there is also a significant ethnic minority population in parts: in Sandwell, 22.6 per cent of the population are
Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop Bridge, Wolverhampton and Carter's Green in West Bromwich. The exhibit at the Black Country Living Museum combines pawnbroking with retail, as did many pawnbroking businesses in the 19th century. In the museum's reconstruction the unredeemed goods and other stock are sold in the front room, while pawning of goods was done in the 'pledge room' at the back. The shop window of the Pawnbroker's gives a good example of the types of goods that customers would 'pledge'. The display includes shoes, clothes, furs, musical instruments, children's toys and even a set of false teeth. Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop