Thursday, September 30

WME Update Digest: September 2010

For once, my feast and famine approach to WME updates has somehow clicked over onto the 'feast' setting, and it's actually been a decent month for photo additions - no wonder I sound surprised! There's a bit of catching up to do, so let's get straight into it...

September's star attraction is WME Solihull, something of a shock in itself. Some well overdue attention here has involved a precious new collection looking at the Grand Union Canal - only the two starter photos to begin with, both views from Damson Lane, but this is the first step at giving Solihull some canal content so it is quite an achievement. Further additions to report include archive views of the Marston Green Tavern and Station Road shops on Exploring Marston Green, whilst the Old Colonial makes a further appearance on Exploring Damsonwood. Solihull Station has been kept occupied with a path view and a train shot, whilst the bus contingent partakes of four new offerings - the 151 and 37 at Solihull Station, the 76 at Damsonwood and the 56 at Marston Green. All in all that's 12 photos in a month for a gallery that has previously only received 24 in the past two and a half years!

Also making waves has been WME Wolverhampton, where I'm particularly pleased with a couple of new collections. Exploring Long Knowle and Wood End features shots of Long Knowle Library, the Castle pub, Blackwood Avenue flats and the old Wood Hayes pub (in it's later guise as the Old China buffet restaurant), whereas Exploring Wightwick includes the Fieldhouse pub and a streetscape of Perton Brook Vale. It's always good to see my local photos finally slotting into place, so mention too must go to the Cleveland Arms (Exploring East Park), the Dog & Gun (Exploring Tettenhall), the Summer House (Exploring Whitmore Reans), the Boat (Exploring Wednesfield) and Ladymoor Pool (Exploring Bilston) - some handy collection top-ups there. I shouldn't forget the bus stuff so there are two further views of Bilston Bus Station, whilst a brace of 506's at Pendeford are a hangover from August that I never got round to telling you about at the time!

To WME Dudley and more scenes of activity. New collections abound this month and here we have Exploring The Straits (the old Straits House pub being converted into housing, plus views of the school and the local shops) and Exploring Stourbridge (a Rock Station double) - it was about time I granted Stourbridge a proper local presence considering how much the town has figured in solo outings and Rog & Woody trips over the years. Deepfields footbridge has muscled it's way onto the Birmingham Main Line Canal collection, likewise Delph Top Lock on the Dudley No. 1. There's also an extra 248 route shot for Dudley by Bus, and Stops & Stations has been augmented with Stand H at Dudley complete with a castle backdrop.

Skipping next door into WME Sandwell, and it's a big welcome for the Titford Canal collection, now showcasing a trio of views of New Inns Road Bridge. The Titford is a branch I'm very fond of (despite the joys of Oldbury Junction) so it's good to see it taking it's rightful place. My archive has also been plundered for an intriguing view along the old passenger footbridge at Langley Green Station - the sprawling replacement just doesn't have the same charm.

September's stragglers are WME Walsall (piccies of Brownhills Market and Coalpool Bridge) and WME Birmingham, albeit Brum has still done respectably. The Stechford Station frontage series has continued into a fourth shot (although the station never looks any more appealing), Livery Street Bridge has popped up on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, and the buses are represented by the 21 and 23 both posing at Bartley Green. The final word however goes to a longstanding test photo that has finally found a home - my shot of the Plough & Harrow pub at Roughley has been safely plonked into Exploring Sutton Coldfield after several years of waiting. If something as momentous as that can happen then things are definitely looking up!!!

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