Chip Foundation Chronicles: Streetly

Wednesday 22nd October sees the Chip Foundation in the environs of Streetly and Sutton Coldfield, delving into their autumn almanac for scatter cushions, singing fish and purple puddles...

- A Canine Cushion -

The afternoon begins with a Sutton Road stroll, calling into the Longhorn just up past the canal bridge. The pub is one of Walsall's entries in the 2015 Good Beer Guide, with Wold Top's gluten-free Against The Grain being among the tempting ales available. A cosy armchair with cushion companion sets a theme that will crop up at another Ember Inn establishment later on.

- The Longhorn -

The Longhorn proved a relaxing start to our adventure, and there is time for a pub photo while we await the 935 bus for our Streetly connection. It's only a short ride to the Foley Arms, passing the Three Crowns (a disused pub now hosting a car wash) and negotiating Barr Beacon crossroads.

- The Streetly Spillage -

I first visited the Foley Arms some years ago, calling in with Roger after an extended hike through the Hundred Acre estate. The pub proved equally memorable on this occasion, mainly due to an incident that will go down in history as the 'Streetly Spillage' when Mr Beardsmore decided to decorate our table and much of the surrounding floor with a tidal wave of lemonade and blackcurrant. No wonder he looked a little sheepish afterwards, although rumour has it that Nickolenko was also tempted to discard his drink so distraught was he at the absence of real ale.

- Petit Pois Pose -

Some mopping up later, we proceed via Wood Lane to the Hardwick Arms for another Ember Inns encounter. Having made the collective acquaintance of Reverend James and Timothy Taylor's Landlord, there are more cushions to cuddle while Stephen accidentally invents a new review website 'Tripe Advisor', which presumably offers up all manner of offal-related observations!

- Nickolenko meets Billy Bass -

Streetly tradition dictates that I inflict long walks on my outing accomplices, a custom maintained with an interminable slog up to Four Oaks once the WME satnav had suffered a rare malfunction. We did get to see the northern edges of Sutton Park (the fence at least), and my punishment became a rather expensive round in the Four Oaks pub (perhaps the doggy water would have been cheaper). We get back on track by catching the 6 to Sutton Coldfield, briefly meeting cricket chum Ken on board, before things take a surreal turn at the chip shop when a waggling fish serenades us to the tune of 'Don't Worry Be Happy'.

- A Three Tuns Tipple -

Our Sutton soiree is completed by a brace of boozers and a twilight glimpse of the landmark Town Hall. The Station pub has a Holden's house brew called Station Master that hits the spot nicely, while the Three Tuns is an old coaching inn on High Street where the Hallowe'en horror theme of Open Casket provides a coffin-clasping closing half setting us up nicely for the Cross City train ride home.