- Taking a break at Black Lake -
Good Friday 2016 and a midday meet sees us Metro-bound for Black Lake as our chosen starting point. The Ridgacre Branch is close at hand when we alight at the tram stop - this canal once linked with the Balls Hill Branch, both being offshoots of the Wednesbury Old Canal. There are a couple of pub stops to account for prior to us exploring any lost waterways, although the Chairman does find time to test out an abandoned armchair.
- The Sow & Pigs -
Our first port of call is the Sow & Pigs on Hill Top which has been renovated and relaunched under the Two Crafty Brewers brand. Hub members visited the place when it was a somewhat fading Banks's boozer so it is pleasing to see one of West Bromwich's oldest watering holes getting a new lease of life, even if a little of the building's internal character has been sacrificed. A nice pint of Russian Bear accompanies our initial exchanges on the dartboard with WME Whirlwind taking an early advantage.
- Bakery Baldness -
Pub two is the New Talbot just down the road where we are tempted in by a Wye Valley sign on the pavement outside. A half of HPA is duly obtained and the darts continue, D9 Destroyer coming back into contention until WME reclaims the lead courtesy of a 43 checkout featuring a double 11 finish. Perhaps the Chairman was distracted by recollections of a well-known local business, Firkins having been a prominent name for well over 100 years until their Black Lake bakery closed and the firm ultimately went into liquidation.
- Double Delight for WME -
The Black Lake estates bring back a few bus memories for Mr D9 before the day's musical interlude ushers forth delights from Barbara Windsor and Bruce Forsyth. We're firmly on the hunt for the Balls Hill Branch now and know the old canal once passed close to the Beehive on Brickhouse Lane. Despite a seemingly isolated location the pub is still trading and presumably survives on the custom of factory workers. Board members can't resist calling in for a quick Carling, satisfying our collective curiosity and completing the darts in the process with WME Whirlwind nailing double 12 to seal a 6-3 scoreline.
- Remembering Brickhouse Bridge -
Brickhouse Bridge was indeed situated right next to the Beehive as evidenced by a vintage bus photo from the Chairman's research. We pay appropriate tribute to said spot before tracking the former canal as closely as possible - the course does however pass directly through a private scrapyard and along an embankment, so we keep tabs as best we can along George Henry Road and Bagnall Street.
- Canal Site at Golds Hill -
The next clear trace we can find of the canal is a green wasteland strip behind the Miners Arms at Golds Hill. St Paul's Parish Church heralds our approach before we rummage around the back of the pub to reveal a ribbon of grassland stretching back a short distance - sadly the section is cordoned off behind a security fence so we are unable to investigate in further detail.
- Golds Hill Crossing -
Pikehelve Street and Shaw Street offer up our next clues, Chairman D9 eagerly embracing the latter thoroughfare and then marching down a mysterious gravel track that ultimately emerges at Golds Hill Crossing. This is where the South Staffordshire Line once passed when making its way between Wednesbury and Dudley, a route that may hopefully one day be resurrected as a Midland Metro extension (something long overdue in my opinion). Golds Hill Bridge on the Tame Valley Canal is immediately adjacent but this canal is separate to the main focus of our investigations.
- Balls Hill Basin (we think) -
Climbing back up to Harvills Hawthorn, the Chairman can recall many car park congas involving bygone pubs and clubs as we proceed towards Hill Top. The final element of our Balls Hill brief sees us take Tunnel Road in search of the branch's terminal basin, a site historically reached via a long-demolished aqueduct that took the canal over what is now the Midland Metro line. We can see the tram tracks down to the left as we reach an earthwork area of open ground near Ardav Road, a likely spot for the lost waterways location. Photos taken, we reconvene in the Dovecote pub (previously known as the Flash Harry and the Hillcrest) for a satisfying pint of Great Orme's Welsh Black mild.
- 75 at Wednesbury -
A short hop on a passing 75 transports us to Wednesbury where we round off with a few pictures around the town. Secretary WME notes that the Pig & Trumpet has been renamed the Golden Cross while Mr D9 pays homage to a closet block that is due for demolition. A final drink in the Bellwether Wetherspoons is followed by a homeward ride on the 313, and that's your lot for this mini bout of Easter Hub Marketing.
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