Boldmere Bits and Sutton Park Pieces

The younger Mr Beardsmore had a birthday recently, a fact that did not go unnoticed in Chip Foundation circles. An outing in Stephen's honour was thus duly arranged with Boldmere and Sutton Coldfield selected to help us celebrate the auspicious occasion...

- Erdington Station Signage -

Episode 61 of the Chip Foundation Chronicles is confirmed for Monday 4th November 2019, a few days on from Mr B's actual date of birth but no matter. With the rest of the gang instructed to arrive at Chester Road by 11:30, I set out in advance of the main party in order to undertake some extra Erdington reconnaissance. I'm keen to concentrate on Gravelly Lane but stock up on station shots too, particularly focusing on bridge-based signage as the morning gets off to a fairly grey start.

- Goosemoor Lane -

The aforementioned Gravelly Lane offers some rather scruffy shopfronts when both a militaria store and a model railway business look like they've been abandoned for ages. It's nice to see Goosemoor Lane again, passing the Cookes furniture showroom and recalling those rides on the 66 bus that first introduced me to the area some 16 years ago. Erdington Court Bowls Club counts as a new discovery (Bowling Green Close being a helpful hint as to the club's location) whereas Perry Common bus terminus is very familiar with the 7 and 65 routes taking turns to lay over on Witton Lodge Road. 

- The Birthday Boy in the Boldmere Tap -

Court Lane and Chester Road combine in ensuring I'm on hand to greet my Chip Foundation colleagues at the allotted time, and there is immediate talk of Mastermind specialist subjects as we proceed via Sheffield Road - I'm not sure if pubs of the Black Country would be considered a suitably cerebral topic! Today's opening watering hole is the Boldmere Tap, a Joules establishment just down from Chester Road Baptist Church. A real fire and various breweriana bottles help to create a cosy atmosphere as we present Stephen with his birthday cards and sample the Moon Madness seasonal ale.

- Boldmere Bear -

Whenever Nick and Ken are about it's a surefire bet that the conversation will turn to politics, so there's a frisson of excitement at the prospect of another General Election and having a new Speaker in the House of Commons. We manage to avoid too much Brexit analysis and instead go on the hunt for one of the few Big Sleuth sculptures still on public display. Boldmere Bear is the specimen we seek, looking very much at home outside the Harvester having endeared himself to the local community. 

- A Brace of Boris Bulldogs -

Practically next door to the bear's abode is the Bishop Vesey, Boldmere's contribution to the Wetherspoons empire. As if to prove you can't escape political matters for long, Nick and I end up partaking of a Burton Bridge ale called 'Boris Bulldog', full bodied with a certain whiff to it (or is that just the Prime Minster?) As our lunchtime location this serves its purpose even though our meal is unceremoniously interrupted by drilling noises. Ken doses himself up on coffee refills and Stephen tries to work out who exactly Bishop Vesey was; it transpires that John Vesey (circa 1462 to 1554) was Bishop of Exeter and a close associate of Henry VIII in the Tudor court.

- Glimpses of Gold in Sutton Park -

It's turning into a rather nice afternoon weather-wise and some of the autumnal colours on show in Sutton Park are verging on the spectacular. Given that the park covers 2,400 acres, we concentrate on the south-eastern extremities by strolling from Boldmere Gate to Town Gate via Wyndley Pool. Carved totem poles and miniature golf centres are noted along the way as we debate whether the forthcoming election is likely to be the most unpredictable in generations. Nick almost declares an opinion but stops himself just in time, it simply can't do for a royal such as he to favour one party over another. 

- Poppy Patrol -

Exiting the park at Town Gate, we head up past the railway station into Sutton Coldfield town centre. Remembrance Sunday preparations are well underway and some giant commemorative poppies have been installed at Vesey Gardens overlooking the junction of Mill Street and Coleshill Street. The latter of those thoroughfares is where we find the Kings Arms, a mid-1930s building which replaced an earlier Mock Tudor-styled tavern. Here we can quaff Bombardier whilst watching the daytime quiz show 'Tenable', presented by Warwick Davis - unfortunately our knowledge of Spice Girls lyrics can't match our chemical element expertise so we'd have failed dismally had we been in the studio trying to win the jackpot!

- Brewhouse and Kitchen -

Evening is encroaching as we brave the bumper-to-bumper Birmingham Road in search of our final two hostelries. The Brewhouse & Kitchen has received Good Beer Guide recognition with their own ales produced on the premises; of these we sample The Cup Bitter (referencing the former name of the pub) and Shoestring ruby ale (a tribute to the 1970s detective series that starred locally-born Trevor Eve). The Craft Inn meanwhile sees us gatecrashing movie night to test out a Pointless board game - Stephen won - and encounter a very zingy Green Duck pale ale. Our homeward Cross City connection doesn't let us down, and 2019's entire Chip Foundation antics are thus chronicled with hopefully more to come in 2020. Cheers!