Sunday, March 28

Tunnel Vision with Mr D9

Fresh from the Hub Marketing Board's opening 2021 adventure two weeks ago, the Chairman and the Secretary have arranged a quickfire socially-distanced sequel. As with our Ocker Hill Occurrence, canals will again be the centrepiece of the outing as we attempt a circuit of Bradley and Coseley...

- The Demise of Beatties -
Launchpad for Trip Log Friday 26th March is Wolverhampton City Centre where the Secretary sombrely surveys a very sad sight. Beatties is a retail name that echoes through Wulfrunian generations, an iconic department store with frontages along both Victoria Street and Darlington Street; the company was founded in 1877 and became a mainstay of the town, although in recent years House of Fraser were unable to arrest the decline. Having succumbed to closure, the building seems set for conversion into high end apartments. 

- Bradley Baldness -
Catching the Midland Metro to Loxdale, the Secretary is running ahead of schedule so a Moxley detour seems to work nicely (spotting the Kendrick Newsagents and Charnwood Close in the process). Bradley Lane is our official meeting point come midday and Mr D9 is soon parading his bald spot around the wider Bradley area. Slim Avenue gives us cause to admonish our waistlines before we ponder the Triangle Snooker Club, housed in the former Queen's cinema on the corner of Bank Street and Highfields Road - it stopped showing films in 1964 but these days seems to specialise in Indian BBQ cuisine. 

- The Bradley Canal Arm -
To waterways matters then whereby we join the Bradley Canal Arm at Pothouse Bridge and aim for Deepfields Junction. This line is the surviving segment of the Wednesbury Oak Loop which used to be a BCN through route but was curtailed to currently terminate at Bradley Workshop. The Chairman enjoys undertaking regular exercise around here so he's already familiar with the scenery, albeit nowadays there are only a couple of factories to represent the heavy industry that used to dominate the area. Much of the land is being reclaimed by the ongoing Bilston Urban Village project, a major brownfield housing development.

- Inside Coseley Tunnel -
Reaching Deepfields Junction as planned, we realise part of the Birmingham Main Line towpath is closed off due to safety issues. An Anchor Lane reshuffle takes us past the tip and Mr D9 even gets chance to lie down by Barnshaws Section Benders on Meadow Lane. In fairness, he needed to recharge his batteries in readiness for an intrepid hike through Coseley Tunnel (360 yards long, watch out for the occasional drip). The tunnel burrows its way below Ivyhouse Lane to resurface beyond School Street; the Secretary had explored it previously but for our illustrious Chairman this was a new and slightly nerve-wracking experience. 

- Even More Exercise! -
Clambering up some steep steps into the heart of Coseley, we pause for lunch and put our chart knowledge to the test by playing Popmaster (with spectacularly unsuccessful results). Silver Jubilee Park demands our attention because of its 'Healthy Hub' billing - part of Dudley Council's concept for encouraging outdoor recreational activity. Mr D9 is only too happy to boost his fitness by grappling with some gym equipment, demonstrating bald spot bench pressing and other energetic manoeuvres. Flanking the Birmingham New Road and Mason Street, the park opened in 1936 to celebrate King George V's 25 years on the throne. 

- St Chad's Dedication Stone -
The southern edge of Silver Jubilee Park is bordered by Oak Street which has a couple of surprises up its sleeve. Firstly we catch glimpse of a whitewashed windmill, said to date from around 1780. The mill is located next door to St Chad's Church, a place of worship that had somehow managed to avoid the Secretary's gaze despite his many Coseley visits over the years. The foundation stone here was laid on St Chad's feast day in March 1882 with full consecration bestowed the following year. Nearby, Chad Road presumably takes its name from the church/saint and connects with Park Road for photographs of the Bramford Shopping Parade (including a hardware store and the Golden City Chinese takeaway).

- A Weddell Wynd Wave -
Going full circle back towards Bradley, we bypass Woodsetton courtesy of Rosalind Avenue (it was school hometime so we wanted to dodge the throng) and then similarly flirt with the fringes of Wallbrook (Central Drive isn't much fun in a hailstorm). A momentary homage to Coseley Baths precedes a path through to Batmanshill Road so that the Chairman can stage a Weddell Wynd wander complete with Manhattan Transfer singalong - Chanson D'amour has never sounded worse! The earthworks among the Weddell Wynd open spaces are where the Wednesbury Oak Loop used to continue after Bradley Workshop, and with that we're back where we started. A proper Coseley caper - cheers!

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