- Robinson Brothers, Phoenix Street -
Friday 13th August 2021 hopefully won't bring any bad luck as Secretary WME takes a leisurely amble prior to the designated 11:30am rendezvous. Phoenix Street is my choice for some morning photography, focusing in on the ex-George Inn (now acting as a base for yet another hand car wash) and the Robinson Brothers Limited chemical works. The latter is a family firm originally established by three brothers in 1869 that has gone on to specialise in fine chemical production and rubber accelerators. The factory overlooks Hadley Bridge on the Wednesbury Old Canal, more of which is coming shortly.
- Let the Dartboard Duel recommence! -
The unloved expanses of Greets Green Park combine with Turner Street as the allotted hour arrives and Chairman D9 emerges from his bunker hideaway. He's keen to get straight down to business so we reclaim the Greets Green Community Hub at Harwood Street Resource Centre and then pitch up at the Fox & Goose. It seems ages since we last put our darting prowess to the test, D9 Destroyer being the reigning champion from the curtailed 2020 season. Our collective rustiness is embarrassingly apparent so it's probably wise that the adjacent walls are well protected! WME Whirlwind can barely hit the board to begin with yet somehow prevails by three legs to two, perhaps inspired by a Blondie (The Tide is High) and Bob Marley soundtrack or an opening slurp of Beardsmore bleach.
- Wherefore art the Wednesbury Old Canal? -
The Chairman isn't necessarily known for Shakespearean speeches but he certainly delivers a grand oratory as we revisit the Wednesbury Old Canal from Belper Bridge to Swan Village. The plight of this BCN backwater provokes D9's ire, the line having been abruptly decapitated by the construction of the Black Country New Road in the 1990s. Boats historically used to be able to access the Ridgacre and Balls Hill branches but nowadays even the nominal Swan Lane terminus would be hard to reach due to a proliferation of reeds blocking the channel. The towpath could make for a nice walk if not piled high with fly-tipped rubbish.
- Wednesbury Market Place -
Swan Village's demolished gas holders are in our thoughts as we pause at the Ridgacre, a Table Table chain effort next to a Premier Inn (drop in for a Doom Bar if you must). We've charted the remains of the Ridgacre Branch before although a brief reprise works well en route to Black Lake, and soon enough a 79 whisks us off to lovely Wednesbury. Always seemingly one of the lesser-heralded Black Country towns, there are some fascinating fragments for the Secretary to capture on camera. The Market Place Clock Tower was installed in 1911 to celebrate King George V's coronation while some John Taylor Duce & Sons lettering displays steadfastly above the current post office.
- Checking out the Community Hub -
Pub-wise the Hub Marketing Board have covered Wednesbury quite comprehensively over several previous trips, albeit there are some changes to report. The Turks Head (otherwise known as the Tavern) on Lower High Street is now calling itself the Seven Bar while the George has been renamed as the William Archer in honour of a long-serving local councillor. Mr D9 is particularly smitten with the second of those, not just because of its flat-roofed wedged appearance but also on account of its discount potential - two pints for less than £4, no wonder the place is so popular! All of Wednesbury life seems to be in here today and there's even cricket coverage to keep the Secretary happy (until Sibley holes out that is).
- The Park Inn -
Another Wednesbury watering hole primed for a revisit is the Park Inn, an unassumingly plain free house on Walsall Street. Armed with respective glasses of M&B Mild and Carling, we settle in the front snug to 'admire' the heavily patterned leafy wallpaper and play Popmaster. Our Del Amitri knowledge lets us down on the 3 in 10 but we score respectably highly on the main two rounds, aided by some inspired answers involving the Troggs and Annie Lennox. We would have followed the Park Inn with Wood Green's Horse & Jockey but that was closed, so the Queens Head on Brunswick Park Road provides a useful fallback for Wye Valley HPA amidst portraits of Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II - not bad at all.
- Disguised Driving on the 11 -
Wednesbury has definitely done us proud and our next move is to catch the number 11 bus over to Pleck, that multicultural portion of Walsall pressed tight between Bescot and the M6 motorway. The Chairman recalls the late 'Wednesbury Tone', a local character who was known for gesticulating at bus drivers - thankfully there are no offputting hand signals to distract us during this bout of D9 steering. Pleck's pub offering is the Bradford Arms (a.k.a. Champy's) perched above Pagett's Bridge on the Walsall Canal; sadly we don't have enough time to partake of their highly-regarded curries but a pint each keeps any thirst at bay.
- Incognito Secretary at Herbert's Park -
The day draws to a close with a Darlaston denouement, calling firstly at the Nutan Club for down-to-earth hospitality that had Mr D9 waxing lyrical about 1970s social club seating and public payphones. That might have been that until the 39 bus reminded us of the King George V's Forge Road existence - this is probably better remembered as the Herbert's Park Tavern or Gabba's Bar until a recent Desi-style transformation. Secretary WME tries to go conceal the fact he's drinking Carling again but no amount of flat cap and sunglasses can hide the truth. Mr D9's 79 timetable is put to the test at Catherine's Cross and fails abysmally, meaning the Staffordshire Knot has to spare the bald one's scheduling blushes, and that pretty much concludes our extended crawl of Wednesbury and surroundings areas. Cheers!
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