Photostream, photostream, wherefore art thou photostream? Alas dear friends the Shakespearean references aren't merely limited to last week's Stratford spectacular for now I have photographic pageantry to tell you about. The cast is assembled, the stage directions are set and its time for a pictorial performance...
In common with recent shows, our opening act features WME Staffordshire which keeps the audience enthralled thanks to Stone soliloquies and Tamworth-based oratory. Indeed, Stone is particularly prominent with railway station renditions (lettering and a heritage plaque), pub portions (the Star and the Red Lion) plus a look at Lock 28 on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Tamworth meanwhile pronounces upon the inclusion of Sir Robert Peel's statue and the existence of the town's Arriva bus depot.
WME Wolverhampton is never a gallery to be overshadowed and our long-time hero enters the fray with a tragicomic tour of Tettenhall. Here the local horticultural society and the former railway goods shed feature alongside more mundane musings about Cornwall Road, College Road and Northdale; not to be outdone, Tettenhall Wood tries to steal some of the limelight with a School Road snippet. The bus stops album then throws in a plot twist care of Three Tuns Lane before Merry Hill delivers a brief piece of Strathfield Walk discourse - hurrah!
Every good drama needs a villain and in this case we have three potential scoundrels, not that any of them have done anything especially reprehensible. WME Birmingham stakes its caddish claims with reference to Stockland Green's Gala Bingo, Sutton Coldfield Cottage Hospital and Trittiford Mill Park while WME Dudley is deceptively devilish with regard to Wallbrook (Fountain Lane) and Stourbridge (the Duke William). Even the normally sedate WME Sandwell releases its rapscallion tendencies upon Tipton, hence the Noah's Ark pub and Hurst Lane earn themselves a mischief-making airing.
A setting that William Shakespeare himself might well have recognised is Warwick Castle which adds some background scenery to the WME Warwickshire cause. Nursemaids and guardsmen are among the extras vying for our attention, and there's even an armoured horse ready to stride into battle. Stratford-upon-Avon sneaks quietly into contention with signage for the Rose & Crown and the Stratford Sports Club, the latter photo being an archive extract rather than something plucked from last week's Chip Foundation procession.
Two remaining galleries round off the acting credits, these being WME Walsall and WME Worcestershire. Walsall summons forth a town centre trio recalling an ex-college site and the Fitters Arms before Worcs wades in with Stourport-on-Severn (the Wharf, the Rising Sun and Staffs & Worcs Lock 3 to be exact). All of this jolly entertainment ends as the final curtain comes down and you'll have to wait until September for any encore. In the meantime I'll exit stage left, with or without a bear. Exeunt!
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