June 2023 is a significant month for me as I'm celebrating a milestone birthday (i.e. one with a zero on the end). A selection of special trips have been arranged in order to mark the occasion, the first of which sees Messrs Beardsmore and Beardsmore joining me for a Perry Barr peregrination...
- Lending a hand at Newtown Baths -
It's Friday 2nd June 2023 and the latest rail strikes mean there is a reduced train service as we make our way over to Birmingham. High Street by Dale End is where we intercept the 51 bus bound for Walsall, and within short order we have arrived at our first destination of the day - Newtown. Constant traffic and high rise tower blocks mark this out as typical inner-city fare while the local shopping precinct has very much a multicultural flavour, noting stores such as Royal Patties, the Sagal Shoe Shop and Marrakesh Sofas. Much of the area was redeveloped from the late 1960s onwards and facilities such as the Newtown Baths building still carry an underlying air of starkness, even despite being brightened up with colourful murals depicting ladder-wielding figures as approved of by Stephen.
- The Bartons Arms -
The star of the Newtown show has to be the spectacular Bartons Arms, a James and Lister Lea architectural masterpiece which first opened in 1901. It's a remarkable survivor in many ways having been threatened with demolition and then also enduring a long period of closure. Thankfully it is still with us so we can enjoy a relaxed pint (in my case of Oakham's 'Flag Fen Bronze' 30th anniversary ale) amidst swathe upon swathe of Minton tiles plus mahogany snobscreens. Parking ourselves in a particularly opulent stairwell corner flanked by hunting friezes, Mr B Senior threatens to tinkle the ivories but just about refrains from enacting any Liberace impressions. The pub is rightfully proud of its historic links to the Aston Hippodrome whereby many performers used to lodge here, including Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy.
- Perry Barr Stadium -
Not all of today's settings will be as magnificent as the Bartons Arms but we will continue into Perry Barr to see how the ongoing transformation there is progressing. It's almost a year since Birmingham held the Commonwealth Games so we can start to assess what kind of legacy has been left behind in the host district. For starters, the A34 Walsall Road is no longer a total mass of roadworks and the bus stops adjoining the One Stop shopping centre are fully back in operation. Stephen has memories of the former University of Central England Campus from his student days but that has been swept away and replaced by apartment blocks which don't yet seem to have any residents. One familiar constant is the Perry Barr Stadium which was originally constructed as the home for Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club (who are nowadays based at the Alexander Stadium) before latterly hosting greyhound racing and speedway.
- Garage No More -
Wellhead Lane allows us to see more of the construction work where UCE used to stand, and the former Wellhead Tavern (also known as the Hare of the Dog) on Franchise Street seems to be getting retained as part of the scheme although I've no idea when or if it will ever reopen as a pub again. National Express West Midlands have completed their garage move from the old Perry Barr depot to their new site off Aston Lane, so there's a melancholy atmosphere to seeing the gates all chained up and the yard becoming redundant. I presume demolition will follow in due course and another part of Birmingham's transport heritage will drift off the face of the map. Having satisfied ourselves with our snooping, we retrace our footsteps past the greyhound stadium and set about finding some lunch.
- Perry Barr Station -
The obvious mealtime contender here is the Arthur Robertson Wetherspoons which occupies an extended front unit at the One Stop. Named after a Scottish-born Olympian who competed at the 1908 London Games, the pub has earned a place in the 2023 Good Beer Guide (a fact which takes me somewhat by surprise although my pint of Froth Blowers Old Pal's Ale befits such an accolade). Gammons all round ensure any hints of hunger are held at bay as we keep abreast of the daytime television schedules, cue Jay Blades salvaging items being thrown away at a council tip somewhere or other. The Beardsmores seem well clued up regarding the plotlines of 'Father Brown' but once 'Escape to the Country' comes on, we engineer our own exit back onto the number 51 via quick sightings of Perry Barr Station.
- Beardsmores in the Beacon -
After a steady trundle up past the Scott Arms and over Junction 7 of the M6 motorway, we reach Great Barr where the Beacon is on standby to supply our next drink. This establishment is part of the Harvester chain complete with an adjoining Premier Inn, and it's a nice enough place to carry on our chat about JB's welding career and Stephen's hopes for Birmingham Bears' T20 campaign. There is astonishment when Mr B Snr turns down the prospect of his beloved John Smiths in favour of sticking with Guinness so it's left to yours truly to partake of the Beardsmore Bleach instead. Luckily, the trauma does not put me off my quizzing stride and our monthly evening engagement in Tettenhall results in a hard-fought victory. Cheers!
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