The law of exploration averages ensures that not every trip we do always goes 100% to plan, and there were certainly a few flies in the ointment when the Chip Foundation buccaneered our way around Bewdley on one of the hottest days of 2023 thus far...
- Arrival at Kidderminster -
Episode 76 of the Chip Foundation Chronicles falls on Saturday 10th June 2023 with another outing designed to mark my recent milestone birthday. Worcestershire's Wyre Forest should be on the agenda along with a sneaky slice of Shropshire, hence we all converge aboard the 10:26 train from Smethwick Galton Bridge to Kidderminster. Nick is wearing a very summery yellow shirt especially for the occasion while Mr B Senior has managed to drag himself out of bed early as well, and the weather is set fair albeit with the risk of thunderstorms later on. We reach Kiddy as planned just before ten to eleven and say hello to postal reformer Sir Rowland Hill's statue en route to the town's bus station. Alas it is here that fate starts to intervene as our desired Cleobury Mortimer connection fails to materialise.
- Bewdley Bridge -
Ever resourceful, we decide to shunt Bewdley higher up the batting order by catching the 125 bus instead (operated by Diamond, the service in full links Bridgnorth with Stourbridge). The resultant journey takes us past Kidderminster General Hospital and the West Midlands Safari Park; thankfully the latter attraction doesn't attempt to reclaim Mr B Senior as an absconding silverback gorilla! A wriggle through Wribbenhall precedes us crossing the becalmed River Severn and alighting on Load Street outside a mystical gift shop. The town centre is already proving a popular destination in the summer sunshine and we aren't the only people enjoying a riverside stroll. The stately Bewdley Bridge was designed by the famed engineer Thomas Telford and has been in operation since 1798, although there have been previous structures here dating back to the mid-15th century.
- Bewdley Brewery -
Severn Side South leads us in turn to Lax Lane where a former schoolhouse has become home to the Bewdley Brewery. Established in 2008, the company produces a range of highly-regarded ales including Worcestershire Way, the stronger Worcestershire Sway, and William Mucklow's Dark Mild. Their on-site taphouse showcases these plus several other beers and is invitingly decorated with steam train illustrations, railway maps and a variety of ceramic jugs (one of which references the Beaufort Scale with its gradings of gentle, fresh and moderate breezes). While the majority go with halves of Way, I break ranks for a Baldwin IPA as named after three-time Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who was born in the area and served as the local MP for nearly 30 years. There's a lot for us to like here and it deservedly features in the 2023 edition of the Good Beer Guide.
- A Mellow Yellow Fellow in Air Raid Action -
Just across from the Boys School entrance, a pathway links into a community orchard and the carefully-maintained Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Gardens. Apple core sculptures, carved owls and lily ponds are all part of the fun before Bewdley Museum has us browsing the community galleries. Nick and John find themselves consigned to the stocks while Stephen manages to extricate himself from the prison cells, no bread and gruel for him! The museum grounds also include a rediscovered air raid shelter so we can experience the claustrophobic conditions of wartime self-preservation; these things weren't built with tall people in mind so I narrowly avoid bumping my head when negotiating the tight steps down. Two more pub visits will complete the Bewdley leg of proceedings, starting with the Real Ale Tavern where talk of fishing maggots and Boris Johnson may or may not be unconnected.
- Beardsmores in the Bache Arms -
After the Black Country ales place, we had hoped to intercept the 292 again but the buses still aren't playing ball, meaning a George Hotel luncheon interlude enters the equation. All day brunches, Katsu curries and gammons of varying sizes are duly devoured albeit Mr B Senior's porky platter initially comes minus any egg, mushroom or tomato - oh dear! Cleobury Mortimer is officially cancelled when the next bus along turns out to be another 125 but we can at least hitch a lift over to Highley, a large village with a coal mining pedigree. Our pub target here is the Bache Arms, chosen by default as it seems to be one of the few amenities open on a Saturday afternoon. Guinness and Worthingtons have to suffice given the lack of cask ale although there is enlightening discussion about people who died on toilets; somehow the conversation seems to fit the downbeat nature of the surroundings but anything has to be better than further talk about Boris.
- Highley Mining Memorial -
Highley is strung out along the B4555 road around seven miles south of Bridgnorth and is also served by the Severn Valley Railway although the station is a fair walk from the village centre. Not wishing to risk any more bus mishaps, we won't chance investigating that today and thus stick with the main road instead, noting St Mary's Parish Hall, a Costcutter and a pharmacy. One particularly notable find is Highley's Mining Memorial incorporating a depiction of a bloke in a pit cage topped off with a stylised clock tower. In the absence of an obvious bus stop, Ken uses his detective skills at the chip shop to ascertain the likely departure times and we duly catch the 16:04 125 back into Kidderminster. The bus feels like an oven as oppressive heat begins to bubble up and stormy skies are on the horizon.
- Posing in the Post House -
A thunderstorm is on the cards so it's lucky that we just about get to our next pub prior to the heavens opening. Just inside Kidderminster Ring Road, the Red Man as was is now known as the Post House having been taken over by Davenports last year. They're really gone to town on the refit too, displaying a flair for Penny Black stamp motifs and 'Beer at Home' nods to brand heritage. Quality halves of Original Bitter hit the spot nicely as we dodge the worst of the deluges, just finding enough time to nip into Ye Olde Seven Stars for a glug of Guinness en route to the railway station. The trip might not have been as we intended - Cleobury Mortimer may think it had a lucky escape - but we definitely made the most of it. Cheers!
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