Rickerscote, Doxey, Highfields and Parkside... the Oxleathers, Wildwood, Luck Penny and Staffordshire Bull... such is the litany of places and pubs that have formed the backbone of my annual Stafford sessions every March. With much fanfare, it is now time to see what 2025 can add into the mix...
- Glasshouse Greenery -
It's Saturday 15th March 2025 and I'm all set for what will be the seventh in my now-traditional springtime Stafford series. The 10:19 Manchester train from Wolverhampton gets things off to a steady start with a ten minute journey amongst football fans before Victoria Park claims its customary catch-up to get the photos flowing; WG Grace is present and correct as always but some of the flowerbeds haven't fully been planted as yet. I do enjoy a quick mooch around the park's glasshouses, noting tropically large leaf varieties and various spiky specimens.
- Pickups Electrical -
Continuing via Mill Street and then Mill Bank, I note a couple of old-fashioned shopfronts representing local independent businesses. Henry Burton's is a cycle store whereas Pickups Electricals specialises in household appliances, complete with vintage Hitachi logos. My first drinks stop of the day is a bit of a departure from my usual 'old man pub' remit, the Yard being a trendy craft/cocktail bar on the side of the River Sow. A glass of Brixton Reliance Pale Ale is a pleasant palate cleanser, hitting enough sharp citrus notes to clear any tastebud cobwebs away while the overall vibe is a relaxing one - a solid start!
- A Perkins Picture -
Picking out a portion of Stafford I've never photographed before gets trickier each passing year but one corridor which comes to mind is Tixall Road, heading due east from the town centre. Weston Road is my initial gateway before I bear right at the Metropolitan fork, spotting the likes of Dartmouth Street and Harrowby Street in the process. I remember riding through here on the Uttoxeter bus once whereby one standout feature was the Perkins factory; it's still there, manufacturing engines much as it has done for many years. The firm is actually based in Peterborough and has sites worldwide.
- Bayswater Square -
Evidence of Stafford's edge-of-town expansion is apparent further along Tixall Road where what used to be a country lane through farmers fields has been transformed by a sprawling housing estate. Hydrant Way corner has a sunken balancing pond earthwork then Bayswater Square forms the centrepiece of another section, revealing a public open space surrounded by three-storey properties. The new builds stretch as far as the Baswich Lane crossroads and mean that Stafford Crematorium no longer stands in splendid isolation. Clumps of daffodils line the edge of the burial ground as I take the Blackheath Lane turn.
- The Knot & Plough -
Another arrival over the last ten to fifteen years has been the Beacon Business Park which sits beside the busy A518. One of the first pieces of the jigsaw here was the provision of the Knot & Plough pub (very much a modern Marston's effort with a carvery focus), latterly joined by a shopping precinct containing a Co-op store, Subway and a couple of takeaways. As you might expect, I pause for a pint of Pedigree and take in the scene. Construction work along Gell Way and Brereton Way suggests that more units are being lined up in future.
- Meeting a Slumbering Monk -
Weston Road returns me the two or so miles to Stafford town centre where Joules's Ye Olde Rose & Crown will form the meat between a Black Country Ales sandwich. I'd like to complete BCA's Ale Trail this year if possible, in which case the Shrewsbury Arms and Bird in Hand are duly stamped in my passport booklet - the former supplies Hobson's Plum Porter (lovely stuff), the latter a Backyard Rucker with a heavenly ham and cheese cob. The intermediary filling so to speak is a Slumbering Monk of the aforementioned Joules persuasion, pondering hints of Shakespearean wordplay courtesy of As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing references to the Market Drayton brewing process. I wonder what Stafford will supply me with in 2026?
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