Unlike some of the other arterial routes radiating out of Wolverhampton City Centre, the Penn Road corridor has retained a decent amount of pub stock. Think of the Cannock Road, the Dudley Road or even the Wednesfield Road and you won't have all that much to chew on (not compared to the amount of watering holes in years gone by), but take the A449 towards Kidderminster and you still have the chance of getting a solid crawl in. Mr D9 and I eagerly tested that theory on our latest bout of mini Hub Marketing...
- Homer Hiding -
It's Wednesday 4th June 2025 but prior to any evening Hub escapades, there are lunchtime larks to attend to. Mr Beardsmore joins me for a bite to eat in Tunwall's, a fascinating building which many older Wulfrunians will instantly recognise as being the former Lindy Lou shop on Victoria Street. This timber-beamed beauty does a good line in Full English breakfasts (with fried bread and black pudding for those - like me - who enjoy that sort of thing) while the £6 servings of sausage, chips and beans satisfy a Stephen-sized appetite. Duly fed, we check out the street art arrivals by the Peel Street subway which now include a framed portrayal of Tweetie Pie plus the sight of Homer Simpson disappearing into a hedge.
- Taking Pride in the D9 Driving Demo -
Skipping sweetly forward a few hours and 4pm heralds the meeting of our illustrious Marketing crew at Pipers Row tram stop. We are intending to catch the number 4 bus but the 16 is due to depart from the adjacent Bus Station imminently so we wander on over to Stand H and join the queue. Once on board, the Chairman can demonstrate his support to LGBTQ+ matters by donning a rainbow flag skirt for his latest steering masterclass; the Penn Road traffic is always likely to be heavy at this time of day but we gradually inch past the junctions for Goldthorn Hill and Rookery Lane before alighting near Buttons Farm Road.
- 'Spotted' at Spring Hill Shops -
The clutch of shops arranged around the wide turning for Spring Hill Lane have long been one of the first things folks see when crossing from South Staffordshire into Wolverhampton's lofty realms. Penny's Cafe goes on the hitlist for future breakfasting possibilities whilst Springhill Models and Steve Carey's Butchers have pleasingly unspoiled frontages. Our focus however turns to pub prospects in which case the eponymous Spring Hill is close at hand; we've been here before (way back in 2012) but the revisit is informative for sampling Ludlow Best amidst an eccentric display of wall-mounted sardines. Mr D9 takes the opportunity to try out his full costume in readiness for counting down the Pick of the Hubs charts later on.
- The Heart of Penn, apparently -
From one sizeable roadhouse to another as we follow the Spring Hill with the Hollybush, the latter having undergone something of a middling Marston's makeover since we last sampled it. Proudly proclaiming itself to be "the Heart of Penn" - to which other noted local institutions such as St Bartholomew's Church might have a thing or two to say in response - this is a nice enough local boozer which acts as a timing point for buses and was a fare stage back in the day. Ringwood Fortyniner has probably tasted better elsewhere, and at £5.15 from the D9 wallet doesn't come cheap either, but our speedy visit is memorable for bantering with the regulars about the Chairman's increasingly unusual chart-themed attire...
- The Number One is announced! -
Ok, ok, we've teased you enough!! It's time to reveal the rundown of our favourite silly songs from 2024, hence Mr D9 picks out a prime bench within the grounds of Penn Hospital for the purposes of publishing said playlist. In fairness, the chart declarations are usually undertaken in January so we've been seriously slacking this year due to medical matters. Nevertheless, a top ten has been compiled which features the likes of Rene & Renato, The Goons, Inspector Blakey and Rupert Davies's pipesmoking antics. At #3 we have the fairly hideous 'I'm Jogging' by the Veterans, then at #2 is Eli Buckett and his Yodelling Cockerel. All of which means there can only be one chart topper - drum roll please... yes, the Hub Marketing number one song of 2024 has to be 'If You're Feeling Glum' by Willie Rushton, a truly deserving winner of this most prestigious accolade. Maintaining tradition, the all-important announcement is accompanied by a battered sausage which is appropriately digested before our next pub...
- Banks's Dark Mild, Rose & Crown -
In a matter of moments we arrive at our third esteemed establishment of the evening, namely the Rose and Crown at the bottom of Church Hill. This is actually a new Hub Marketing haunt although the Secretary has some previous here; a bit like the Hollybush it isn't anything much to write home about, just a perfectly adequate boozer keeping its clientele happy. There are quite a number of punters in so it must be doing something right, and the keg Banks's Dark Mild at £3.65 earns Mr WME the Discount of the Day award by a considerable margin (even if his inner curmudgeon doesn't really class such prices as being remotely discount-worthy). The staff keep us in suspense trying to pour our pints so perhaps the Mild doesn't get drunk all that often, although the beer is fine once various barmaids have inspected it!
- Penn Bowling Club -
Time is marching on and it looks like we're going to fail in our stated remit of covering all the Penn Road pub potential in one short sitting. The Roebuck and the Mount Tavern therefore get jettisoned - sorry, saved for a proposed Part Two at some point - but we won't sacrifice a Penn Bowling Club swansong. Tucked away on Manor Road, this place makes much of its family friendly approach and the Secretary is especially excited to partake of their interesting ale range (Salopian's Cypher and Burton Bridge's Stairway to Heaven among them). Practice matches are underway on the front green so it's a delight to sit in the Members' Lounge and watch the games unfold, supping quality ale and munching scratchings - simple pleasures!! So yes, if you're in need of a Wolverhampton crawl you can do worse than the Penn Road, and should the Fox & Goose reopen there could be more to go at. Cheers!
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