WME Flickr Focus - October 2025

Something had to give eventually. After four long months of total Exploration Extra domination, the WME Flickr photostream has finally returned to a normality of sorts by welcoming additions from the West Midlands region again. This means my pictorial exploits can live up to my blog title after all - here's what has arrived during October...

My first port of call involves the safe hands of WME Dudley where the Black Country Living Museum takes centre stage. The regional attraction's 'Forging Ahead' project has involved the creation of a several new exhibits showcasing local life from the 1940s to the 1960s, hence my photos take inspiration from comic annuals, soap sud packages and domestic breakfast tables alongside the more usual fare of bus blinds and boat numbers. In Sedgley, the Beacon Hotel has empty beer glasses drained of Dark Ruby Mild while Belle Vale over in Halesowen ensures I meet my street sign obligations without too much bother.

WME Walsall is next up, breezing around Brownhills for glimpses of Becks Bridge (on the Wyrley & Essington Canal), the Anchor Garage on Lindon Road and even a piece of Eeyore street art. A succession of mostly brown street signs also muscle in, comprising the likes of Pauls Coppice and Pier Street. This is backed by WME Birmingham which manages to avail itself of respective pub letterings from both the Aston Hotel and the Bartons Arms, the latter gem having worryingly closed again recently despite being a spectacular setting for a pint. 

When I'm not obsessed with Exploration Extra matters, you can almost guarantee that WME Wolverhampton is never far from an update (or several). A diet of Bantock Park leaves and blooms might be good for photostream health, whereas the Banks's 'Tells It Like It Is' artworks feel somewhat forlorn after retrospective news that the brewery is closing. Bilston shoehorns in its Lidl supermarket and an evening extract for the Gate Inn near Priestfield.

Beyond those four main contributors, things get much more piecemeal. WME Solihull pays a shapely visit to Birmingham International railway station, whereas WME Staffordshire revisits Awbridge Lock near Trysull for its solitary newbie. The All Nations in Madeley will be similarly familiar to watchers of WME Telford, and Bedworth Market is known on WME Warwickshire too, leaving WME Worcestershire to bring up the rear thanks to the absurdly-named hamlet of Bentley Pauncefoot (which sounds like it ought to be one of Nick's posh chums). Cheers!

A Tipton Taster (with added Coseley Contribution)

We all know the saying about bulls in china shops wreaking havoc but could a wolf - or rather a Woolf - in a Pie Factory create similar levels of destruction? We're about to find out courtesy of this four-pub crawl covering Tipton, Woodsetton and Coseley...

- We Am Tipton -

Trip Log: Friday 24th October 2025 and - if you haven't already guessed it from the intro - my accomplice for this outing is none other than Jane, the WME blog's resident Woolf. We meet as scheduled at Wolverhampton railway station for the 12:18 stopper which is delayed ever so slightly by a late-running freight service. Tipton is only ten minutes away with its station at one end of Owen Street; a welcoming mural helps set the scene with a nod to the Black Country dialect's aversion to grammatical correctness. The Birmingham Main Line Canal splits into two at Factory Junction so we can explore portions of both the Old and New elements, Factory Locks being part of Thomas Telford's improvements as designed into the New Main Line.

- Steak and Kidney Pudding -

Emerging onto Hurst Lane, we go straight for the pub jugular with a highly-anticipated visit to that legendary purveyor of good grub the Pie Factory, also known as Mad O'Rourke's. A stern cut-out of a cartoon cook (armed with a rolling pin) instructs us to wait to be seated before we are ushered towards the main dining area. Any free tables here are fair game so we sit beside Oven No. 3 with shields for Old Hill Hog Pie on the wall and light scatterings of sawdust on the floor. The menu is pretty much as I remember from previous memorable encounters whereby I always opt for the Steak & Kidney Pudding, a glorious gravy-smothered dome of splendid suet accompanied by a basket of battered chips. Miss Woolf avoids creating too much carnage by opting for the 100% Bullocks Steak Pie served with a puff pastry lid.

- A Fine and Dandy Chin? -

Lumphammer Ruby Mild (in a dimpled glass) and Aspall's Cider are our respective tipples to wash down such pie perfection, but will the desserts be as good as the main courses? There's only one way to find out and that's by sampling both the rich chocolate sponge and the sticky toffee steamed puddings, plus Jane gets her wish to be provided with a bonus flake! Even for a confirmed greedy guts like myself, it's a challenge to eat every last morsel but for traditional fare you really can't go wrong. It's customary of course to pose as Desperate Dan complete with his stubbly chin, while a collection of cleavers and mincers looks rather ominous.

- Pugilistic Practice -

Returning to the towpath at Factory Junction - but this time with more emphasis on the Old Main Line - we proceed to Tipton Green to see William Perry's statue in Coronation Gardens. Known as the 'Tipton Slasher', this renowned prized pugilist was a national champion bare knuckle fighter back in the 1850s - should I be concerned that Jane seems to be practising her own boxing moves all of a sudden? To placate her, we nip into the Slasher's former HQ, otherwise known as the Fountain Inn next to the Owen Street canal bridge. Golden Glow or Inch's Cider is the upshot as we chat about manga and cake whilst inspecting a few portraits of the said Mr Perry; he seems to have a flat nose so might have took some punishment.

- Drinking Dragons Blood -

A breezy shower can't deter us from next wandering into Woodsetton so that Jane could add the Park Inn to the growing list of brewery taps she has now sampled. The home of Holden's does not disappoint, especially with the 5.6% abv power of Dragons Blood adding its own heavyweight presence to proceedings. The Holden family purchased this pub back in 1915 and have therefore been custodians here for 110 years, with the fourth generation currently overseeing beer production. A brief interruption on churchy business doesn't detain Jane for long so we can soon discuss our opinions on this year's Great British Bake Off series.

- A Flat Cap Finale in the New Inn -

Three down, one to come as we continue into Coseley via Vicarage Road West. I have a habit of doing the Park Inn and New Inn in tandem so why not combine them again? Ward Street thus beckons for our second Holden's haunt in succession, and this one seems very popular with families (the kids delighted to have broken up for half term I suspect). More Aspalls meets more Golden Glow in the little mocha-toned side snug where we can model the WME flat cap and peruse vintage maps of Staffordshire prior to local government boundary shufflings. All that remains is to avail ourselves of the X8 bus back to Wolverhampton - a grand afternoon!

An October Hub Hat Trick: Telford 2025

October hasn't been lacking in Hub Marketing action. First came Wet Wombourne, then the Darlaston Dash and now we'll make it a hat trick thanks to our long-awaited Telford Tickle. The Chairman has been primed for estate pub ecstasy so here goes...

- A Coffee Pot Cuppa -

Trip Log: Friday 17th October 2025 and our third trip of an increasingly busy month begins in Bradmore. A greasy spoon breakfast can line our stomachs for any Telford tipples to come so the Coffee Pot on Birches Barn Road gets the nod, just along from the Bradmore Arms and a mini Tesco supermarket. The speckled doorstep and simply laminated menus instantly tell us we're in for a real treat and so it proves, Secretary WME making sure to include a helping of his beloved black pudding. The Chairman meanwhile enjoys a restorative coffee although he is perhaps being taunted by the presence of a red 'Andy the Gas' van patrolling outside. 

- The Charging Hub -

Mercifully there are relatively few piano-pushing noises as we sprint for the 4, the driver taking pity on us just when we thought the bus was about to pull away. The 12:12 Shrewsbury train stages our silly song selections in an almost empty front carriage, meaning other passengers are spared the delights of 'The Sit Song' (an affectionate Barron Knights pastiche poking fun at 1970s dog training legend Barbara Woodhouse) or Ted Rogers and the Young Uns paying homage to 3-2-1 favourite Dusty Bin. Arrival at Telford Central is circa half past twelve but the Station Quarter is a mass of cranes and footpath diversions due to major construction works. We manage to find our way to the town's main shopping centre almost by accident, meaning Mr D9 can ably advertise the provision of a Charging Hub within the complex.

- The Randlay Farmhouse -

The Secretary has billed the day as an estate boozer bonanza and we can start cashing in once the number 3 Brookside bus has taken us the short distance to Randlay. A small precinct contains a Premier convenience store and Big T's chip shop but we're more interested in the Randlay Farmhouse, a Banks's number that hints at an agricultural affectation through horse harnesses and blackened timbers. We suspect the pub probably dates from the 1980s though that isn't to say there might have been a farmstead here historically. Either way, we partake of a Carling apiece and park ourselves in a comfy lounge corner pondering Jagerbomb promos and a cast iron Banks's fireplace lintel. A good start!

- Braced for Brookside -

Timing our exit to catch the next 3 very precisely indeed, we proceed into Brookside (an area not to be confused with Channel 4's famous Liverpudlian soap opera). There are admittedly plenty of cul-de-sacs here - each one beginning with B it seems - but again our concentration is reserved for pubby matters. The Mallard is flat-roofed, brown and approached with much trepidation as we dodge car park hazard cones covering broken drains. Our nerves settle slightly once we get inside, discovering framed pictures of mallards of the duck and train persuasion, and any place that serves D9 with discount £3 Carling is always going to rate highly in the Chairman's eyes - it isn't the prettiest but we like it regardless.

- Secretarial Scoring in Madeley -

Continuing on foot, we meander into Madeley via Bridgnorth Road with glimpses of Tweedale Industrial Estate access points. The Three Furnaces is a night-time entertainment venue so we make a mental note that if we ever do desire a Telford pint at 3 o'clock in the morning, we know where to go. Afternoon drinking is more our style so the Cuckoo Oak (Hungry Horse) supplies Beardsmore Bleach in the company of a Macmillan Cancer Support giant, then it's across to Prince Street for the Miners Arms. Mr WME knows this one from Chip Foundation correspondence back in 2019 and it does us nicely for a swift half of Amber, wielding long pegging boards used for backgammon, cribbage and dominoes. 

- Scooting through Sutton Hill -

Fun and games are on the agenda as we saunter towards Sutton Hill, utilising underpasses in the vicinity of Singleton. As if playing football with rotten fallen apples isn't enough sport, Mr D9 can't resist hurtling around on an abandoned pink scooter although its lack of brakes is a cause for concern. Thankfully the bald spot survives this precarious encounter and we can recover in the Madebrook, an independent carvery-focused hostelry serving up respective pints of Worthingtons and Carling. They do Indian cuisine as well as the roast dinners, and while it is definitely an estate pub there's a smidgen of architectural elegance to be had, meaning the Mallard is still leading the dive stakes appearance-wise.

- D9 drives the 1 -

If Brookside was all about the Bs, Sutton Hill is in thrall to the letter S with stubby offshoots called Stanwyck, Stebbings and Selbourne. The number 1 bus is a circular service (mirrored by the 2) which gives us a full terminus loop of the estate prior to more of Madeley. We stay on board through Woodside - where good old W is the alphabetical favourite - and Aqueduct, with Mr D9 getting word from back home about the identity of a mystery pub he'd spotted on family business in the Dawley locality. Having been reminded of the premises in question, he delivers a driving demo then instructs us to alight on Little Dawley's Trinity Road...

- Getting Down with the Dawley Cats -

The establishment being drawn from the depths of the Chairman's memory is the Unicorn on Holly Road, a standalone free house which looks rather tempting even without the revelation that it features in the 2026 Good Beer Guide. The WME wallet does the honours for Green Duck's Supersonic, described as having 'juicy fruit flavours with notes of lime and pine' so you can't argue with that. The resultant pints are high quality, and were it not for our earlier greasy grub The Secretary would have been all over the sausage roll and pork pie cabinet of wonder. Autumnal inflatables add an extra drop of sparkle - think novelty acorn and leaf balloons - but time is tight and we need to get moving. Even with the clock against us, there's always scope for floofing of friendly cats as the bald spot puts in another appearance.

- Mr WME in the White Horse -

Cracking on with our Dawley denouement, there are two more taverns to test out as Finger Road presents us with the White Horse. Shropshire seems to specialise in that kind of fusty musty watering hole that time forgot and this is another in that category - signs that have been in place for years, and shield-upon-shield of crib trophies for a scattering of silverware that would make most Premier League football teams jealous. The Wainwright Gold goes down smoothly here, as does the Banks's Amber in our final calling point, the Queens Head up on King Street. This place makes a good but brief impression as another community local, and we declare for the day by trundling back to Telford Central for the train home. Cheers!

D9's Darlaston Doorstep: The Evening Edition

A matter of four days after their Wet Wombourne Workout, the Hub Marketing Board reassemble for an extraordinary evening meeting during which they will dutifully delve into Darlaston. Thankfully the weather is drier - if saddled with autumnal greyness - and there is an all-time classic sleeve surprise in the offing...

- Pop Art Patterns -

A Tuesday tour of one of the Black Country's most unheralded towns is on the agenda, but not before Mr WME has paid one of his periodic visits to Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The Pop Art is always worth a look, especially with a memorable model of King Kong taking pride of place, while the pieces on display are rotated so as to showcase the breadth of the collection over time. Andy Warhol is represented alongside the likes of Richard Hamilton and Pauline Boty, with prints, sculptures and collages to really capture the impact of the Pop Art movement. 

- A Threat of Something Foxy -

Culturally replenished, the Secretary can then count down to a Loxdale rendezvous at circa half past four. A grinning Chairman is waiting on the Midland Metro platform and is clearly up to something, although there is momentary alarm when Mr D9's apparent intentions have us approaching the Foxy Lady Adult Cinema on Oxford Street. Hub Marketing is a wholesome pursuit first and foremost so the bald one is only teasing, and his real target is the Midlands Sports Bar tucked away deeper into the Bilston Key Industrial Estate. Even so, it is very unnerving passing mounds of rubble, abandoned skips and discarded tyres to get there.

- Stunned Secretary in the Midlands Sports Bar -

Previously the Midland Snooker Club but latterly expanding into more general Bar & Grill-type operations, the Midlands Sports Bar is quite a revelation (particularly as it had totally escaped the otherwise-extensive WME radar for such things). A blackened frontage gives way to an interior that seems to be partway through refurbishment, with pool tables stretching back as far as the eye can see. A couple of Carlings get the day's drinking underway, watching the Women's World Cup cricket as England hold their nerve in a run chase against Bangladesh. Several cue-wielding gentlemen are taking their potting most seriously while it's the darts section which seems to be the focus of much of the upgrading redecorating activity.

- More Carling? Why Not! -

After that startling starter, we turn-up-and-go with both the 79 (driven by 'The Wig') and the 37 (where one of the Chairman's Walsall Garage associates is behind the wheel). Darlaston now demands our concentration whereby it's nice to actually set foot inside the Why Not for the first time ever. We'd done it before, but that was during that weird period immediately after Covid when all drinking had to be done in the open air to continue combatting the risk of infection. Things are more relaxed on this occasion so we can happily park ourselves on one of the booth tables, partaking of Happy Hour £2.80 lager discounts and watching resident pooch Rufus trying gamely to get into a bag of Pork Crunch. A salt of the earth local this one!

- Dusky Darlaston Baldness -

In fairness, the salt of the earth desciption could apply to any of Darlaston's boozers as we receive the best of Black Country welcomes in every one we sample. The Green Dragon on Church Street is a properly old-fashioned M&B affair where the weekly karaoke slot is quite an attraction. Sue's rendition of 'Build Me Up Buttercup' is the stuff of nightmares quite frankly but it's a lot of fun to pop in for a Butty Bach, noting that warm soup is dispensed to one snoozing old gent. Relieved that the Chairman hasn't treated all and sundry to his best crooning attempt at 'Spanish Eyes', we proceed into Victoria Road as the bald spot eyes up the local precinct.

- The Spice Hub Photoshoot -

There's a lot to admire architecturally in the vicinity of Victoria Road - the old Council House, the Post Office, and (further round on Crescent Road), the disused Police Station too. Also worthy of appreciation is the Swan, nestled in amongst these reminders of Darlaston's civic past, so we make sure to call in there for a cracking pint of Ludlow Gold. We can well imagine the days of Rubery Owen workers piling into these places at the end of their shifts, and a few remnants of those times still seem to survive. Our final port of call - via two Hub photoshoots - is the Horse & Jockey on Walsall Road which is serving Wye Valley HPA rather than Banks's these days, once we've snuck in through the side gate. So there you have it, a Darlaston dash on a dusky October evening, and what a fine time we had. Cheers!

Wet Weather Wombourne

Beware the wicked letter 'W', it has magical powers when it comes to Hub Marketing escapades. Over the years, a pattern has emerged that the worst weather conditions have been reserved for trips that begin with that very symbol of sogginess... think of Wellington, Warley, West Bromwich and now Wombourne!

- Double Golds in The Cross -

Storm Amy is wreaking her wateriness across the West Midlands with high winds and heavy rain forecast for much of the day. Nevertheless, there's a task in hand and that is to pick back up where our Greensforge Gallop left off, so the heavy duty anoraks are unleashed and out into the deluge we go. At the Chairman's insistence, members should meet at Kingswinford's Cross Inn Wetherspoons where we won't be the only folk sheltering from the squall. Spare tables are hard to come by here and it takes all of Mr D9's powers of negotiation to stop two grannies from stealing his chosen perch. A slight communication mishap means that we end up with more drinks than anticipated but the duplicated pints of Autumn Gold are soon gulped down, Secretary WME sticking to his preferred tarmac care of Hook Norton's Pick Me Up Mild.

- Himley House Hotel -

It isn't a day for lingering long outside so news that we've missed one potential 15 connection prompts a speedy revisit to the Bridge Inn. Black Country Ales have worked wonders with this place, stocking it with great beer, tempting cobs and patterned fabric upholstery to the extent that it has made the 2026 edition of the Good Beer Guide. Mr WME's eyes light up at the sight of large cheese and onion rolls to go with his half of Weetwood Eastgate, sitting by a freshly stoked fire. It's almost a shame to go but we daren't dodge another bus, and sure enough we can squelch up to the Himley House Hotel for new heights in refinement. The Chairman does the gallant thing and cops for the round in here, £6.50 a pint for Greene King's Level Head craft beer means the D9 wallet is rapidly emptied in the pursuit of a hoppy zing.

- Depicting the Dudley Arms -

Once we'd gotten over the trauma of the pricetag, there's a lot to like about the Himley House Hotel. Low sofas, lacy lampshades, flamingo wallpaper and several outhouse bedrooms for on site accommodation spring to mind - you just have to limbo under the car park barriers to get inside. No special gymnastics are required for the Dudley Arms over the road, although as a Marston's carvery affair it does feel like something of a comedown after such luxuries. We like the way different zones are named after Black Country towns (Brierley Hill and Tipton among them), and the Courage Bitter is decent enough. Apparently King Edward VIII spent some of his last days as monarch in the Himley vicinity, and I doubt there are too many pubs in the country which are adorned with a large mural of Ms Wallis Simpson. 

- Drenched Driving on the 15 -

Determined not to abdicate from our own tour of duty, we board the next 15 along so that Mr D9 can grimace his way through another steering masterclass - you have to be extra careful in the wet don't you know! Having hoovered Himley we pitch straight into a Wombourne workout, alighting by St Benedict Biscop Church and dripping into the Vine. Although not quite as posh as the Himley House earlier, this is still very fancy and a half each of Timothy Taylor Boltmaker doesn't come cheap. Green pouffe stools and wooden shelving compartments are noteworthy pieces of furniture but we concentrate more on nattering about timetable scheduling matters, tendered council services and general bus-related stuff.

- Old Bush Baldness -

This particular corner of South Staffordshire must have had a thing for shrubbery historically because three of its watering holes had been christened the Old Bush. We did the Swindon one last time out along with the latterly-renamed Hinksford equivalent so now it's the turn of the Wombourne variety, which happens to give us our second slice of Black Country Ales hospitality today. Like the aforementioned Bridge Inn it has gained GBG recognition and if there were a guidebook for cracking cobs I'd vote it in without hesitation. A hunger-slaying wedge of cheese, onion and black pudding goodness soaks up the Secretary's slurping of Stancill Summer Breeze whereas the Chairman makes the acquaintance of Fixed Wheel's Gorilla, a potent 5.2% Extra Special Bitter with a very moody great ape pumpclip. I doubt a disgruntled gorilla would take kindly to our silly songs, 'Susan's Tuba' versus 'Demon Driver' whereby Freddie and the Dreamers do battle against Russ Abbot.

- Soggy Secretary in the Fox & Goose -

The precipitation shows little sign of abating as we proceed into Penn, stopping off at Miller & Carter (previously known as the Penn Cottage) for steakhouse sensibilities on the side of the A449. Despite being set up for dining, we're very welcome to drop in for a drink - in our case of Aspall's Cider - whilst working up to our big finale. Yes, after a near miss with the Fox & Goose in September we are happily able to celebrate its resurrection over gorgeous dimpled pints of Stout Brummie. The new owners have done a remarkable job of bringing the pub back to life after years of either outright closure or restaurant operations; half of the building has been styled like a traditional alehouse, the other side is a community cafe and the overall effect is highly impressive (as indeed is the beer quality). We will be back for sure - cheers!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #41

This somewhat sombre series of bygone boozers just keeps on growing and growing, for every time I dip back into my archives I seem to come across another pub or two which are no longer operating. This time around I reflect on two Worcester casualties preceded by a trio of Warwickshire watering holes...

- The Dolphin -

Our starting point this time around is the hat-making town of Atherstone where Nick and I very much enjoyed visiting the New Dolphin back in September 2012. Back then it was renowned for the quality of its real ales, making it an essential Long Street calling point (the Old Swan and Black Horse were nearby, making for a nice little cluster in this corner of town). It closed down not long after we dropped in and has since been converted for general residential use.

- The Oak Inn -

Sticking with Warwickshire but moving across to the elegant streets of Royal Leamington Spa, we now encounter the Oak Inn in the days when it retained some Ansells branding. A grand-looking property, it stands on the fork where Willes Road meets Radford Road south-east of the main town centre, and had hints of salmon pink paintwork at the time of my picture. The building is still there having been taken over by Sainsbury's for one of their 'Local' stores.

- The Kingsholme -

Next up is Nuneaton and the sad sight of the Kingsholme, historically known as the Coach and Horses. It really grieves me when pubs are allowed to rot to such an extent that they become utter eyesores, and in this case the fabric of the place has been gradually decaying for the best part of twenty years. In its pomp this would have been an Ansells boozer with hints of Brewers Tudor which was a constituent component of the Abbey Run pubcrawl. Whether things can be salvaged from their current precarious state remains to be seen...

- Crown & Anchor -

To Worcester then for a mention of the Crown & Anchor on Hylton Road, a Marston's cottage-type affair which was not far from the River Severn and would also have been handy for the University of Worcester's St John's Campus. Boasting a conservatory, traditional skittle alley and a function room, it sounds like my kind of place but fell into disrepair after a prolonged period of closure. The last I heard there were plans to create flats here although I'm unsure what the latest situation might be - could it yet reopen as a pub? That seems unlikely.

- The Fox -

Finally for this particular post, we'll head to the other end of St John's to remember the Fox, a backstreet Banks's specimen which was located halfway along Pitmaston Road. Nestled in a run of tight terraced houses, I always liked its simply striped frontage tile effect and the sense it probably hadn't changed for several years. The vintage Banks's signs have been removed leaving the facade mostly as it was, and the site is now purely residential.