After an enforced gap in April because of family commitments, Chairman D9 declares himself in need of a Hub Marketing session. Donning our thinking caps, we settle on a Darlaston Doorstep arrangement which should account for a couple of interesting club-type venues. Here comes the tale of the trip...
- The Fiery Grill -
Trip Log: Tuesday 19th May 2026 and our starting point is a very familiar one. Admittedly the Fiery Grill (previously the Fiery Holes prior to its Desi-style makeover) usually serves us as a nightcap location, but its proximity to Bradley Lane Metro stop makes it the ideal place for the Secretary to await Mr D9's arrival. A bar side perch amidst hexagonal patterned fabrics works well enough when armed with £4 pints of Carling, and the pub seems to be doing a brisk trade in curry orders whilst still having a steady supply of early evening regulars. The Chairman's appearance brings news of driver wakes and missed buffets with the bald one lamenting not being able to attend a celebration of life at Smethwick Labour Club.
- Studious Steering on the 79 -
Venturing deeper into the housing estates of Moxley, Charnwood Close and Queen Street combine so that we can intercept the 79 on the A41. We're not on board very long, the bus serving as a helping hand to get us into Darlaston where we will alight opposite the Asda, but there is time enough to showcase a certain someone's famed steering technique. Memories of the Stowlawn Gobbler and D9's bus-hopping youth come flooding back before attentions turn once again to matters of beer. We mustn't dilly dally as there's a lot to squeeze in and the Chairman is insistent that dead mileage is not an option - to the next haunt we must go...
- Cheerful in the Con Club -
The said second port of call is the Con Club on Little Cross Street, a venue we chickened out of sampling last October so there's added determination to include it tonight. Two large rooms give a choice of plush bar or an entertainment lounge with us picking the latter, obtaining more Carling in the process. Whenever we do anything with a Tory bias there's always a worry that one or other of us will burst into flames through political disgruntlement but there's no risk of spontaneous combustion here; in fact, you wouldn't really know it was a Conservative Club at all these days and any mention of Mrs Thatcher is thankfully kept to a minimum. Groceries and toys are piled high on the stage, perhaps through some kind of food bank operation unless an extremely well-stocked raffle is imminent.
- The Green House Effect? -
Picking our way over wobbly Con Club car park steps past colourfully-painted planters made out of old tyres, we shuffle across to Blockall where some conveniently positioned temporary traffic lights delay the number 37 bus enough for us to reach the stop. Another short ride soon has us bearing down upon Willenhall Road, eyeing up the former Garringtons offices which now function as a sauna suite. We're not keen on the idea of disrobing in a steamy room with lots of strangers although the building's frontage does distract the bald spot momentarily. We would however like to try Garro's Pool Hall next door but it isn't open yet, despite a growing throng of potential punters congregating outside wanting to put their cues to good use.
- Beard Close Indignation -
The amount of derelict factories in the vicinity is an unmistakable sign of Darlaston's industrial decline, and with the prospect that Garro's might still be gettable later, we head to the Robin Hood on The Crescent to fill the gap. This Black Country Ales establishment is very dangerous as far as the Chairman is concerned - he has been known to have extended sessions here in the company of old scheduling colleagues - so the Secretary has to be very strict about this being a one pint only visit. BFG and Mallinsons Columbus are the tipples in question and the quality of both the beer and the pub as a whole really shines through. Returning to Darlaston, we declare our silly songs - a brace of Joan Sims novelties, 'Oh Not Again Ken' and 'Hurry Up Gran' - then pose for photocalls at both the Bargain Hub and Beard Close, with the latter seemingly eliciting a certain degree of D9 mock grumpiness.
- Grappling with Garro's -
There's still no joy at Garro's, although we are told that the staff are on their way, so a further contingency call is required. We first sampled the Nags Head at Darlaston Green on a Myvod Moments trip in April 2015 and it doesn't appear to have altered much - a down-to-earth vibe punctuated by shelves full of sporting trophies, plus window art promoting their satellite sport subscriptions. One swift Carling there precedes it being third time lucky back at Garro's which has now belatedly opened. It has a basic set-up very much focused around a multitude of pool tables and the lager here is very frothy, meaning Mr D9 gets given some extra dregs free of charge. A friendly place with a huge dog bouncing around for added fun factor, we're very glad we put the effort in trying to include it. With that, time is fast running out but an obliging 79 connection means we can make it a Fiery Grill double before the curtain falls. Cheers!
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