Birthday Bling

Saturday 11th July saw Rog and I celebrate the Chancer's 33rd birthday with a tour of Smethwick, Hockley and the Jewellery Quarter...

• Meet at Galton Bridge just after 10:30, then its off to join the Old Main Line Canal.
• Our walk takes us to Rabone Lane via Summit Tunnel, Smethwick Locks and Pope Bridge. We also have a look at the New Navigation pub on Lewisham Road.
• Metro time, beginning at Handsworth Booth Street with a ride to Soho Benson Road.
• The first pint of the day comes courtesy of the Black Eagle on Factory Road. Cracking pub and great service as we sample What the Fox's Hat from the Church End Brewery.
• Back on the Metro for the short leg to Winson Green Outer Circle, where we get some photos of the stop entrance before catching the bus.
• The 11A takes us down to Bearwood passing Winson Green Prison, the Acorn pub and Summerfield Park.
• At Bearwood we make a beeline for the Bear Tavern, where we enjoy a spot of lunch whilst trying to keep tabs on the F1 qualifying via a snowy reception. The Ashes were showing on the main pub screens, but the Aussies are marmelising the England bowling and I'm not brave enough to watch.
• With Mark Webber cementing pole position, Bruce makes an appearance - how could we not get a shot of him at the Bear? We then walk to the bus station via Wigorn Road and Lightwoods Park.
• Next its the 82, heading up past the Barleycorn and through Cape Hill - the old brewery is now being turned into a housing estate. We alight at Spring Hill island for a look around the imposing local library.
• The stroll continues as we wander into the Jewellery Quarter, enjoying some unexpected sunshine as we admire the Chamberlain Clock. Then its into the Rose Villa Tavern for a swift half - the pub has a great period interior with lots of green glazed tiles and an old fireplace, but also provides bad news from the cricket as Mitchell Johnson has just got Alastair Cook out lbw for 6, ouch!
• I couldn't risk England losing further wickets, so its onwards down Warstone Lane before branching off for a look at St Paul's Square and Church.
• We seem to be running well ahead of schedule, so we pay a quick visit to St Paul's Metro Stop and Rog gets propositioned by a Goth girl looking for underage booze.
• Making a quick getaway, we find ourselves in the Church Inn enjoying garlic bread amongst the West Bromwich Albion shirts. Another great pub.
  
• Its now off to Jewellery Quarter Station, my first ever visit here but we don't stay long. The train is imminent so we dash down several flights of stairs and just have long enough to pose Bruce next to a running board.
• We have a spare couple of hours before heading back to Stourbridge, so we alight at Rowley Regis and sample some Ashes Ale in the Britannia pub at Rowley Village.
• The 241 provides a short ride to Dudley, where Rog finally gets the chance to sample the Station Hotel. We decide to have a best of three pool match, which I won by default because Rog accidentally potted the black in off!
• We conclude matters in traditional style with a drink in the Rock Station where I was pleased to have a chat with Mr Wood and arrange some future outings.

A busy day then, cramming in canals, buses, trains, the metro, some pubs and a few local photographs too. The trip provided some fine discoveries and great memories, thus ensuring we celebrated Rog's birthday in appropriate style...

Telford Aborted

One of my more unfortunate traditions here at WME is the occasional tendency for outings to be aborted due to bad weather or technical difficulties. I can well recall getting drenched at the old Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge a few years ago, and then there was the time I made it across to Walsall en route to Lichfield only to find I hadn't charged up my camera batteries. Well, today's trip qualifies on both counts - a long awaited Telford outing that was cut short due to persistent drizzle and camera problems...

The plan was to do a Telford local, starting with Stirchley before visiting Horsehay and finishing with Ketley. After what seems like a week long heatwave I was hopeful of further fine weather to provide the backdrop to my photos, and was very disappointed to be greeted by prolonged drizzle this morning. Undeterred, I caught the 891 across to Telford and began with a look at the ornamental gardens at Town Park. The camera was already proving troublesome before the rain set in, with many attempted photos appearing out of focus due to a combination of flash and zoom issues.

The gardens themselves were as delightful as ever, with bright colourful planting augmenting familiar features like the pond and the pergola. I particularly liked one flowerbed that included a big fish as its centrepiece, and hope my photo of it will be amongst the few successful shots I did manage to take. Next up, its off for a look at Wonderland and the park amphitheatre - both would make great photo targets in future, but try as I might it just wasn't going to happen today.

I didn't want to give up just yet, so I proceeded with my planned walk to Stirchley. It was a great stroll despite the rain, with the Silkin Way providing a tranquil route into the old village. It was my first proper look at the area, and it certainly appealed as a place I'd like to include on WME Telford. The Rose and Crown pub is worth a shot or two, and I also had a mooch around Stirchley Centre where I discovered the Lord Silkin School, Stirchley Library, the local shopping precinct and a Somerfield supermarket. The drizzle and general murk put me off even attempting any shots here, and I resigned myself to catching the 33 bus up through Randlay and back into Telford.

Alighting at the bus station, its decision time - keep going with the outing, or call it quits. The weather still looked ominous despite the promise of a brighter afternoon forecast, and with the camera suffering its annoying gremlins I felt it was best to return home. Thus it was that the aborted trip tradition gained its most recent scalp, although the limited exploring I did complete will certainly come in handy. Telford therefore has its stay of execution, but I have a feeling that it won't be too long before I'm back to have another go...

WME Update Digest: June 2009

Another month is fast disappearing into the ether, and suddenly we're halfway through 2009 already. I guess its time then for another summary of WME update action...

• What's all this for starters - an update on WME Warwickshire? Surely it cannot be! Well, the seemingly impossible has indeed occurred, and some new additions have finally arrived after a staggering 12 month hiatus. The photos concerned are views of the 222 Stratford Park and Ride, the 63 bus calling at Rugby, and a new Exploring Keresley Village collection focusing on the local community centre. I'm just pleased to see this oft-forgotten gallery finally moving again - its been way, way too long...
  
• From that bombshell we move to another of the stragglers that has burst back into life. WME Coventry is celebrating the inclusion of new canal content as Bridge 8 makes its first appearance on the Coventry Canal. A photo of the old No. 4 route at Binley is also worth a mention, and there are additional views of Canley Station and my old friend the 34 bus at Tile Hill South terminus.
• Not to be outdone, WME Solihull has continued its own mini-revival. I thus offer you a Stagecoach bus on layover near Birmingham International Station, along with views of the 26 at Kingshurst terminus and the 17 at Marston Green.
• It's been a solid month at WME Birmingham too. The Maggies pub has muscled its way in on Exploring Hall Green, whilst the Great Stone has increased its existing presence on Exploring Northfield. I can also report additions to Northfield Station (car park and train views) and Exploring Yardley Wood (another look at the distinctive shops on Highfield Road).
• To WME Walsall, where canal updates have been particularly in vogue. The wonderfully named Porkett's Bridge accompanies a second shot of Forster's Bridge onto the Walsall Canal collection, whilst the Wyrley and Essington receives two pretty views taken near Anchor Bridge in Brownhills.
• Elsewhere, there have been solitary bus additions to WME Wolverhampton (the 530 at Rocket Pool) and WME Telford (99 at Telford Bus Station). Lowe's Butchers has squeaked in to Exploring Worfield on WME Shropshire; likewise, a view of a large lock at Stourport Basin has nestled in on WME Worcestershire's Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal collection. And finally, one of my favourite pubs has at long last taken its rightful place in the West Midlands Exploration pantheon of photography, so its a big thumbs up to the Beacon Hotel as it settles in nicely amongst the Exploring Sedgley offerings on WME Dudley.

Another constructive month then, its been heartening to see some of my less developed galleries making decent progress. July could be a challenging month as technical issues could prevent me from making as many updates as I would like. I'll do my best to keep things ticking over, and will be sure to keep you posted with developments right here on WME Blogspot.

A June Assortment

Despite a lack of posts here recently, I have been fairly busy with a series of mini-adventures. Let's bring you up to date with the latest exploration action...

Saturday 6th June: Monsoon conditions meant that a planned Warwickshire outing with Rog and Woody became a West Midlands local visiting Bilston and West Bromwich. The weather meant photos were mostly out of the question, but we did get to sample a selection of pubs whilst attempting to stay dry. Wetherspoon's featured prominently thanks to the Moon Under Water in Wolverhampton and the Billiard Hall in West Bromwich, whilst the Bellwether in Wednesbury provided Bruce with the chance for a family photo. Other than Wetherspoon's, the Star and Garter on West Brom High Street proved something of an experience with Woody comprehensively beating Rog at pool. My favourite pub of the day though was the Trumpet in Bilston, a great Holden's local with a nice jazz theme. One bonus outcome of the day was that the photos I did take allowed for the arrival on WME1 of the Rog Files 2009.

Monday 15th June: Going local in Wolverhampton with a visit to Low Hill Library. The library was purpose built and opened in 1930, and provides a distinctive landmark on Showell Circus close to the local shops and the Bushbury Arms pub. I really enjoyed sampling the friendly atmosphere and getting a few shots inside one of the most recognisable buildings in Wolverhampton.

Thursday 18th June: A lunchtime adventure, heading across to Bradley Lane on the Metro and then investigating the local estates of Moxley. The walk allowed for photos of the Travellers Rest and Fiery Holes pubs, and I also found a curious pyramid shaped plinth by the playing fields that marked the location of Iron Mad Wilkinson's former ironworks. Moorcroft Wood and the 680 bus terminus on Charnwood Close also made welcome appearances as Walsall finally got some long overdue attention.

Friday 19th June: More lunchtime escapades courtesy of the Midland Metro, this time staying on one stop further to alight at Wednesbury Parkway. I decide to track down the Walsall Canal, accessing the towpath via the alleyway up from Bannister Road. There's a somewhat overgrown footbridge to investigate, then I follow the cut up past the Bush and round to Blakeley Wood Road. The outing is concluded with a stroll around Ocker Hill that yielded photos of the Waggon & Horses (home of Toll End Brewery, one for a future Rog and Woody trip perhaps?) and the surprise discovery of the old Crown and Cushion pub on Gospel Oak Road - the building is now sadly a shell with half the roof missing.

So there you have it, that's what I've been up to in June so far. There have been a few site updates as well - I hope to bring you further news of those in a forthcoming digest post - and there's still time left in the month to attempt some extra outings too...