A Coseley Crawl...

Wednesday 24th November was the date set for the 6th Chip Foundation pubcrawl outing, whereby Nick, Stephen and I would loosely follow the template of the previous five but this time with a tour around Coseley and Sedgley.

* Finishing work at 2pm, our intrepid pubgoers call in at The Diner for a gammonfest lunch then catch the 126 bus deep into Coseley as we debate Nick's resemblance to the Prince of Wales.

* We alight on the Birmingham New Road at the stop opposite the New Inn only to find that my pre-planned itinery has let us down - the pub doesn’t open until 4pm, oops!! Disaster is averted thanks to a swift juggling of the batting order and the Park Inn becomes our replacement opener. Stephen and I therefore act as Nick’s royal bodyguard as we head to Woodsetton, a task that is easier said than done given his highness’s liking for walking in the middle of Vicarage Road.

* The Park Inn - first pub of the day then and for me it provides a welcome return to the Holden’s Brewery Tap. I was hoping to try one of Holden’s monthly special brews and November’s offering is Fogger, a name that presumably fits in with the erstwhile trend for naming the ales after industrial jobs (Shaftspragger, Wind Blower, Burton Runner etc). We take up residence in the games room where Nick demonstrates his considerable prowess at table football.

- The Park Inn, Woodsetton -

* The Painters Arms - heading through Swan Village with photos of the Swan Inn and the Summerhouse, we make our way back through Roseville and on to our second Holden's of the day. The Painters Arms on Avenue Road has a very local feel with plenty of interesting characters about. Our beer choice here is Hobgoblin as we sit in the back lounge by the pool table. Being up against stiff competition, it wasn't my favourite call of the day but still seemed a decent pub.

* The New Inn - having safely now got past 4pm, we return to the now open New Inn to savour it's homely ambience, which seems to be even more accentuated on a cold November evening when it’s getting dark outside. Nick and I get in our Golden Glows and admire the fishtank by the bar, then we decamp to an inviting corner table where the walls are adorned with cheeky brass mottoes and a mounted vintage handpump. Classic stuff!

* The Horse & Jockey - a nifty ride on the 581 bus leads us to Woodcross and this local on the corner of Robert Wynd. The building didn’t especially appeal to me as it seems to be half hidden in a dip but much work has been done here to attract a real ale clientele; whilst the pub lacks the age and heritage character of my favourite watering holes, I can still commend the place for making a concerted effort to care about its beer. There is a healthy range of guests from which we select Hobson’s Town Crier to hit the spot very nicely.

* The Beacon - from one new pub experience to an old favourite as we walk the back way through the estate to the Beacon. Yes, yet again we are drawn back to this Sedgley classic, we just can’t keep away. I decided to steer clear of the Ruby Mild on this occasion, plumping instead for the Amber at 4%, although the Thornbridge guest beer weighed in at a potent 7.7%! We find our way into the snug where there’s plenty of space to ponder England's prospects in the Ashes and to peruse the latest copy of Ales and Tales.

- Nick gets Stumped -

* The Mount Pleasant (The Stump) - following on from the Beacon is no easy task, but one quick skip through Sedgley later, we arrive in the Stump and immediately feel at home. The back lounge areas are pretty full so we find a seat in the front bar and finish the evening with a closing pint. Nick selects Enville’s Ginger Gothic whilst I try some Wye Valley Big Bang (had a fruity quality I thought, perhaps a hint of cherries) and I also stock up on the all-important pork scratchings.

* With the pubs concluded for another outing, its back homeward as Nick bids farewell whilst Stephen and I head back to the Beardsmore residence for the opening gambit from the Ashes. Once again the Black Country had done us proud with some fine local inns, with Coseley making its own imprint on our evergrowing list of favourite pubs...

Knowle in November

Saturday 20th November and how very Novemberish it was, with the the kind of autumn mists that Puff the Magic Dragon might well enjoy but they don't do much for my photography! My mission was to sort out my 2010 selection of Solihull shots, so it's destination Dorridge and take it from there...

* Getting to Dorridge proves a bit more of a challenge than usual, as a broken down train means delays at Smethwick Galton Bridge. When the train does show it resembles something more akin to last week's tube, so I wait another few minutes and hop aboard one with altogether more breathing space.

* I've always liked Dorridge, both the station and the place in general, and it seemed like an ideal place to start. I arrive at about 10:50am and pitch straight into my customary views of the station and the Forest Hotel - no expensive rounds today mind, as I concentrate on getting photos of the local shops whilst the wallet stays firmly out of sight.

* I wanted to widen my horizons beyond the immediate station surroundings and a walk along Grange Road does the trick nicely, introducing me to the Railway pub with its red M&B "Good Honest Beer" lettering. The pub was a nice find but seems to be a fair distance from any kind of railway infrastructure, making me wonder if I was heading for another Bromsgrove situation!

* Earlswood Road and Four Ashes as my walk continues. The Drum & Monkey adds to my pub content, whilst Mill Lane offers views of a level crossing complete with a nice pedestrian footbridge.

* I emerge onto Widney Road and quickly track down Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club. Even on a grey November day their ground looks quite inviting and I attempt a couple of shots on behalf of Mr Beardsmore.

* I'm enjoying the freedom of my morning walk as Station Road leads me into Knowle, a village I always admire for its traditional charm and atmosphere. There's a considerable amount of traffic around on the High Street so I have to be patient when lining up a photo of the timber-framed library building.

* One of Knowle's proudest landmarks is the parish church, looking very historic in its green setting flanked by fir trees and more timber-framed buildings. The whole scene captures a pretty sense of Englishness even if the weather didn't quite allow me to do the place justice today.

* Time for some canal exploration as I follow Kixley Lane down onto the towpath of the Grand Union. From Bridge 72 I squelch my way along to Knowle Locks and enjoy some welcome peace and quiet. There are five locks in the flight, counting down from 51 to 47, and being the Grand Union they are considerably wider than you would find on the BCN. I particularly liked Lock 47 with its canalside cottage and a little location sign.

* Beyond the locks there is more mulchy towpath as I proceed to Bridge 70 at Warwick Road, flanked by the Heron's Nest pub. Here I leave the canal to undertake a vain search for a bus stop - no such luck, so I have to take a chance on hail and ride.

* S2C - luckily the bus does stop for me, thus meaning I can sample a route which sounds more like a Welsh TV station! The journey replicates the old 197 route and takes in Chadwick End, Fen End and Temple Balsall before Balsall Street homes in on Balsall Common.

* I alight at Balsall Common roundabout for a look at Station Road shops and the local branch library. If anything it's getting even colder and the mist is becoming a fine drizzle, making it frustratingly tricky to get a shot of the Brickmaker's Arms.

* The day concludes at Berkswell Station with a couple of shots of the Railway pub followed by a survey of the station itself. I was saddened to find that the old station house is part way through being demolished - I appreciate that the decaying building was something of a safety hazard but this still seems such a shame, and means that even more of the station's traditional character is disappearing following the replacement of the level crossing a few years ago. I accompany my photos of the remains of the house with some general platform views as I wait for my 14:21 train home - the service arrives promptly and gets me back in good time despite a crush of passengers boarding at Birmingham International.

An interesting day's investigations then as I firmly ensured that Solihull has taken its place on the 2010 exploration map. In years to come, the outing will prove memorable for that morning Dorridge walk, my first ever look at Knowle Locks and the unexpected goodbye to Berkswell's station house - not forgetting of course the very Novemberish weather! The camera got through this one intact, so I wonder what photographic challenges the winter might have in store for me...

After the Lord Mayor's Show

Saturday 13th November 2010 provided a capital return for Rog, Woody and myself as we descended upon London to witness the spectacle of the annual Lord Mayor's Parade - here is the tale of the trip...

* An early start sees me in Wolverhampton checking on the progress of the new bus interchange. Most of the main structure now appears to be in place as a scaffold-clad block looms ominously by the ring road.

* It's then to Birmingham on the 8:19 local train, arriving in plenty of time to meet my accomplices at New Street. Woody and I note Rog's appearance with a Jenson hat in a vain attempt to cover up his bald spot.

* Dashing for coach A at the far end of platform 5, the 9:10 Virgin Pendolino service provides our link to Euston with a journey that passed by quickly as we recall our various mishaps and Rog's hat comes in for some more abuse.

* Arrive at Euston at 10:34, heading straight outside for a look at the bus station and a sneaky shot of the Doric Arch pub.

* Our first bus ride of the day involves the 205, which looked very crowded but there was some room upstairs - sadly a bit too much room actually as Woody was able to start up the old D9 again! Passing Kings Cross Station, the bus was destined for Bow Church but we were after Liverpool Street, none of which explains the rather bizarre decision to alight on City Road in a state of total confusion.

- 38 at Victoria Station -

* Whilst Rog and Woody debate our location, I get a photo of the Eagle pub and then we gradually find our way to Old Street underground.

* Now here's a question for you. Why is it that seemingly half of the Tube lines are out of action on the day of the Lord Mayor's Parade? Answers on a postcard please but it seemed an utterly crazy bit of planning. Luckily the Northern line was operating for our quick shuttle through to Bank.

* Our next task is to try and make our way to the parade location. Bank Station is a bit of a maze in truth and we end up emerging out of Monument heading for the Tower of London. Resisting the temptation to lock Rog in there, we do an about turn and eventually find our vantage point.

* The parade was thoroughly entertaining as we watched the procession go steadily by. Amongst the various floats and marching bands were some buses, a tank, some farmers and a giant waving potato, although Rog at times seemed more interested in admiring some of our fellow onlookers.

* With the procession concluding at about 12:10pm our thoughts turn to lunch and beer. We navigate our way to the Crosse Keys Wetherspoon's which was unsurprisingly packed out but did deliver a welcome pint of Titanic's New York Wheat Porter, dark and flavoursome.

* Still in search of food, we head for Whitehall by braving the crush of the Tube once more. Liverpool Street Station is a welcoming location as we descend to the underground platforms and catch the Central Line to Bank. We alight here only to find out that Northern Line services won't be calling here due to overcrowding, so it's back on the Central Line to Tottenham Court Road and thence on the Northern Line to Charing Cross.

- Woody with pint in the Silver Cross -

* Whitehall then and our initial preference is to visit the Lord Moon of the Mall, scene of London lunches past. Once again the pub is heaving, so in this case we try our luck at the Silver Cross over the road. Despite Rog's best attempts to mess up the food order, lunch is partaken with my lasagne proving tasty washed down with some Young's London Gold.

* Next we proceed to Westminster, passing Horse Guards and the Cenotaph amidst preparations for Remembrance Sunday. At Parliament Square Rog continues his mission to photograph Big Ben from every conceivable angle (and then some!), although reports that I was mistaken for former MP Lembit Opik were grossly exaggerated...

* The next stage of our plan was to get the bus up to Mansion House. We caught the No. 11 alright but in completely the wrong direction, ending up at Victoria after Mr Wood narrowly averted us going all the way to Fulham Broadway. The journey had at least given Woody the chance to demonstrate his D9 driving prowess once more, complete with a well-timed interruption from the everpresent 'Dave'.

- D9 Dave strikes again! -

* Victoria came with the bonus of some extra bus photos, including the 38 to Clapton Pond, and then it's back down below for another dose of the Tube. The District Line platforms were absolutely rammed but we managed to surge on board and held out in the crush all the way to Whitechapel.

* Negotiating our way through the market, we arrive at the Blind Beggar (now firmly ensconced as our London local of our choice) for a recovery pint. The pub gained notoriety as the scene of a Krays murder with Rog on the hunt for bulletholes then pressing himself a commemorative penny.

* Darkness is beginning to fall as we go on the hunt for Vallance Road, home to one of the Krays former residences. News filters through that Wolves have lost 3-2 at home to Bolton (ouch!) as we catch the 205 back towards Euston.

* The day has one final authentic London experience in store for us, as heavy traffic means we're in serious danger of missing our train home. We alight at Kings Cross and embark on a kamikaze Benny Hill-style sprint through tube tunnels and up and down various escalators to emerge blinking back at Euston with a couple of minutes to spare. Our train is loading at platform 3 and with some relief we board just in time for the 17:43 departure. The ride back to Brum is very relaxing by comparison.

What an eventful day that was all told - various mishaps were a sign that Rog was back on the scene but they only added to the fun and adventure. I'm gradually starting to feel at home in London now, and once again the capital has provided us with some memorable moments, with the Lord Mayor's Parade claiming it's place as one of the exploration highlights of the year.

Landmarks Ahoy!

It's a familiar nautical yarn that the good ship WME generally encounters choppy and featureless waters whilst sailing on the sea of updates, but more recently there have been signs of hope on the horizon. Back in October it was WME Solihull that glimpsed the mainland by reaching its century of photos, and November has brought with it a brace of additional landmarks beckoning from the harbourside...

The first milestone concerns our lead boat, WME Wolverhampton, which is now celebrating having collected its 400th photographic passenger. Hopping on board as we approached that momentous number were shots of Whitmore Reans Library and Tettenhall Old Bridge plus bus station views of the side entrance and an Optare Scania on the 501 route. It was however a new collection that saw us crash through the all-important wave, so take a bow Exploring Blakenhall with your views of the local shops and the Kings Arms pub. 400 is a fairly hefty number to reach, and as Wolverhampton continues to accumulate there's definitely something for my other galleries to aspire towards.

Talking of other galleries, a glance at my captain's log reveals that WME Dudley is our second milestone-maker this month. In this case the occasion is 250 photos, a figure breached courtesy of additions to Exploring Wollaston (the Crescent Arcade shops and the Forester's Arms), Exploring Lye (a neat shot of the Hadcroft) and a Dudley by Bus picture of the X96 posing at Wollaston Junction. It's all good stuff to warm the cockles of your heart and again provides evidence that slowly but surely I am building a substantial record of the West Midlands and surrounding areas. At the risk of extending an already daft metaphor even further, I would suggest that these landmarks - along with the general swell of updates recently - have negated the need to man the lifeboats for the time being, although I have a niggling feeling that my combined WME content across all of my galleries is merely a drop in the ocean with much work still to do...