Hub Marketing 2015: East Birmingham

Marketing Board members never truly feel like they've got another year of hub happenings underway until an East Birmingham trip is completed. Friday 6th March was on hand for the 2015 edition with Yardley and Sheldon being the headline acts this year...

- A Right Royal Metro -

Our designated rendezvous is Bradley Lane at 1000 hours, with Secretary WME safely aboard his Metro connection from The Royal (Wolverhampton St George's being still out of action due to ongoing works that have already overrun by a few months). Chairman D9's doorstep dash is less successful and incurs him the first cob penalty of the new year; apparently a meeting with the Bloxwich Showman has left our leader with something of a delicate disposition!

- Giving it some Juice on the 97 -

The ride to Snow Hill passes without incident, except for the occasional swig of orange juice along the way. The said carton takes pride of place as we track down the 97 bus on Moor Street and gear up for our regular reprisal of D9 driving duties. The route acts as our gateway into East Birmingham via Garrison Circus and Bordesley Green.

- Garrison Closet Conundrum -

Ever on the lookout for remains of old toilets and urinals, the Chairman instructs us to alight on Garrison Lane where a curious doorway can be found on the side of the Grand Union canal bridge. We are not entirely sure whether this was indeed a closet or had some other former use (maybe as an electricity substation or general storeroom) but the requisite photo is taken just in case.

- Old Yardley Park -

The 97 is a frequent service operating regularly to Chelmsley Wood, so within a matter of moments we are back on board surveying the terraced townscape of Bordesley Green. At Belchers Lane junction is a McDonalds fast food outlet housed in a former pub (the Broadway?), and we also pass the Heartlands Hospital before hopping off near Stechford. A short walk down Church Road brings us into Old Yardley Park, a surprising pocket of historic village charm with St Edburgha's church spire on the horizon.

- Posing at Pool Way -

The appealing scenery doesn't last long though as the pleasures of the Pool Way precinct involve an altogether different architectural approach. A Greedy Guts breakfast sets us up nicely for a thorough trawl of the shopping centre with Poolway Fashions and Kents Moat Library still present and correct from WME's previous visit. A location such as this needs to be christened properly as a Hub Marketing haunt so a bald spot shot fits the bill just nicely.

- Kents Moat -

One thing the Secretary hadn't realised when exploring Kents Moat before was that the area really does have a moat, a legacy of a former medieval manor house that nowadays can be traced as a clear rectangular ditch surrounding The Hays off Sheldon Heath Road.

- Yardley Village -

The Chairman is starting to perk up a little more now and benefits from further fresh air as we stroll back into Yardley. The area of Church Road around St Edburgha's and the Old Grammar School is a dedicated conservation area although a feature that might not have been preserved is an old urinal the Chairman thinks was once located here - more D9 research may be required to confirm this.

- Ring O' Bells Redevelopment -

One landmark that has definitely disappeared is the Ring O' Bells pub; sadly demolition was no real surprise given that the building had been a derelict eyesore for a number of years, and the houses that have now sprung up on the site still reference the former pub's name. Yardley is not devoid of pubs though, as drinking options still include the William Tyler (a Wetherspoon's housed in a shop unit once home to Woolworths) and the Clumsy Swan (the modern incarnation of the Yew Tree, albeit the current building doesn't have anywhere near as much presence as the Mitchells & Butlers landmark that preceded it). 

- Tile Cross Terminus -

Some Silly Rucker (a blonde Backyard brew) is Secretary WME's early attempt at claiming discount honours for the day before the action switches to the number 17 bus. Our ride through Garretts Green is punctuated by more sterling steering from Mr D9 and then Mackadown Lane closes in on Tile Cross turning circle. The local shops on Bell Lane corner have the Chairman drooling with delight in advance of a swift slice of Solihull courtesy of a quick turnaround by the Marston Green Tavern.

- WME Whirlwind wins, by George! -

Sheldon is the prime attraction on our afternoon agenda with the 72 taking us bravely through Garretts Green congestion at school closing time. The Crane is a standard Hungry Horse affair on Cranes Park Road but it's the George V on Common Lane that provides darts and Doom Bar, the Secretary prevailing by 4 legs to 3. There are sightings also of Sheldon Country Park and (on Barrows Lane) the local Gospel Hall.

- Staying Alive on the Old Coventry Road -

Evening falls as we reach the main A45 Coventry Road, a mainstay of our marketing efforts down the years with Small Heath and Swan Island already having received prior hub treatment. The chance to add Wells Green to our coverage prompts Chairman D9 into performing a bizarre Bee Gees-themed dance routine in celebration of our arrival here. Whether it was his jive talking or not, the Three Horseshoes faces off against the Wheatsheaf in a battle of the chain pubs (Sizzling versus Toby Carvery).

- Peaky Blinder -

The 957 does its duty for our ride back into Birmingham where flat caps are to the fore during a swift half in the Peaky Blinder - somehow the Secretary doesn't quite look villainous enough to convince as a 1920s gangster. With razor reflexes we return via the tram, pitching up in Bilston for an enjoyable Cafe Metro nightcap and one of the year's most essential explorations is safely in the bag. Cheers!

Moxley, Wednesbury and Friar Park

March's Monday Mission contribution is a mix and match combination of Walsall and Sandwell with very much a make it up as I go along approach - here's the tale of the trip...

- Prince Albert Statue -

It's Monday 2nd March 2015 to be exact as I begin in the centre of Wolverhampton, bidding good morning to the 'man on the horse' in Queen Square. Its strange how I've known this statue all my life yet rarely ever stop to properly look at it, so I put that right with a photo or two today. Prince Albert has looked out across the square since 1866, albeit not continuously from the same spot.

- Moxley Infant School Site -

Leaving the Prince Consort behind, I track down the 79 bus for my ride through Bilston to Moxley. Alighting by the Red Lion on Moxley Road, I can quickly investigate the former Infants School site with a backdrop of All Saints Parish Church. The school was demolished a few years ago so only the gateposts and railings are left to provide a reminder of what was once here. The church meanwhile is an important if rather ominous landmark - it dates from 1851 when surroundings were surely more peaceful compared to having the thundering traffic of the Black Country New Road for company.

- Bull Lane Bridge -

Gritting my teeth in the face of the gusty breeze, I proceed along Bull Lane passing the industrial remains of disused factory frontages. The Walsall Canal awaits at Bull Lane Bridge but the muddiness of the towpath deters me from doing my intended waterside walk - it looks like I'll need to come up with a contingency plan instead...

- Norman Deeley Playing Fields -

What to do now? Well, Wednesbury was close at hand so it made sense to pick up where February's Monday Mission had left off. The Black Country New Road leads me neatly to Bilston Road where the Norman Deeley Playing Fields are named after the locally-born legendary Wolverhampton Wanderers footballer. The Roost and the Old Royal Oak keep the pub pictures ticking over before I emerge near the town's fire station.

- St James the Great, Wednesbury -

One Wednesbury landmark I hadn't really noticed before is the parish church of St. James the Great, situated appropriately enough on St James Street but overshadowed perhaps by the Alligator Storage compound next door. I follow this with the Nelson pub before catching up with construction progress at Wednesbury's new leisure centre where the main framework and excavations continue to take shape.

- Morrisons Artwork -

When it opens, the leisure centre will be a state of the art facility but it's some of the town's older municipal buildings that are next to catch my eye. Holyhead Road is home to the Town Hall and the Museum & Art Gallery while the Old Post Office still has a vintage stamps dispenser inset by the front door. Directly opposite, Morrisons supermarket may be a modern arrival but still offers a nod to heritage with its public art.

- Balls Hill Bridge -

The Coachmakers Arms on Bridge Street is always worth a photo call, especially the tiled panel promoting Woodhall's Old English Ales. Climbing Holloway Bank towards Hill Top, I finally get in that bit of a canal walk I'd promised myself, even though it's only a short stroll along the Tame Valley to Hydes Road. The canal is gun-barrel straight here with pylons adding to the monotony, although Balls Hill Bridge is quite a nice feature connecting with Hampshire Road.

- The Friar Park -

Leaving the towpath at Hydes Road, the Old Mill receives some attention as does the Manor House Museum on Hall Green Road. I can then venture along Crankhall Lane into Friar Park, passing the eponymous pub and a run of local shops. A Lidl supermarket stands on the site of the Coronation, a large roadhouse type pub that was demolished some years ago - I remember previously travelling around here on the 410 bus although the current route number is the 40.

- Bescot Depot -

Onwards I go with Coronation Road providing my approach into the Woods estate, passing the Windmill and another block of shops. I can see the M6 motorway and Bescot Stadium football ground on the horizon as Westmore Way contains a gate access into Bescot Traction Maintenance Depot. The estate itself has county-themed street names with Kent Road completing my loop back into Friar Park.

- St Francis of Assisi -

There are two further local features I now need to account for. Firstly we have what was Manor High School, the vacant buildings closed off with 'Asbestos' scrawled in black paint on the walls. Education ceased on the site following a merger with Menzies High to create the Phoenix Collegiate in Hateley Heath. Secondly comes the unmistakable sight of St Francis of Assisi Church, the Italianate architecture of which really stands out among the residential surroundings with the gilded figure of Saint Francis perched proudly atop the clock tower. My attempted pictures of the church are however interrupted by a vicious hail shower which sends me scurrying down Carrington Road (past the Friar Park Social Club) in hopeful search of shelter.

- The White Hart -

Thankfully the hailstone bombardment doesn't last long and I can press on from Tame Bridge Parkway through the Delves towards Walsall. A lunch stop at Palfrey Park precedes a stroll up Spout Lane into Caldmore where the White Hart remains an excellent landmark with Dutch-style gables overlooking Caldmore Green. St Michael's Church and Bath Street Gardens are among my final targets as I emerge into Walsall town centre to complete my tour - another Monday Mission accomplished!

WME Flickr Focus: February 2015

With January's housekeeping out of the way, February was a month when I could provide the WME Flickr photostream with a few new home furnishings. My strategy was three-fold; extracting some Exploration Extra content, plumping up a few C-themed scatter cushions and bedding in some more bus photographs...

To Exploration Extra first then and we have something of a Welsh invasion, only a small one mind but Welshpool has certainly made its presence felt. The Montgomery Canal has thus provided some scenic charm to complement the drama of Powis Castle, while a further slice of Celtic content comes from Wrexham with its football club shop at the Racecourse Ground. Add in a smattering of Showbus selections and the decor has certainly been refreshed a little.

My alphabetical airings from the tail end of last year were tentatively resumed with the letter C being next in line for some coverage. Appropriately enough, WME Coventry led the charge here with Coundon and Canley to the fore - the Dolphin pub rises out of the archives and is joined by Coundon's local branch library. Elsewhere, some welcome trinkets on WME Telford see Coalport taking pride of place courtesy of the Hay Inclined Plane, the Shakespeare Inn and the Coalport Canal.

Finally we have those bus bookends I mentioned. Stopping up our shelves we find WME Walsall weighing in with the 7A at Castlefort, the 370 at Bloxwich and the 326 at Willenhall, whereas WME Telford tastefully adorns us with the 44 at Madeley and the 24 at Oakengates. The 880 visits Coven over on WME Staffordshire, leaving the honour of final accoutrement to the 533 at Wolverhampton Bus Station. Taken as a whole, these attractive arrivals means the photostream can consider itself reasonably replenished with further furnishings due for deliver in March.

Chasewater with the Chip Foundation

Chip Foundation Chronicles No. 36 comprises a ramble round the reservoir followed by some beer business in Brownhills and Bloxwich. Along the way we gained a cuddly hedgehog while sampling railway halts and real ales...

- All aboard the 10A -

Thursday 26th February and we're underway with a train ride to Walsall, hoping the heavy morning rain will relent in time for our walk. The forecast is an improving one though and conditions do gradually get drier as we catch the 10A to Brownhills West, alighting at the Rising Sun roundabout where the landmark pub remains sadly derelict. Wilkin Road offers a glimpse of the Waterside before we cross the M6 Toll motorway to reach Chasewater Country Park.

- Brownhills West Platform -

A signal box and sidings with mounds of sleepers herald our arrival at Brownhills West Station, the administrative base of the Chasewater Light Railway. Even though our visit was out of season we could still enjoy the station's heritage appeal with vintage luggage, old adverts and even a Hudson's Soap doggy bowl to admire. The tea room is being spruced up ready for the opening gala of 2015, due to take place on Saturday 28th February with events then scheduled to be held throughout the rest of the year.

- Norton Lakeside -

The rain has now completely stopped as we set off on our circuit through to Chasetown. The reservoir looks rather bleak at this time of year, framed by leafless branches with a backdrop of heathland in various shades of brown. We enjoy the walk all the same despite having to contend with the type of muddy puddles that a certain Peppa Pig would wholeheartedly approve of (according to Stephen who seems to be an authority on  such cartoon matters). Crossing the Causeway we reach Norton Lakeside, a desolate halt on a grey day perched between the main reservoir and an offshoot lake known as Jeffrey's Pool or The Swag, 

- End of the Line -

Chasewater Heaths is a more substantial station where the cafe seems to be attracting good trade even in February. There are adverts here for Nordic walking although we proceed in more conventional fashion, squelching our way past rugby pitches to reach the railway terminus at Church Street Halt. The single platform here is largely unheralded but does provide useful access into Chasetown itself.

- Chasetown Chips -

We're heading that way ourselves, primed for lunch and our first pub of the day. Food comes first as we collect some chips and procure a bench at the local park - luckily I managed to get the requisite photograph before a squally shower sent us scampering to a nearby shelter. We can then dry off in the Uxbridge Arms where Netherwood from Barnsley's Acorn Brewery accompanies reflections on England's recent Cricket World Cup progress.

- The Dam Delegation -

We complete our Chasewater walk by covering the section flanking Pool Road, spotting a small herd of deer before crossing the historic reservoir dam and seeing Anglesey Basin on the Wyrley & Essington Canal laid out below. The weather is now bright and blustery as we call into the Chasewater Innovation Centre, the building which partly replaced the old amusements block I remember from childhood. There is something of an art exhibition taking place here but Nick is soon distracted by the furry friends on sale in the gift shop. Before we know it, he's bought himself a little hedgehog and we now have the rest of the afternoon to think up appropriate names for the latest addition to HRH's cuddly menagerie.

- Prickly Pal in the Prince of Wales -

Horace and Horatio appear to be the leading contenders as we move on into Brownhills and the Prince of Wales pub on Watling Street. Some Doom Bar goes down well here as our new companion does some impromptu taste-testing. A short hop back on the 10A then takes us via Ogley Hay corner to Brownhills centre where the miner statue towers over the roundabout by the old town hall.

- Moonshine and Hedgehog -

A steady stroll down Pelsall Road brings us to the Swan, Walsall CAMRA's Pub of the Year no less where there's just time for a swift half of Abbeydale Moonshine and some daytime TV quiz shows. A trio of pubs then await us in Bloxwich, so the Arriva 23 bus connects us door to door from the Swan to the Wheatsheaf (via Mallory Crescent) so that we can inspect a teapot collection.

- Sign of the Showman -

Our primary Bloxwich target though was the new Wetherspoon's which has recently opened in the town's former cinema. Named the Bloxwich Showman in honour of the renowned funfair entrepreneur Pat Collins, I have to say this is a high-quality conversion of an important local building. Our hedgehog chum sniffs out the Thursday 'Curry Club' deals and then we can draw proceedings to a close with some Whitstable Renaissance Ruby Mild in the Turf Tavern, a place that remains as timeless as ever. Cheers!