WME Flickr Focus - January 2026

Photostream felicitations to you as 2026 is already a whole month old. Hopefully any January blues are starting to dissipate and we can all look forward to shorter nights plus warmer temperatures on the horizon. Encouragingly, the last few weeks have been ones of positive pictorial progress - here's the latest...

Stealing the New Year limelight is WME Dudley which ushers forth a deluge of Delph dealings from the environs of Brierley Hill. The Bull & Bladder pub is a muse I'm always happy to gaze upon again so forgive me for an obsession with beer-related Bathams Brewery lettering, whether this be for Mild, Bitter or the on-site Hop Room. Street signs increasingly come as standard where my archive is concerned so Thorns Avenue and The Goss make their combined presences felt, and I can't publish items from The Delph without drawing upon the famous canal flight and its associated boozer (The Tenth Lock). A sprinkle of Dudley town centre offerings add more bulk, with an emphasis on Duncan Edwards's statue.

Secondly, let's swiftly consider WME Shropshire where I've been decisive in Ditherington thanks to sacks of dominoes and a Long Row street sign. They feed into my general Shrewsbury album alongside four Coleham contenders, the lanes Salters and Egland being joined by the glorious Bass lamps of the Cross Foxes. Craven Arms meanwhile furnishes us with farming possibilities in the form of Morris Corfield's tractor dealership, almost agricultural!

WME Wolverhampton is usually pretty active and January was especially productive for the insertion of tweaked pictures i.e. ones that didn't initially meet my extensive quality control expectations and required remedial surgery. George Street tiles, Pool Hall golden leaves and Springfield Campus construction banners all benefit from such extra editing, whereas Dixon Street mosaic basketballers and Connaught House flat namings made the cut at the first time of asking. The legendary tree growing in the gents of the Combermere Arms also makes an appearance, joining Compton's Oddfellows in my Wulfrunian assemblings.

Elsewhere, there have been stirrings from WME Sandwell - most notably involving the Midland Electric Power Company frontage on Reddal Hill Road in Cradley Heath - and from good old WME Birmingham which bashfully recruits the Deritend Fish & Chips shop on account of its vintage Pepsi branding. Brum also bagged itself an Allison Street snippet down in Digbeth and an encounter with Lock Six on the Ashted Flight (near Curzon Street) for a canal candidate whereas Sandwell summoned a Galton Valley metallic portrait.

To the surrounding shires now, with WME Staffordshire apparently active in Lower Penn and Trescott (cue Dene Road, Shop Lane and yet another canine artwork). WME Worcestershire wiggles through a River Severn scene at Bewdley before allowing WME Warwickshire to claim the stage via a couple of Curdworth Locks. All that remains is a brief mention for WME Coventry and its acquired piece of James Starley street art and you can consider yourselves fully in the know. Until February, enjoy the pictures!

Glugging Around Gornal: A January Jaunt

Foundation Assemble! Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to raid the pubs and taverns of deepest Gornal in search of ale, cobs and merriment. Will you be up to the task? There's only one way to find out...

- The Jolly Crispin -

The first Chip Foundation outing of 2026 stands to be a wet one. His Majesty has requested an extended Glugging Around Gornal session as a follow up to December's calendar unveiling affair, during which we spotted a Stripey Oss among other things. Several of our old favourites are in line to be revisited in the rain, starting with the Jolly Crispin on Clarence Street. Indeed, Nick has forged ahead to claim a prime table in the rustic old bar and is happily clutching his Ossett White Rat by the time Stephen, Ken and I pitch up off the number 1 bus. Promising a festival of beer everyday, this used to be the Fownes Brewery tap but now functions as a free house that - if the date on the paintwork is to be believed - first got going circa 1820.

- Britannia Buddies -

Conversation about Eastbourne holidays, Beardsmore tenants and the recent snowy weather prepares us for a stroll down the road to collect that other Upper Gornal mainstay, namely the Britannia. Some of us were only here last month but it's always a joy to return, especially if there is Batham's Best Bitter in the offing. HRH goes rogue by sampling the Mild - which he rates very highly - and we find ourselves budging in amongst the regulars in the main bar due to Sally's Parlour room being used for interviews. One of the barmaids is working wonders in getting a roaring fire fully stoked up, just what you need on a chilly grey day in January. We mostly gloss over our Ashes cricket reflections (probably too traumatic for poor Stephen to contemplate) and instead debate Greenland developments plus the general rate of inflation.

- Cheers from the Chapel House -

Gornal can be a hilly challenge so we're wisely going down into Lower Gornal rather than attempting any mountaineering in the other direction. Holloway Street and Ruiton Street thus bring us safely to the Chapel House, an establishment we last frequented together way back in December 2010. It was called the Miners Arms at that point but has reverted to an earlier name as well as having its external render removed to showcase the underlying sandstone; Holden's have owned the place since around 1949 hence their range of Bitter, Special and Golden Glow is on hand to tempt us. The locals are playing darts (complete with electronic voiceover) at the front of the pub so we sit near the back, Ken being quizmaster in finding us various BBC football questions to answer based on rounds in Richard Osman's House of Games, Only Connect and Mastermind. Getting 'Trent Alexander Arnoldham' as an Answer Smash might be my finest moment of the day!

- The Fountain Inn -

The next couple of watering holes shouldn't require too much of an introduction, both having been recorded in the annals of my blogdom several times over the years. Passing the edges of St James's Churchyard - where most of the graves look very well cared for - we reach the Fountain as positioned in a sloping formation halfway along Temple Street. For many editions this was a Good Beer Guide shoo-in and we're pleased to report that the quality and breadth of the ale range is hitting the heights still. His Majesty considers himself to be a Fallen Angel (no comment) whereas I simply can't resist the Abbeydale Irish Cream Stout which tastes like a heavenly mixture of Baileys and Guinness. Stephen by this stage is so replete with Pepsi that he can't face another half and prefers to concentrate on munching a much appreciated sausage roll. A comfortable lounge table beckons for Bridge of Lies as the daytime diet of endless quiz shows gets into full swing.

- The Old Bull's Head -

Leaving Ross Kemp to his brooding hosting duties, we switch straight across the road into the Old Bull's Head which also happens to be the Black Country Ales flagship. The company has gone from strength to strength since being founded in 1999 and now owns over 50 taphouses with more being added to the estate each year. Gornal however is their spiritual home so it's always a pleasure to pop by and pick from whichever beers they have on show, which today includes their standard BFG, Fireside and Pig on the Wall plus several guests. I personally partake of Oakham's Hell Bent Coffee Porter which has a pronounced roasted bitterness to match well with some bargain vegetable samosas. The front two rooms have been knocked into one but its an inviting space, decorated in the company's house style and lending itself to deep conversation with a background hint of Smooth Radio. 

- Bush Brethren -

From the Old Bull's Head, we continue our descent past Gornal Wood Bus Station to reach the third of the Gornal communities (Upper, Lower and Wood). The Woodman doesn't look open and has a planning notice sellotaped up by the front door so we hope this isn't terminal; thankfully the Bush Inn on Summit Place is very much alive and kicking. This is a cottagey number that can go under the radar a little compared to the cask ale heavyweights nearby although it's definitely worth seeking out. A tight cask range gives us a choice between St Austell Proper Job or Exmoor Gold - South West beers in the heart of the Black Country - before we park ourselves in the little front snug surrounded by heavily blackened beams. Having settled in, Ken gives us the back story to his new coat purchase and we deliberate over what might become of Wolverhampton Wanderers once relegation is confirmed.

- Milk Stout Moments in PACK -

I make that six Gornal stopping points duly accounted for, a glorious half dozen that covered three local breweries and some excellent independent houses. The 27A bus collects us from Gornal Wood Bus Station at 17:13 for a ride via The Straits (the Longfellow Road variation), Sedgley, the Northway estate and Goldthorn Park. Back in Wolverhampton by 6pm, we finish off at PACK to see what the chaps make of the city centre's latest bar arrival. As with Mr D9 last week, impressions are very favourable with Nick's eyes predictably lighting up at the sight of the table football machine upstairs. Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout is the perfect smooth finale to a day of high class beer, and the first floor soft sofa area also scores highly. Cheers!

Mr D9's January Jumble

If at first you don't succeed... rearrange your Hub Marketing plans! After the snows of Storm Goretti forced the postponement of our originally intended meeting on Friday 9th January, Board members soon sorted out an alternative slot in order to stage their first trip of 2026. Wednesday 14th January will be the day in question with the backstreets of Wolverhampton nominated as our pubcrawl destination...

- Not the Chairman (or so he says) -

Happy New Hub Marketing Year! We begin our tale with the Secretary meeting another noted accomplice (namely Mr Beardsmore) for lunch at Tunwall's, a cafe housed in the former Lindy Lou shop on Wolverhampton's Victoria Street. This beguiling building should be very familiar to generations of Wulfrunians, and it's lovely to sit upstairs tucking into sausages, beans and chips among the carved beams. Embroidered Wolves-head seats and a gallery of manga-like sketches add extra curiosity value while one of the rooms has become the new home of the Stay Loose record shop, creating a community hub all under one rather historic roof. Chapel Ash then supplies seasonal street art in the form of the Grinch and a warmly-attired Snoopy.

- This is the Chairman, pondering PACK -

The main Hub Marketing action commences after 4pm, whereby Messrs D9 and WME intend on converging at PACK on Queen Square. This new pub venture stands for Perfect Ale Cask & Keg and launched to much acclaim last November. Based in a disused KFC store - or for older residents the former Mike Lloyd Music shop - it boasts an extensive range of up to 27 beers, while having an interesting collection of steampunk artefacts and fearsome handheld drills dotted about. The Secretary arrives first, furnishes himself with a pint of Bristol Beer Factory's excellent Espresso Martini Stout and explores more of the interior, including a first floor area displaying reclaimed pub signs. The Chairman maintains hub decorum by turning up fashionably late but soon settles in with his glass of Tiny Rebel's Cwtch Welsh Red Ale.

- Jacks Cafe & Bar -

PACK certainly made a positive impression there and it's highly likely we'll stage more visits in future. For now though the backstreets beckon, with the Secretary's nose for a surprise taking us beyond the St John's Retail Park to Frederick Street, Just along from the ex-Star Works car factory (latterly KK's Steel Mill venue for live rock music) is Jacks Cafe & Bar, itself situated in premises that could best be described as industrial. The corrugated beige frontage belies a comfortable interior that majors on food with Indian leanings; they open early for breakfast orders before curries take over in the afternoon and evenings. We call in for a Carling each, sitting by the pool table and revealing more of the treasured 2026 Hub Calendar - Ashmore Park bald spots and Penn Hospital battered sausages may feature heavily!

- Charles Pemberton Rowbottom III's Review of 2025 -

Where next? Well, a little sidestreet shimmy brings us swiftly to Graiseley Row where the Kaz Bar awaits amongst rudimentary workshops and engineering firms. Smoke from a major fire in nearby Blakenhall pervades the air as we check out what used to be the Queens Arms, which hosted CAMRA meetings back in the early days of the Wolverhampton branch (a certain HRH possibly attended some of those). Lager is the go-to drink here these days and despite a few detectable Bollywood trappings, it's nevertheless easy to envisage this being a proper boozer brimming with a simple traditional feel. As such, esteemed Hub Founder Charles Pemberton Rowbottom III grants us with his presence to deliver his 2025 Review of the Year speech, in between bouts of snoring and dozing off. He only gets exhumed for special occasions!

- Smiling Secretary Going Golden -

The Secretary's sleeves are proving productive this evening and he's got another gem lined up tucked away off Lea Road. The Oaklands Bowling & Social Club originated in 1904 and had croquet as part of its remit, although I can't imagine Wolverhampton being a hotbed for that anymore. Latterly the clubhouse premises has operated as the Golden Bar & Grill, making it another curry contender very much in keeping with our theme for the evening. Mr D9 drools upon seeing a vintage green Banks's sign and is delighted once we get inside to sample yet more Carling, sitting below large screens showing the Masters snooker and noting some sparkle from leftover festive tinsel. The extended process of calendar unveiling is finally completed with pictures representing Birmingham reindeer and Telford estate pubs.

- D9 Drives Home -

After going Golden, we relocate to the Bruford Arms in Penn Fields which last received a Hub Marketing visit on our Pintathlon outing during the 2012 Olympics. A mere thirteen and a half years later, we're belatedly back again so that Charles Pemberton Rowbottom can declare the 2026 Hub Awards: Pub of the Year was Penn's Fox & Goose, the Dive could only ever be the Mallard at Brookside, and the Cafe of the Year was a close call between Penny's, the Coffee Pot and the New Stadium greasy spoon at Longford (the Bradmore option just about edged it). With all formalities duly administered, we leave CPR to soak up the Bruford's musty ambiance and catch the 2 into town care of some D9 driving - he's lost none of his steering skill has the Chairman although the bald spot was gleaming at times. A closing nightcap at the Mountain Bar & Grill on Queen Street seals the deal and we're underway for another year. Cheers!

Cultural Cogitations in the Second City

For my first full outing of 2026, I find myself bound for Birmingham to catch up with Bookworm Bygrave ready to immerse ourselves in the city's cultural highlights. There might be reindeer, there might be exhibitions, there might even be dipping gravy...

- Rudolph's Remarkable Glittery Nose -

Trip Log: Saturday 3rd January 2026 whereby overnight snow to the west of Wolverhampton has us changing tack from our original Telford intentions. A Birmingham rendezvous sounds sensible, especially if there's scope to visit a couple of Second City attractions I'd not covered previously, so we arrange to meet by the Bull Ring bull statue just after 11 o'clock. The first bit of business on our revised itinerary is to seek out the remaining reindeer sculptures we hadn't hitherto accounted for, even if this does mean me having to brave department stores and busy shopping malls. I might not be in my natural environment but the enduring of escalators does pay off when we track down Rudolph inside Selfridges, complete with a very sparkly snout.

- The Bookworm meets Blitzen -

In fairness, Selfridges does have other compensations thanks to the presence of Build a Bear mascots, Paddington's marmalade sandwiches bench and a giant yellow helper gnome called Gordon (possibly the most popular member of the store's workforce). Chai latte tea is a frothily fun novelty when we partake of cake at the Medicine Bakery concession - my Pistachio Rocky Road slice doesn't skimp as regards chewy marshmallow pieces - and it's lovely listening in as Emily recounts details of spending New Year with her family. Next up come the slightly less prestigious surroundings of Primark where Blitzen takes some finding, requiring a mooch past a Disney Cafe and up onto the top floor. A superhero look to this design includes a lightning bolt while the trail once again looks to raise awareness for the Children's Hospital Charity.

- New Nativity at St Philip's Cathedral -

With an admiring nod to Vixen as sited within the Burlington Arcade, we progress to St Philip's Cathedral where I'm trying to remember if I've ever fully set foot inside it before. We're initially lured in by a lobby Christmas tree adorned with paper-like peace doves, then the spectacle of the full interior takes over. Whilst it may lack the medieval majesty and sheer size of Hereford or Gloucester's equivalents, this is a special space purpose-built in the English Baroque style. Four stained glass windows designed by the emiment Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones are nothing short of magnificent while the resident organ boasts a variety of knobs to control the swell, pedal and choir settings. We're particuarly drawn to the New Nativity figures of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the Shepherds as crafted by Melanie Tomlinson; they've been freshly installed for the current festive season, reinforcing a true sense of Christmas.

- Ozzy Osbourne Exhibition Entrance -

After a curiosity-curing call at the Arcade Bar (a place dominated by immersive Formula One racing simulations with a full-sized car suspended from the ceiling), we continue our cultural remit care of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery off Chamberlain Square. Having first opened in 1885 thanks to donations from the Tangye family of industrialists, the gallery complex offers an insightful peek into the city's history as well as housing world-renowned collections. We weave up an entrance staircase studded with mosaic inserts to reach the Round Room - currently featuring 'One Fresh Take' to give a sense of how art allows us to view the world differently - and then explore the tribute exhibition to Ozzy Osbourne. This is a fascinating retrospective on the musician's career, with gig photos, framed platinum discs and chosen quotations from a man who merely saw himself as an ordinary guy from Aston.

- Seeking the Staffordshire Hoard -

'Ozzy Osbourne; Working Class Hero' generated such public interest that it was extended by more than three months, although the display is due to close on Sunday 18th January. Two of the gallery's other big draws also require our attentions, namely the Pre-Raphaelite Collection and the Staffordshire Hoard. The former contains captivating works by the likes of Ford Madox Brown, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the aforementioned Burne-Jones then the latter presents astounding historical artefacts as found in a field near Hammerwich back in the summer of 2009. To see some of the craftsmanship up close is a real thrill, and we are both genuinely amazed at the level of skill involved in producing exquisite gold, silver and other precious items using Anglo Saxon technology mostly dating from the 7th century. I'm debating whether Emily would be well suited to a gilded bristled helmet with swords!

- Several Queens Victoria -

Elsewhere, we ponder intricate buttons and a recreated 1930s kitchen among the History of Birmingham displays, and reflect on the contentious nature of some of the Elephant Room's objects, whether these be taxidermy of rare birds or items plundered under the darker aspects of the British Empire. The Made in Birmingham area is fun, presenting a greasy spoon menu peg board and an A-Z of local connections - I especially approve of 'C is for Cob', quite right! The splendour of the Edwardian Tearoom is an ideal setting for a relaxing hot chocolate as we commandeer a stately sofa and chat about all that we've seen. A quintet of replica statues of Queen Victoria in Britannia-styled helmets stands on the mezzanine level having originally been conceived for the Birmingham 2022 Festival alongside the Commonwealth Games.

- The Bookworm Gets Schlossed -

All these cultural contemplations do help you to work up a thirst so Albert's Schloss is happily on hand nearby for a sophisticated take on an Alpine-themed bar. Fireboxes, live music and hints of continental style add to the flavour while the beer options are very tempting, resulting in me dabbling in a dark Dunkel brew courtesy of Erdinger. Birmingham is busying up with its famed Saturday nightlife as we progress to Brindley Place for the Cosy Club, savouring a relaxed meal of Smash Burgers or Cod in a creamy caper sauce - I declare myself rather partial to the idea of dipping gravy whereas Emily approves of her chunky chips. News that Wolves have remarkably beaten West Ham 3-0 for their long-awaited first win of the season filters though, prompting a closing Craven Arms celebration over a glass of Monty's Mischief. We chat pubcrawls with friendly folks at an adjacent table then reluctantly catch our trains home. Whether in sunshine or snow, Birmingham makes for magical memories. Cheers!