Highlights from Hereford and Hay

For the August Bank Holiday weekend, Bookworm Bygrave and I escaped to pretty Herefordshire in order to celebrate Emily's recent completion of her epic dissertation. The centrepiece of our three day stay would be a trip across the border into Powys to sample the world renowned book town of Hay on Wye, but there will also be chance to visit some beautiful black and white villages...

- The Tipsy Toad -

This highlights reel begins on Saturday 29th August when we break our drizzly drive down to Hereford with a pit stop in Bromyard. I'd probably not set foot in this unheralded market town since I was a teenager and couldn't remember very much about it, but there is a nice High Street populated by independent businesses and in kinder weather I'd imagine the views across the River Frome valley would be quite something. Dodging the raindrops, we enjoy deluxe hot chocolates and cake courtesy of Brew (a busy little coffee shop) then turn our attention to the Tipsy Toad bar. They definitely run with the toad theme for all that its worth here but it all adds to the fun, especially when you can pose with a cute toadstool toy while supping a pint of Flagon Cider as produced by Robinsons of Tenbury Wells.

- The Ascension Window -

Continuing into Hereford city centre, we hit heavy football traffic passing Edgar Street stadium but thankfully still find a space in a multistorey car park. Our immediate aim is to get around a couple of bookstores before they close for the day, with Emily's prime prey being Oxfam on Broad Street followed by Rossiter's (a really nice shop). A couple of initial literary purchases are made, paving the way for us to savour the spectacle of Hereford Cathedral. This really is one of England's great places of worship and I love the modern St Thomas tapestry, delving into the spooky crypt or marvelling at the Ascension Window. The latter was crafted in striking multicoloured shafts for a mesmeric wave-like effect in tribute to the Special Air Service (SAS).

- The Orange Tree -

Having checked into our accommodation, Saturday evening is spent back in Hereford's main centre grabbing a bite to eat before revisiting a couple of the city's best pubs. The food angle is covered by Leaven, a restaurant specialising in sourdough pizza - we partake of the Tutti al Carni and Capricciosa dishes respectively. The Orange Tree is a homely Black Country Ales establishment on King Street, alive with the sound of multiple conversations although we do find ourselves a quieter corner, then its over to Eign Street for the Beer in Hand. Local cider and perry is well represented including several offerings from Oliver's of Ocle Pychard; I try the Traditional Perry while Emily is on puppy watch, there being a few cute canines about.

- Hay-on-Wye Booksellers -

Sunday is arguably the day the Bookworm has most been looking forward to, when we drive over the Welsh border into Hay on Wye (although a car soundtrack containing 'My Name Is Potato' isn't something Emily would have been expecting). We park up on Oxford Road by the town library and pitch straight into a succession of bookshops - they're absolutely everywhere. Addeyman's Annexe is first up, higgledy-piggledy with hazard tape marking out any carpet trip hazards; apparently this shop is secondary to their main outlet on Lion Street but is stuffed to the ginnels in its own right. It is followed in turn by North Books, Hay Booksellers (sited below the castle with hints of bleached timbers), the sci-fi theme of Bookshop 451 and then a store dedicated to all things Alice in Wonderland.

- The River Wye -

Broad Street has its moments, leaving me completely gobsmacked by the presence of Alan R. Powell's carpentry and joinery workshop, based in a rotting green garage that probably hasn't been painted for the best part of 30 years. The Broad Street Book Centre swiftly presents a whole literary emporium, seemingly with railway titles at every turn, while Emily had spoken glowingly about one specific store beforehand. I can soon see why she rates Richard Booth's Bookshop so highly - it really is a legendary place with creaking staircases and works across three floors, such a joy to rummage around. In between times we indulge in a little wander to look out upon the River Wye, seemingly popular with canoeists when seen from Bridge Street.

- Draught Bass at Kilverts -

Our Hay exertions are also punctuated by amazing ice creams courtesy of Shepherds, where we push the boat out for luxurious double scoop cones topped with sprinkles; the marmalade stracciatella flavour has a tasty citrus tang infused by flecks of dark chocolate. Pubs naturally feature too, in which case we account for three of the town's taverns. The Old Black Lion is slightly away from the main cut and thrust, offering accommodation and serving up huge Yorkshire puddings on its Sunday roasts (not that we were eating). I like the rustic sense presented by the Three Tuns, all flagstones and gnarled beams with a nice pint of Best, whereas Kilvert's delivers decent Draught Bass as we avoid the worst of a nasty shower.

- Weobley Church Sundial -

It would be rude of me to tell you exactly how many books Emily might have bought in Hay but common consensus is that she stayed within her self-imposed limits. Bank Holiday Monday is then dedicated to doing some of the Black & White Villages trail, investigating a succession of gorgeous settlements between Hereford and Leominster. The first of these is Weobley (note to self: it is pronounced 'Web-ley' as if pertaining to spidery thread), where we park by the Old Grammar School and undertake a full circuit of centuries old streets. The Portland Garage has three vintage petrol pumps dispensing gallons of DERV then the Wonky Badger is a charming timbered teashop. A churchyard stroll enables us to admire the sunkissed sundial of St Peter & St Paul's before the Old Salutation has holiday lunchtime trading hours to permit a glass of Weston's Vintage Cider inside its rambling quaint lounge bar.

- Pembridge Sheep? -

Dilwyn awaits next via twisting country lanes where we happen upon a badger carved from an old treetrunk. St Mary the Virgin Church has an associated C of E primary school, and Emily proves an adept sign spotter when detecting a 'Lemster' mileage marker I otherwise wouldn't have noticed myself. The local pub in Dilwyn is the community-owned Crown, a pleasant spot for imbibing of Hop Shed's Sebright Golden Ale. The trail then moves on to Pembridge which straddles the Rhayader-bound A44. My architectural eye is drawn towards Brion Duppa's old almshouses, a charitable relic from the one-time Bishop of Winchester, while another church of St Mary has a detached belfry arrangement plus a curious set of three sculpted sheep.

- The White Swan, Eardisland -

Having photographed that Pembridge flock, we pop into the Red Lion for more refreshment just below the church - framed old gold shirts and signed footballs suggest an unexpected Wolverhampton Wanderers allegiance here so I feel right at home. Last but not least is the nearby village of Eardisland which remarkably Emily starts to recognise as somewhere she'd once stayed at for a friend's stag party. The White Swan counts as a revisit for the Bookworm but a new haunt for me, although we're the only customers to interrupt the landlord's Tipping Point watching brief. The River Arrow burbles past and the churchyard is pretty with drooping trees and mossy headstones. Sadly it's then time to drive home but what a three days we had!

WME Flickr Focus - August 2026

Parched landscapes seem to have been the meteorological theme of the summer, with the unrelenting dryness an inevitable consequence of heatwave conditions. Thankfully the West Midlands Exploration photostream has avoided suffering its own form of drought, meaning I've been able to keep the update tap fully turned on...

There isn't a trickle nor have we a downpour, just a nice steady flow of new arrivals. Gushing forth therefore is Exploration Extra in a "remember me!" kind of fashion, although it is usually the case that my gallery of farther flung photos only ever operates in periodic bursts. It's been a few months since it last saw any action but EE's turn has rolled around again, helped chiefly by a series of snapshots from my 2023 Bognor Regis holiday. Bognor itself weighed in with a David Bowie mural, seafront pebbles and Reynolds & Co furniture depositories, assisted in number by cheerful Chichester for Bishop's Garden flora and a smattering of pub signs.

My stay in Bognor also yielded an intriguing set of Brighton items, including arty depictions of Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse; I also glugged down the Great Eastern pub in North Laine, although one of those pictures dates from the Hove cricketing getaway of 2012. Elsewhere from the Exploration Extra hosepipe comes a cute crab in Bridlington, two Brylaine buses in Boston (Lincolnshire), a trio of Beaumaris titbits covering castle walls and the Bulkeley Hotel, then a 2019 'Nottingtram' Basford brace featuring Watts Van Hire with the Rose & Crown.

Exploration Extra wasn't the only gallery wielding its watering can, although it did dominate much of the monthly action. WME Wolverhampton encountered R2D2 getting clamped by an overzealous traffic warden before adhering to its standard rules about street sign accumulation (courtesy of Westbury Street, Thornley Street and Stafford Street this time around). University buildings offer selected architectural details, Zak the 'Wild in Wolves' Zebra crops up yet again and the Castle pub on Wood End Road ensures we do briefly get away from the city centre.

Beyond Wolverhampton however, there's very little to report at all. My only other pocket of activity comes from WME Worcestershire with three former landmarks that are no longer trading - Richardson's Newsagents at St John's, the Garibaldi pub on Bromyard Road (now flats), and the Cricketers on Angel Street. Admittedly the last of those could come back, and I very much hope it does as I was rather fond of the collection of sporting memorabilia there, but it goes to show how rapidly things can change. See you in September!

Snoopy Spotting in Birmingham

You remember the Snoopy Trail which Bookworm Bygrave and I attempted at Trentham Gardens back in May? It turns out that a similar series of sculptures have now popped up at numerous locations across Birmingham City Centre during the school holidays, so I'd better start collecting the Beagles of Brum!

- The Bookworm meets 'Golden Hound' -

I'm going to be taking two bites of the Peanuts cherry this time around, reacquainting myself with some of the installations Emily and I saw at Trentham whilst also checking out any that haven't been repeated from the Potteries event. The Bookworm is my companion for Round 1, a Tuesday 4th August quizzing evening where we spend an hour finding the likes of 'I Need More Space' (the planetary kennel in Piccadilly Arcade) and 'Grrrrnarly Beach Hut', a seaside specimen found at the Great Western Arcade. One favourite we're particularly pleased to see again is 'Golden Hound' with its gilded shimmer populated by observational depictions of flora and fauna. It is currently based inside the Burlington Arcade near the Bacchus Bar steps.

- 'BowWow Haus' -

Of the installations we hadn't seen previously, 'It's Treat O'Clock' makes a sweet impression in depicting a gingerbread house complete with mini-Snoopy peeking out of an upstairs window, all very Hansel and Gretel! That one resides close to the Town Hall whereas 'BowWow Haus' lurks outside the Stalybridge Suites hotel on Corporation Street, instantly standing out with a design influenced by the Bauhaus movement and the geometric patterns of Piet Mondrian. As for the quiz, the Bookworm and I join friends Zoe and Mike at the Barrel Store for an evening of testing trivia. Fuelled by indulgent pizzas, we finish a respectable 5th just a handful of points behind the eventual winners. Steve Coogan anagrams and a festivals connection round go well but we get stumped by a close-up picture of a stapler - never mind!

- A Bespectacled Bull -

Round 2 of my Snoopy Sweep occurs on Monday 10th August in the company of my Chip Foundation colleagues. Assembling at New Street Station, we're amused to see that Ozzy the big mechanical bull is now adorned with a fetching pair of tinted spectacles which add further lustre to his rock and roll personality. Two of the Snoopys - or should that be Snoopies? - are positioned around the wider station concourse: 'Plant Dreams, Harvest Joy' has a greenhouse windowpane effect near one set of ticket barriers while the fruit tree fun of 'Garden of Delights' requires escalator access up into the malls of Grand Central.

- Mr Beardsmore by the 'Riverbank' -

Moving along to John Bright Street, 'Riverbank' is the next Snoopy to report for inspection and conveys a waterside air, helped by depictions of swans and a wading heron. A dramatic Peaky Blinders mural extends most of the way along Hill Street, capturing the likenesses of favourite characters such as Tommy Shelby and Aunt Polly, while a separate artwork on the Navigation Street bridge references the four original members of Black Sabbath. We're really getting a solid impression of Birmingham's indelible imprint on British popular culture around here.

- 'Tales for Tails' -

Continuing towards the Mailbox, Stephen can put his dodgy knee to the test negotiating flights of steps and escalators as we work our way through Harvey Nichols floors and past the BBC Studios entrance. 'Tales for Tails' is located close to the broadcasting hub and is probably the most amusing of all the Snoopy designs - I love the comical wordplay giving a canine twist to well known literary works and authors, hence Romeo and Drooliet, Woofering Heights, Bark Twain and Fetch 22. My accomplices all approve of this one too so it definitely appeals to our collective sense of silliness!

- Beer Stop at the Botanist -

This being a Chip Foundation get-together, there are bound to be a few refreshment stops along the way. We might have tested out the Sixes 'Social Cricket' concept had it still been trading but the Botanist is close at hand, via Holliday Passage and Bridge Street. I'd never been here before but both Nick and Stephen had vague recollections of prior encounters, maybe even dating back to when it was called the James Brindley. Either way, it boasts a prime location looking out over Regency Wharf and Gas Street Basin, with pricing to match such a prestigious setting. As is his custom, HRH subjects the menu to rigorous analysis - we suspect Mr B wouldn't be a fan of their hanging kebabs but could go for an edible chocolate plantpot as served with its own spade.

- 'Bee More Snoopy!' -

Upon leaving the Botanist, any debate over where else to try is quickly resolved by the merest mention of the Prince of Wales - we've scarcely seen Nick being so decisive! Our Cambridge Street call yields a cracking pint of Teignworthy's Gun Dog Bitter plus considered discussion about the punk and heavy metal musical genres, then it's on with the Snoopy stuff. A second glimpse of Town Hall gingerbread residences precedes a Corporation Street study of 'Bee More Snoopy', inspired by the importance of bumblebees to our natural ecosystem. 

- Sabbath Signage in Scruffy Murphy's -

Our earlier chat about the various forms of rock music has reminded me of a certain venue we really ought to visit so - once 'Fungi's House' has been foraged with its toadstool-capped top - we deviate to Dale End for a slice of Scruffy Murphy's. Formerly the Pen & Wig (which itself hosted many live bands in its time) this place pays due tribute to the gods of heavy metal and boasts an enviable collection of mounted guitars, not forgetting a gallery of silver disc records. Extracting ourselves from soft low sofas (easier said than done), we nip into the Square Peg Wetherspoons to taste the remnants of their recent craft cider festival - cue Hecks Slack-ma-Girdle for me and a Scrummage for HRH. At this juncture we must sadly go our separate ways, albeit with 'BowWow Haus' supplying one final Snoopy sighting. Cheers!

Hub Marketing 2026: Mr D9’s Wombourne Wishlist

The Hub Marketing Board’s summertime saga continues with another of our squeeze-one-in-on-the-sly type outings the Chairman likes to sneak under his dragon’s radar. We have a few leftover strands from last autumn to attend to after our Greensforge Gallop and Wet Weather Wombourne trips still left us with a few South Staffordshire holes, so Mr D9 has issued instructions for a speedy Monday meeting…

- The Student Hub -

Trip Log: Monday 3rd August 2026 and a rendezvous near Wolverhampton Art Gallery has been arranged in the region of 4pm. Chairman D9 must be eager for not only does he arrive earlier than the Secretary, he's taken up a prime position for advertising the Goose's Student Hub credentials - his commitment to the marketing cause is ever unwavering! The plan for the next couple of hours is duly confirmed and we'll proceed with the express intention of mopping up a handful of outlying Wombourne watering holes which have yet to receive a Board visit. 

- D9 drives the 16 -

A Stourbridge-bound number 16 bus is soon on the scene, allowing for top deck views of Market Square reconstruction activities; the new development off Salop Street will apparently be called Smithgate and combines urban living with diverse shops and leisure opportunities. The A449 Penn Road is the recipient of the latest D9 driving masterclass, powering past the Mount Tavern, Hollybush and the Lloyd Hill roundabout into Staffordshire. Wombourne isn't very far and we're under orders to alight at the New Inn, a pub we can't do today even if we wanted to. Sadly this one has been shut for a few months now, which explains why the beer garden looks so overgrown and the building is starting to fall into disrepair; no, our first tipple of the trip will have to be sourced elsewhere...

- Enville Ginger in the Round Oak -

Marching along Ounsdale Road past the Leisure Centre and the adjacent renamed secondary school - now simply called Wombourne High - we reach the Round Oak as invitingly situated alongside the Staffs & Worcs Canal (next to Houndel Bridge). Gleaming glasses of Enville Ginger, a beer with a nice little kick to it, can slake our growing thirst while we home in on a well-ventilated raised rear lounge. On very warm days such as this, it's always a relief when pubs have good fan provision for cooling folk down. Large potplants and trellis-like partition screens add to the garden-like ambience here, plus there are some lovely vintage frosted window panes to give Mr WME his history fix too. A 1980s soundtrack is proving fun until 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' reminds the Chairman of his domestic bliss status!

- Mount Pleasant -

Spicy Enville beer quaffed, we continue on our merry way to guarantee our intended call at the Mount Pleasant. As with the Round Oak, Mr D9 can't remember ever setting foot in this place before although the Secretary has enjoyed some hospitality here previously. The Chairman's wallet is prepped to take advantage of the promotional prices on Carling - it doesn't seem that long ago when £3.95 would have been our most expensive beery outlay, not the cheapest! If the Ounsdale Road boozers were engaging in a tussle for blowy one-upmanship, the Mount Pleasant is ahead on points thanks to a huge industrial fan circulating air around the lounge. We find a mottled brown booth behind a central chimney breast to debate plush toys, bus timetabling matters and generally set the world to rights.  

- The Wombourne Closet Bald Spot -

Retracing earlier footsteps, we hurtle down Windmill Bank where the Chairman’s ever-reliable closet radar detects a toilet block by the maypole sculpture; apparently D9 may have utilised these facilities during his 1990s bus driving shifts, hence the bald spot's sense of nostalgia at being back again. Pub number three awaits whereby the Old Bush is an essential secretarial request being as it fits neatly on the way to our ultimate Red Lion landing point, plus its Black Country Ales-ness makes it a no-brainer with Mr WME in urgent need of some sustenance. Ashover’s Elderflower Ale is a risky selection but the floral flavour thankfully doesn’t become too overpowering while the critical cob is of generous proportions, chunky cheese and onion exactly as I’d been longing for.

- Snug Seating in the Red Lion -

Our finale comes at the musty Red Lion down Battlefield Hill where we both have very fond memories to recall. It’s ticking over reasonably well here for a Monday night with a scattering of folks in the beer garden plus a few stalwart barflies to keep the tills ringing. We collect a pint of Holden’s Golden Glow each - top quality ones at that - and bonus packets of Gill’s white label pork scratchings before parking ourselves on the table which nudges inside the lounge hearth. This half of the pub is particularly homely, you just need to be careful not to wallop your bonce when standing up - ouch! All that then remains is a sprightly A449 scurry to the Billy Bunns Lane bus stop and our mopping-up mission is declared a success. Cheers!