Station Surveillance with the Chip Foundation

Episode 95 of the Chip Foundation Chronicles is a momentous day without question. Not only are we marking Ken's recent 76th birthday, we're also celebrating the much-trumpeted reopening of the Camp Hill Line set of railway stations over in Birmingham...

- Camp Hill Line, here we come! -

Trip Log: Monday 27th April 2026 and the remit is simple. Start at Birmingham New Street and cover each station in turn, picking out a pub (ideally one of the closest) at every stop along the way. Ken, Stephen and I convene at Wolverhampton over thoughts of Trent Bridge cricketing prospects - the consensus being that the match between Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire is highly likely to be a draw - before joining Nick on Platform 11a in Brum. Our steed arrives on time for its 10:57 departure, one of the orange and purple liveried Class 196 DMU units, and we board with something approaching genuine excitement. Passenger services ended on the original version of the Camp Hill Line due to wartime economic measures in 1941 so when the timetable was reinstated on Tuesday 7th April it ended a gap of nigh on 85 years.

- Moseley Village -

Upon leaving Birmingham, the train offers views of Millennum Point and then sweeps in an arc over Garrison Street to enter a cutting immediately beside the St Andrews football ground (a place Ken knows very well). The rooftops of Balsall Heath provide a new perspective on this part of town, and after a journey that took us all of nine minutes we pull into Moseley Village just as a systems guy checks the fire alarm for appropriate evacuation messages. Thankfully we're not expected to make an urgent exit and can merrily peruse the two platforms as they stretch towards Woodbridge Road. The original tunnel is pleasing on the eye and there's an extensive forecourt area with huge pots and a paved seating space, although vehicular provision amounts to a drop-off zone with little scope for car parking.

- St Mary's Church -

The station is ideally located close to the heart of Moseley hence a very short walk is all that's required to take us along St Mary's Row past the parish church. Pretty tulips add colour to the triangular patch on the junction with Alcester Road, and our attempts to explore Moseley Park are foiled because we don't have a subscribers fob to hand; admittedly the park is open to all on Wednesdays so I've made a mental note of that for future reference. Pub number one has a special resonance for Ken because he used to play chess here regularly in the 1980s - yes, it's the Fighting Cocks bang on midday opening time. Dating from the Edwardian era (1903 or thereabouts), this is a spectacular example of the Arts and Crafts style whereby I particularly like the weather barometers and a double faced clock. We funnel inside for more architectural marvelling, obtaining halves of Moseley Pale by Birmingham Brewing to slake our collective thirst. The prices are on the steep side and things are quiet - it is a Monday after all - but as a homage to Mr May's pastimes this is a very good fit.

- Kings Heath Station -

Ordinarily we might have hopped on a passing number 50 bus down to Kings Heath but the train needs to take the strain today. The 13:08 working does the trick for the briefest of rides; literally no sooner have we sat down and passed through Moseley Tunnel than we're up again preparing to alight. The new Kings Heath Station has been built on the site of the old one, i.e. at the northern end of the High Street, with orientation arrows pointing out potential for direct access into neighbouring Highbury Park. There are two full length platforms able to handle the four carriage set-up currently used on the line, and although footfall has been slack today it's good to know that capacity is in place should the half-hourly service really take off. The A435 can get really busy around here so there are warnings that the main road should not be used as a dropping off point; any intending passengers should note there isn't a car park.

- Stephen at The Station -

If the Fighting Cocks was an easy decision for choice of watering hole in Moseley, the same can be said of the Station in Kings Heath - the clue is in the name really. We'd done this one before (back in 2012 and also on one of our Cricketing Conclusion September sessions) but a revisit is more than worthwhile, calling in for Timothy Taylor's Landlord in a setting that makes much of its longstanding commitment to the local music scene. Monochrome photographs of musicians adorn the walls and our eyes can also try to cope with vivid green leaf patterned wallpaper, not to mention a cow's head on a shield. Mr B is keeping us up to date with the latest developments at Trent Bridge where Warwickshire have yet to take a wicket.

- Pineapple Road -

The third Camp Hill Line station is now in our sights, this being the exotic-sounding Pineapple Road although it's debatable how tropical the border between Kings Heath and Stirchley might be. Another blink-and-you-miss-it two minute voyage brings us to a stop that might hopefully grow to look nicer over time. At the moment, one side of the tracks presents bare earth where fledgling trees are being planted while the Brum-bound platform has bands of brown blocks which certainly aren't the most visually appealing construction material in the world. Whereas Moseley and Kings Heath are both directly competing with very frequent bus routes, this one arguably has more of a residential catchment to tap into. The two stairwell-cum-lift shafts give feature entrances onto Cartland Road then there is a hairpin driveway off Pineapple Rd itself.

- His Majesty at The Hazelwell -

My pub picks have been praised thus far but things could come unstuck at this juncture. The closest boozer give or take is the Hazelwell, a Sizzling roadhouse just off the Outer Circle bus route which does have a hint of Brewers Tudor about its frontage but is otherwise an ordinary pub. We give it a whirl regardless, catching some of the epic Higgins vs O'Sullivan clash of the snooker titans from the Crucible. They might not serve real ale here but what they do have are cheap Monday deals - cue John Smiths and Thatchers Cider at reduced rates, and suddenly my accomplices are rather taking to the place. So much so in fact that we decide to stay for a late lunch, meaning Ken and Nick feel all fishy whereas Stephen and I go for the gammon, resulting in the actual witnessing of pineapple being consumed on Pineapple Road. These things must happen for a reason and we finish feeding in time to scamper for the 15:42 train.

- End of the Line: Kings Norton -

Historically speaking, Pineapple Road station used to be known as Hazelwell and a rusting relic of an old footbridge (now overgrown with weeds) is a clinging remnant of former times. Remarkably, the ride to Kings Norton - where the line terminates - is one of the longest of the day, using up precisely three minutes or 180 seconds of our valuable time. I've been travelling the West Midlands railway network for the best part of thirty years and for much of that period it's been the same old stops with the same old sights so to actually have something new to explore has turned me into the proverbial kid in a sweetshop - it's been wonderful. I wish the Camp Hill Line every success: welcome back to the fold!

- A Cotteridge Conclusion -

A pub per station is still the instruction so Kings Norton's contribution will be the Navigation, a once-tired looking number which has gained a new lease of life courtesy of Wetherspoons. A sprawling interior has well over 200 tables so they can squeeze in a lot of people, just as well given how busy it is; we end up perched close to the food servery meaning Stephen has to stoically witness chips being paraded across the room at regular intervals. A sunkissed stroll along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal allows a welcome sighting of Kings Norton Junction before we land up in the Grant Arms on Pershore Road, a classic Cotteridge roadhouse which is part of the Craft Union chain. Keenly priced John Smiths and cricketing chat helps us blend in with the swarms of regulars, such a contrast from the quietness of the Fighting Cocks. The number 45 bus spirits us back into Birmingham and our Camp Hill celebration is complete!

WME Flickr Focus - April 2026

What do Stanley Matthews, Funnybones, Ma Pardoe's and ominous man trap warnings have in common? Answer: they've all provided the inspiration behind new additions to the West Midlands Exploration photostream in April. It's been a fruitful month, not quite prolific but with enough updates for me to get my teeth into - here's the latest...

For the first time in 2026, my summary spoutings start with WME Wolverhampton which has surged back to prominence. Underpinning this startling return to form have been pictures of Mander Centre murals, Oxley sidestreets (good old Atlas Croft), Penn Fields pints (high quality porter at the Starting Gate micropub) and hints of Hanbury Tennis Club. Peel Street's car park recesses have become a reliable source of street art interest including everyone's favourite cartoon skeleton, and there's even a Park Dale bollard if that floats your boat!

WME Dudley has been irrepressible this year and Wolverhampton's busy period can't totally put it in the shade. I love the Old Swan - Ma Pardoe's to its mates - in Netherton so I'm very pleased to record more of its iconic lettering for photostream posterity. Less exciting are some street signs from Oldswinford and Oldnall (Seymour Road, Racecourse Lane) but two balance beam bits from Park Head Locks redress the balance just a little. My mind however keeps on drifting back to thoughts of Bumblehole Bitter at a certain legendary watering hole...

Next up I should make a point of celebrating WME Walsall which has finally broken its duck for the year. I won't go crazily overboard about photos of Paddock Lane (The Chuckery) or a New Invention Brewery banner but slow progress is better than none at all. Also inching forth in a very gentle fashion is WME Coventry, nabbing the Nugget at Coundon Green for a slice of corporate Sizzling pub branding. Memories of Mr D9 attempting Bobby Crush impressions resonate from that particular boozer, I think my brain must be scarred for life after that!

Having mentioned Coventry I might as well hop across the county boundary and check up on WME Warwickshire. Ah, this is where those man traps threaten to grab us thanks to rustic notices on a barn in Old Milverton; I seemed to have a random thing for walls that day if my two other contributions from that small settlement are anything to go by. Sticking to a shires remit momentarily, WME Staffordshire presents Penkhull caricatures of The Potteries' most famous footballer (Sir Stanley, that's you) aided by a Norton Canes memorial tablet before WME Worcestershire mucks in with more of Malvern including a Whatley Recordon clock.

Our stragglers among the April showers are the unlikely combination of WME Birmingham plus WME Telford & Wrekin. Brum nabs two ladder-related street art segments at Newtown Swimming Baths, not forgetting a traditional Moor Pool street sign, whereas Telford positively plunders Newport for glimpses of Silverdale Close and Greenfields Drive. A vintage-styled Joules beermat at the New Inn seals the deal so - until next time - enjoy the pictures!

Station Surveillance with Towpath Turpin

Artemis II might have cast glances upon the far side of the moon but if you want edgy exploration what you really need is hardcore Black Country business with our resident royal. News that two local railway stations have reopened after a 60 year gap impelled us to take to the tracks...

These are exciting times for West Midlands transport developments. The Camp Hill Line has been reinstated for passenger services after an 80 year hiatus (we hope to report on Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road happenings in due course) while the Midland Metro tram network is being expanded in both Birmingham and Dudley. This particular trip is however dedicated to another key achievement in that two Walsall area stations are fully operational again. Darlaston and Willenhall lost their provision under the Beeching Cuts in 1965 and so finally in 2026 their rightful spots on the railway system have been resurrected.

- Darlaston Station -

Both of these new Black Country halts are currently being covered by an hourly frequency on the Shrewsbury to Birmingham via Tame Bridge Parkway service (admitting that at this stage there isn't a direct link into Walsall itself). Nick and I board the 10:55 Wolverhampton departure for an 11 minute journey into Darlaston, noting Heath Town, Deans Road and the Noose Lane level crossing along the way. Alighting on time at 11:06, we're immediately impressed by the scale of the facilities that have been built; Darlaston Station is a substantial affair above and beyond the basic halt we might have expected. Two platforms can each handle four carriage sets and a fully accessible liftshaft-cum-footbridge has been installed, plus there is ample car parking. Principal access is via Cemetery Road (off Bentley Mill Way) with a pedestrian gap onto Kendrick Road should you need it. 

- Steelworks Clues -

It is worth stating that the station is positioned at James Bridge, very close to the location of the original Victorian-era halt which functioned from 1837 to 1965. This does mean it is a fair distance from the town centre so a bus ride or a good walk might be required. Nick and I have beer matters in mind as usual, meaning our target is the Chestnut Tree on Axletree Way, part of the Junction 9 retail park complex beside the M6 motorway in Wednesbury. Much of the land hereabouts used to be part of the FH Lloyd steel foundry, the company being a major employer until succumbing to rationalisation of the industry in the 1980s. Two ornamental gates offer a nod to the past while the pub is nothing to write home about, a corporate Marstons carvery affair with a penchant for serving extra crispy roast potatoes.

- Charles Richards Imperial Works -

I have higher hopes for our second port of call although getting there involves seeing more of Darlaston's industrial underbelly. Given that HRH is used to the refined airs of Warwickshire these days, derelict factories and backstreet lock-ups can come as a culture shock with Heath Road entirely lacking in any kind of glamour. That's not to say there aren't items of interest here, most prominently the Imperial Works where Charles Richards & Sons were nut and bolt manufacturers of some renown. The firm was another casualty of the 1980s I'm afraid since when the factory has effectively lain empty, its ominous frontage still dominating this portion of Darlaston Green complete with some rather fine lettering. 

- A Crusty Cob -

 To The Crescent we next trot for the Robin Hood, easily our favourite pub of the day and my 11th stamp towards the 2026 Black Country Ales trail. An archery session is underway on an adjacent field so Nick wonders whether the participants improve their aim once they've had a pint or two - if it's anything like my darts, a calming ale could be a very good thing! Speaking of which, my Mallinsons Taiheke is a rather nice 3.8%er accompanied by a tiger bap cheese and onion cob - I like the burnt crusty cheesy pieces on top of the roll. A minibus tour sweeps in just after us and commandeers the inkpad so I have to slink back afterwards and hope the barmaid remembers my face - thankfully she does and my passport is duly decorated.

- James Bridge Aqueduct -

I've promised Nick a waterways segment so that he can reprise his role as Towpath Turpin, although if he's expecting improving vistas he'll be sorely disappointed. We cover a Walsall Canal segment from Bughole Bridge to James Bridge Aqueduct, passing under ramshackle works bridges that have been declared unsafe to deter would-be climbers. COVID microbe art is still detectable in places before I explain the significance of Forster Bridge as the gateway to the Anson Branch (which sadly looks that little bit more overgrown every time I see it). Both of us approve of the aqueduct's venerable heritage, carrying the canal over road and river, in this case the Tame. The best view is from Bentley Mill Way for a full appreciation of its twin arches and a Roman numeral date inscription for the year 1797. 

- A Willenhall Station Welcome -

Skipping back past James Bridge Cemetery and its pretty cherry blossoms, we linger again at Darlaston Station awaiting the 14:46 train. Willenhall is merely three minutes away so it isn't even worth sitting down, and we can soon survey our second new transport tick of the day. I must say this facility is a delight to visit, what with lock artwork giving it an additional edge aesthetically; Ideas, Growth and Innovation wording promotes positivity with lightbulb motifs very noticeable. Passengers have a choice of steps or a zigzag ramp onto Bilston Street, and again there are substantial liftshafts. Nick meanwhile is very excited by a British Railways-era running in board which might have been salvaged from the original station many moons ago; even if it is a faithful reproduction it certainly looks the part!

- Grinning in Gilbert's -

Willenhall's pub prospects have taken quite a battering in recent years with its Wetherspoons (The Malthouse) shutting and that real ale stalwart the Falcon also falling by the wayside. I'll therefore need to be creative to find us some interesting watering holes, beginning with the wildest of wildcards known as Gilbert's. Positioned on Field Street, it presumably must have been a members club of some description but is nowadays open to all and seems a friendly place. Dartboards are very much part of the attraction - they have at least four - and ITV's Grand National coverage from Aintree has many of the regulars transfixed. We partake of Weston's Vintage Cider and sit by the trophy shelf admiring movie star illustrations and motorbike diagrams. I sense Mr D9 would absolutely love it here...

- Who Wears The Crown? -

Elsewhere in Willenhall are a trio of previous Paul haunts each earning another airing. The Three Crowns is very much in horse racing mode, packed out with punters who aren't shy of having a flutter on the geegees. So full is it inside that we take our respective glasses of New Zealand Pale and Ossett White Rat out onto the rear patio, listening in as 'I Am Maximus' wins the famous old steeplechase. I should mention that the ale here is top drawer as befits entry in the 2026 Good Beer Guide. A trio of regal headpieces is not enough for our Nick so a separate call into the Crown on Cheapside tops up the coronet contingent, albeit much of the apparent draught offer is out of stock. We settle for Guinness and Marstons Smooth for the sake of admiring an unspoiled interior (the less said about the throwback outhouse gents loos the better), and the final say goes to a very busy Royal George for Golden Glow and Backyard Blonde overlooking the 529 bus stop. HRH's carriage home then awaits (a.k.a. the 18:03 to Birmingham New Street), and those two railway arrivals can consider themselves christened!

Waterways Walks: Lowsonford and Preston Bagot

Excellent weather over the Easter holidays needs to be maximised and what finer way of passing the time is there than staging a canalside stroll through the Warwickshire countryside. Bookworm Bygrave has researched a route for us complete with the prospect of pies and ice cream...

- Our Starting Point -

Trip Log: Tuesday 7th April 2026 and the temperatures are set to top 20°C, not bad for early April. After an Olton rendezvous to meet Emily, we park up at Lowsonford beside the Fleur de Lys pub (more of which later) ready to begin our walk along the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The entire navigation connects the River Avon at Bancroft Basin with Kings Norton Junction where it meets the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, and I've steadily nibbled away at various segments over the years, often with a certain HRH for company. Bridge 41 at Lowsonford had featured on 2021's Beer Garden Safari - during that curious period where you could visit pubs but had to stay outside - so I'm delighted to reacquaint myself with Lock 31 and its associated barrel-roofed keepers cottage. It's a lovely spot in the sunshine, make no mistake!

- Bookworm Bygrave consults the instructions -

Emily has picked our suggested circuit from a 2008 Angela Jefferies book 'Drive and Stroll in Warwickshire' so we initially head in a south-westerly direction towards Wootton Wawen. The scenery is glorious with rolling fields, wispy blossoms and plenty of birdsong as we steadily descend the lock flight all while saying hello to dog walkers and cyclists. The canal narrows in places - possibly at the site of former bridges - with Lock No. 33 (Claverdon Top Lock) being accompanied by Bridge 44, one of those split structures where the central gap was designed to allow boats and horses to pass through without needing to unhitch the towrope. Ingenious!

- Yarningale Aqueduct -

The southern half of the Stratford Canal is notable for a sequence of three aqueducts within a four mile stretch of each other. I've covered the Edstone and Wootton Wawen specimens on previous explorations so my set can be completed courtesy of Yarningale. Originally built out of wood in the 1810s, it now comprises a 42 foot-long cast iron trough which carries the canal above the Kingswood Brook - it is easily the shortest of the three but that doesn't make it any less enchanting for photographic purposes...

- Bucket Lock Cottage -

... and my camera soon finds itself being totally charmed by the adjacent Bucket Lock which follows immediately on from the aqueduct. As if the name alone isn't cute enough, the cottage is very beguiling as a classic of the rounded-roof variety almost unique to this waterway; an immaculate garden is buzzing with insects and the property has been extended over time to function as a modern family home. By this stage Miss Bygrave is realising that my customary fixation on street signs also applies to lock balance beams whereby every number needs to be fully accounted for; we've just done No. 34 for those keeping count.

- Preston Bagot Lock -

Beyond Bucket Lock we proceed via Claverdon Bottom Lock (35) to encounter the three-lock portion around Preston Bagot. We're roughly a couple of miles east of Henley in Arden at this point and the photos keep on coming: another barrel-domed cottage (this time with a grand extension) and appropriate beam angles for Locks 36, 37 and 38 are duly recorded. Our guidebook actually requires us to leave the towpath at No. 36 but we add a little extra on, venturing as far as Bridge 48 for a bonus sighting of Preston Bagot Manor, a timbered farmhouse property that dates to circa 1550 with reddish-brown brickwork to admire.

- Preston Bagot Church -

Retracing our steps to Lock 36, we swap shimmering waters for paddock and pasture as the right of way traverses footbridges, fields and several stiles. All Saints Church is truly delightful, tracing its roots across a thousand years of worship and still proudly displaying a plaque from 1963 when it won a Best Kept competition. We pause to see motherly ewes tenderly guiding their newborn lambs - is there any better springtime scene? - then deftly negotiate a ford, managing not to get our feet too wet where the stream threatens to get quite deep. Add in pretty bluebells and a treacherous copse with thorny branches seeming intent on attaching themselves to my person, and it's been a cracking five miles full of interest.

- Pie Perfection -

Our reward for coming full circle back to Lowsonford is a leisurely lunch at the aforementioned Fleur de Lys. Readers of a certain age may recall when the pub's pies were a common sight at fish and chip shops across the country, becoming a national brand prior to being taken over by Pukka. Things might not be produced on quite that scale here now but pies remain a key part of the menu so we partake of pastry-encased goodness in the form of chicken, leek and bacon for the Bookworm and superb steak and kidney for me; chunky chips, jugs of gravy and a medley of vegetables make this a very satisfying meal indeed. For an establishment tucked away on a quiet Warwickshire country lane, they don't half pull in the punters. Most folk have chosen to sit outside, savouring the narrowboat views on offer from the extensive beer garden although we enjoy the rustic comfort indoors. Wadworth 6X is a decent pint too, good stuff!

- Perkins Prescription at the Henley Mile Tap -

The walk may be over but the day is not, hence we relocate to nearby Henley in Arden and relax awhile in the lovely Jubilee Gardens behind the Church of St John the Baptist. As if a Lowsonford pie was not enough of a culinary pleasure, we obtain dessert from the Henley Ice Cream Company, a family business that has been operational since 1934. Flavours such as Toffee Crunch and Salted Caramel might not have been part of their range 92 years ago but certainly hit the spot with us today! The constant queues outside the shop tell their own story as to how popular their wares can be on sunny days. Two pub interludes finish things off nicely, so it's a shout-out to the Henley Mile Tap serving their own ales based on historical happenings - Perkins Prescription is named after a local pharmacist who travelled the length and breadth of the pre-Beeching railway network - and the Black Swan. The latter is part of the Heartwood Inns Group and sees Emily's Bygrave brain cells being tested through the 1% Club board game. Mental gymnastics successfully performed, it's been a special day. Cheers!