That Was The Week That Was - Part Two

It's taken me a while but I've finally got round to filling you in on that Rog trip I mentioned - and what a trip it was, with a sprinkling of Withymoor Village, a dash of Dudley Wood and a good old dose of Delph pubs.

• Withymoor Village - on a mission to get photos of the 297 by Sainsbury's, unfortunately my shots weren't coming out very well. Had a little walk around the estate before heading up to Silver End for our bus into Dudley.
• 282 - the bus happened by as we waited at Dudley, so we decided to give the route a chance. A nice ride on an Optare Solo, around Netherton, down Yew Tree Hill and then into Dudley Wood.
• Dudley Wood - a chance to visit Dudley Wood Library before the axe falls on it courtesy of Dudley Council, then a nice drink in The Woodman and a walk past the site of the old Speedway stadium.
• 208 - another route by accident, the bus turned up at Cradley Heath and provided a ride through Old Hill to Brickhouse Farm.
• Brickhouse Farm - a look at the Brickhouse pub, then an unsuccessful hunt for food as we couldn't find the local shops.
• Windmill End - we eventually got lunch at Windmill End, a nice spot overlooking the canal interchange at the Bumblehole. Got a few photos of the various turnover bridges, with The Dry Dock and Wheatsheaf pubs also featuring amongst the piccies.
• The Delph - after a brief call at Merry Hill, we spent the afternoon at the Delph sampling some of the many local pubs. Having a pint of Batham's at the Vine is a Black Country rite of passage, and very enjoyable it was too. We also tried our hand at pool at the Dock & Iron, whereby I proved myself to be completely useless, albeit with a strange talent for potting the cue ball - Rog was better, but only just!
• Withymoor Village - I was determined to get the 297 shot, and finally succeeded at the umpteenth time of asking.

A great way to round off an excellent week of exploration - it was a proper Black Country outing, loads of fun and with some intriguing bus routes and photo opportunities taking pride of place. It all sets me up nicely for any exploring I might do in November...