Penkridge and Perton

Friday 25th July - my mission was to venture into South Staffordshire by investigating the No. 2 Green Bus route to Penkridge. From there, I would have to obtain some local photos, walk along the canal and then face any challenges that the afternoon might have in store...

The 2 - the key focus of the morning's activities, my task was to catch the route and get photos of it before it self-destructs, sorry disappears. Never being one to turn down a spot of Green Bus espionage, I made my way to Lichfield Street in time for the 10:40 journey to Penkridge. Green Bus No. 5 (J418 PRW) was on hand to provide the haulage, offering an excellent ride up through Oxley, Coven and Brewood. The section beyond Brewood was particularly intriguing, heading along Deansfield Road into open countryside with the bus sprinting along nicely, generating a much-needed cooling flow of air. Next came Gailey before tackling the back end of Penkridge (Wolgarston Way, Boat pub, Marsh Lane) to arrive at destination Crown Bridge. I then sprung into action for the all-important photo, recording the route at the stop near Stars and Barclays Bank. It was quite a poignant moment - with the route due to be withdrawn a couple of days later, Penkridge was set to lose its Green Bus connection after many years of sterling service.

Penkridge - Having successfully negotiated the Green Bus challenge, attention now turned to Stage 2: Penkridge and Canal photos. The local library and The Star pub got me off and running, and I even attempted a few more Route 2 photos once the parked cars blocking my initial shots had cleared (we explorers have our ways of getting what we want). Next I ventured down Francis Green Lane to join the canal at Princefield Bridge, with the towpath subsequently leading me to Penkridge Bridge and Lock, and beyond to Broom Bridge accompanied by the sounds of the M6 motorway. Following hot on the heels of the Wolverley visit, it was good to add a further chapter to my Staffs & Worcs story. With the canal mission also completed, it was back to Penkridge for a bit more camera work, this time getting shots of the local market and the impressive church, before my attention turned to my next bus adventure.

The 880 - A good explorer always has proper intelligence at his disposal, and a quick look at the Penkridge and Brewood timetable book revealed that the 880 bus was due. I quickly decided that the route would provide a perfect ending to the day's work, and I wasn't wrong. What followed was a voyage of South Staffordshire discovery, visiting local villages as the bus trundled through the countryside, giving me the chance to enjoy the scenery in the sunshine. From Penkridge we called at Whiston, Lapley, Wheaton Aston, Ivetsey Bank, Bishops Wood, Kiddemore Green (are you keeping up with this?!), Brewood, Coven, Fordhouses, Bilbrook and Codsall before finally arriving at Perton. It was one of the most memorable and enjoyable bus journeys I've had in years and gives me plenty of ideas for future missions and pub visits. Perton involved a perilous visit to the library and some photos of the lake before the 510 bus safely returned me into Wolverhampton territory.

Mission successfully completed, so this is West Midlands Explorer signing off for the time being, over and out.