Paws at Pattingham

Following swiftly on from our Chuckery adventure the week before, Rog and I decided to step once more into the breach with a further outing that saw Bruce and Bonus tagging along for a tour of South Staffordshire and the Black Country...

• Our meeting point is Wolverhampton, where we tuck in to a bacon sandwich courtesy of the Express Cafe near the bus station. After that fine start, its off for a look at the former Cleveland Road Bus Depot followed by a visit to Wolverhampton Library where Bruce finally got to meet his Uncle Stephen. Bonus got a little overexcited when showing Stephen his wrestling prowess, and I was just grateful that Bookstart Bear didn't join the party...


• The South Staffordshire part of the outing involved a visit to Pattingham. We therefore caught the Midland Rider 517 route, and enjoyed a nice ride through Compton, Tettenhall Wood and Perton with the bus reminding me of primary school visits to the swimming baths. The driver even let us get a photo of the bus on layover outside Pattingham Shops.


• I always enjoy visiting Pattingham, the pace of life seems slower and I like the village atmosphere. Our visit gave us the chance to try out the village pubs, starting with the Pigot Arms. This had a corporate feel as part of the Ember Inns chain, nice enough with a pint of Old Hooky. I did prefer the Crown round the corner though, a more traditional local where we chatted with the landlord and got a Cheers photo or two. The pub was really friendly, had a nice beer garden and came with the added bonus of a pint of Olde Swan - I've never seen this beer outside of Netherton before!


• With Rog suitably impressed, we caught the 517 back to Wolverhampton so I could introduce him to another cracking pub. The Combermere Arms at Chapel Ash has long intrigued me and didn't disappoint - we try a pint of Liquid Gold each whilst admiring Gav's World of Tat and discovering that there is indeed a tree growing in the Gents outside toilet! Bruce was also happy as he found himself behind the bar before posing with a Wolves shirt and a picture of Mick McCarthy.


• After a spot of lunch, we head through the backstreets of Graiseley to track down the 526 route by Penn Road Waitrose. For some unknown reason, Rog has temporarily turned Welsh and I feel obliged to join in, even though my accent needs a lot of work. The ride takes us through Goldthorn Park and Parkfields before alighting near Bilston.


• Next up is an extended walk up through Ladymoor and into Coseley. Ladymoor is an area I'd only visited very briefly up until this point, and I was pleased to get photos of the local pool, a garage workshop and the Clog pub. We then join the canal for a look at Deepfields Junction and a stroll through Coseley Tunnel - I'm not sure whether Rog enjoyed the experience, although it was the steps on the other side of the tunnel that really did for him!


• By way of compensation, we pop into the New Inn at Coseley for a quick recovery pint. The pub is hidden up a backstreet just off the Birmingham New Road, and allowed us to tick off another entry in the list of Holden's establishments we've frequented.


• The evening sees us finish at one of our old favourites, the Beacon Hotel near Sedgley. I've said it before, but the pub is a true classic and an absolute pleasure to visit. Having settled quietly in the corner with our pint, things took an unexpected turn when the landlady came over and asked whether we had any teddy bears with us. I can only assume she'd recognised Roger from his previous visits (well, he is quite distinctive after all), and thus it was that Bruce made his first ever request appearance. We had been quite happy to leave him in the bag for a while, but could hardly say no when she'd asked so nicely. All of this only confirmed the Beacon's status as a great pub, and a teddy friendly one at that!

It was a memorable end to another fine day of exploring, with Bruce and Bonus making further friends in the process. From that breakfast sandwich through to our final pint it was a day to remember. Bruce already wants to revisit the Beacon yet again, and I have a feeling Pattingham might become a regular haunt too. All in all it proved an excellent way to kick off our autumn adventures!