* Hampton-in-Arden: a snippet of Solihull for starters, catching the 9:13 train out of New Street complete with dodgy on-board announcements. Hampton Station isn't very exciting in truth, comprising a grim concrete footbridge, some silvery bus stop waiting shelters and a small booking office that lacks any real presence. The village itself is more my thing, yielding various photos of the local library, pretty church and the White Lion pub.
+ The White Lion, Hampton-in-Arden +* 82: a Central Connect route that is the latest incarnation of what was previously the 192/194 service. From Hampton the bus heads through Meriden and Millisons Wood then bashes its way along the A45. I also noted that the route now covers the Parkhill bus stop instead of the 900.
* Coundon, Radford and Keresley: ensuring I get my walking quota in for the day with a local Coventry ramble. I'm still a little uncertain where Coundon stops and Radford starts, but amongst my finds are the Coundon Hotel (corner of Barker Butts Road and Tomson Avenue), Coundon Library (having recently reached it's 61st birthday), then the Wallace and the Old Shepherd approaching Keresley. I actually also find Keresley a little tricky to pin down - part in Coventry, part in Warwickshire with Keresley Heath, Keresley Green and Keresley Newlands all to consider. Whatever my exact whereabouts might be classed as, I ended up at Watery Lane with a shot of the Hare & Hounds before catching my next bus.
+ Coundon Library +* 36: my first National Express Coventry ride of the year, and it's a quick journey back down the Radford Road spotting the local social club and The Grapes with its Caffrey's signs.
* Coventry Canal Basin: it has literally been years since my last visit to Coventry Basin, and the place doesn't seem quite as nice as I remembered it. The warehouses and Brindley's statue still make for some decent photos but Bridge 1 did look overgrown and I got the impression there hadn't been much recent investment.
* Coventry Centre: I brave my nemesis footbridge over the Ringway to arrive in the City Centre, where I keep myself occupied with shots of the Belgrade Theatre. The Town Wall Tavern is a fascinating discovery, tucked away quietly round the back of the theatre on Bond Street - the pub looks quite traditional and is in the Good Beer Guide so I might have to investigate in future.
+ Coventry Basin Warehouses +* Spon Street: stepping back into Coventry's medieval heritage to explore the various Tudor frontages, some original and some that have been reconstructed here. Pride of place goes to the Old Windmill pub with its dark panelling, open fires and an interior made up of several small, atmospheric old rooms. Upper Spon Street is a different matter entirely however, with modern flats and a shuttered-up corner shop - despite the subway link, the two halves of the street feel a whole world away from each other.
* The Craven Run: picking up where Rog and I left off last year, I revisit this hotbed of public houses for further photos of the Craven Arms and to make my first acquaintance with the Nursery Tavern on Lord Street, a pub that hosts rugby and F1 sporting clubs as well as a wide selection of real ales.
* 1: I time it to the minute to catch route 1 on Queensland Avenue, heading through past the Maudslay for a sneaky terminus shot on Grayswood Avenue.
* Allesley: in a further echo of September 2009, the finale of my Coventry capers sees me back in Allesley surveying the various village landmarks. There are plenty of characterful cottages lining either side of the Birmingham Road, whilst the Rainbow Inn has an intriguing brewhouse (and some rather less appealing toilets) in it's back yard.
* The 900 provides a handy connection (via Meriden once more) to Birmingham International Station, and I alight just right for catching the 16:09 Aberystwyth train for a stress-free ride home.
As with Telford, Coventry is always one of the year's most important and significant outings. I definitely feel I did the city proud today with a range of local photos of haunts new and old - the fact I don't know the areas concerned quite so well always gives my Coventry visits an extra edge of excitement. There is a debate over whether I should visit places like Telford and Coventry more often; whilst this would ensure a more consistent supply of pictures, I do feel the trips may lose their specialness and, for the time being at least, one main outing a year seems to work very nicely - so, until 2011...
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