Monday, June 3

Milking the Round Oak Run

The Hub Marketing Board first began investigating the areas influenced by the former Round Oak steelworks back in January by exploring the Woodside and Brockmoor localities. Now on Friday 31st May it was time to put Brierley Hill itself firmly under the microscope, whereby our redoubtable Chairman and Secretary had a new squeezable bovine accomplice on hand to assist with documenting the area...

- Priory Hall -
With the Chairman delayed and bracing himself to receive his most severe cob penalty yet, the Secretary has some spare time with which to obtain some opening photos of Priory Park in Dudley. The park is currently undergoing a major restoration thanks to a project partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Priory Ruins should be even more accessible in future. Meanwhile Priory Hall stands stately overseeing all the works whilst children and adults alike enjoy the half-term sunshine over by the play area and tennis courts.

- Hub Marketing on the 205 -
The buses of Walsall could not detain the Chairman forever and he arrives apologetically ready to commence the main business of the day. A ride on the 205 gives him chance to get to know the Board's latest arrival who took a close interest in the customary driving demonstrations as we proceeded down towards the Russells Hall estate.

- A new way to hide the bald spot -
The first item on our agenda today was Pensnett, an area where we suspect a number of Round Oak workers would have lived during the heyday of the plant. A taste of Batham's in the Fox & Grapes is just the ticket as our new uddered friend gives the bald spot its seal of approval.

- Horsing Around -
Pensnett is a traditional Black Country community with a number of social clubs and independent family businesses. Making our way along Commonside, we can enjoy views looking out over the Fens Pools and the Chairman even steals a stroke from another animal acquaintance.

- Derelict pub at Round Oak -
Arriving at the roundabout where Stourbridge Road meets John Street and Brierley Hill High Street, it is hard to imagine how the site now occupied by the Waterfront was once alive with the manufacture of steel. A relic of a pub provides a remnant from the past but is gradually becoming increasingly derelict, a far cry from the days when it would have been frequented by thirsty workers.

- Another victory for the D9 Destroyer -
One of the pubs that is still trading in the vicinity is the Dog and Lamppost, a place that becomes the scene for our latest round of darting derring-do. Sadly, despite a noble improvement in his scoring, the Secretary just cannot match the finishing prowess of the 'D9 Destroyer' and thus it is the Chairman who sweeps up the honours and holds aloft the prized cow.

- Gazing in Wonder at the Waterloo -
Venturing deep into the heart of Brierley Hill, we brace ourselves for the near-knuckle double header of the Dog & Partridge followed by the Waterloo. Horse racing proves very popular in the former (accompanied by some local language) whilst the latter gives the Chairman chance to re-enact the awe felt by one of his passengers from the days when he used to drive the 210 route.

- A Moo and a Mild -
The Secretary might struggle with the dartboard but when it comes to sleeves he is quite formidable, and the Chairman is floored by the sight of the Bulls Head, a Black Country Ales pub on Bull Street. Having sampled the Puddlers, its then attention to Amblecote where Brettell Lane offers up the Harris & Pearson works closely followed by the New Wellington.

- Is it a ghost? No, just a bald spot -
Our Amblecote allocation is completed by a sweep of the Robin Hood (Collis Street), the Red Lion and the Starving Rascal (both on Brettell Lane). The latter was apparently named after a local legend when a previous landlord turned away a famished beggar who was later found dead from starvation. Thankfully the only famine in sight today is the Chairman's scalp being starved of hair. With that, the 246 beckons for a return ride to Dudley and although another Round Oak round-up is completed, we still feel there is more to come seeking out further steel snippets in future. 

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