Happy New Year! Yes, 2014 is upon us and I shall begin this year's batch of blog posts with a look back at what the preceding twelve months had to offer in terms of exploration...
January: 2013 got underway with a hat trick of D9 adventures, including the pepperpot challenge (balancing high above Netherton Tunnel), the Willenhall mushroom run and the Birmingham blizzard. Nickolenko and I savoured the delights of Perton and the Delph on separate Wednesday evenings, while the Chip Foundation braved sub zero temperatures on a wintry wander around Wightwick and Castlecroft.
February: A brace of solo outings saw me tackling Birchfield and Barr Beacon followed by a Staffordshire canal walk from Radford Bank to Gailey by way of Acton Trussell. Redditch set the beer festival bandwagon in motion, swiftly accompanied by a memorable visit to Derby and its fabulous railway roundhouse. Returning to the West Midlands, there was battery bother aplenty as D9 and I attempted a North Birmingham blast around Erdington, Falcon Lodge and Castle Vale, not forgetting the discovery of the Rookery Park closet.
March: approaching Spring and Burton is next on the beer festival agenda - the Coopers Arms proved to be one of my favourite pubs of the whole year. Roger and I completed the Enville Street run from Wollaston to Stourbridge with a helping hand from Keith Lemon (and we lived to tell the tale), whereas it was Andy Murray who momentarily replaced Mr D9 on the Halesowen Hub Hunt. Solo stuff in March included red carpet reconnaissance in Hollywood (the Wythall version rather than Los Angeles) and a fantastic ferret around Chasewater getting to know the northernmost reaches of the Wyrley & Essington Canal.
April: this was to be the month when I finally got around to photographing Gravelly Hill and Wylde Green stations on the Cross City line - it only took me the best part of ten years to get round to it! The Hub Marketing Board focused their attentions on Bloxwich and Solihull (the Hockley Heath hike definitely left an impression) and there were back-to-back beer festival appointments at Coventry and Stourbridge with a bit of Berkswell village thrown in for good measure.
May: Felixstowe was our family holiday destination in 2013 whereby a few days in Suffolk included an investigation of Ipswich. Back in the Black Country there were two D9 pubcrawls to contend with; Sedgley and Gornal gave us great beer as ever whilst the Brierley Hill Round Oak run came with nostalgia for the former steelworks. Elsewhere there was cricketing action with the Bears at Northampton, and beer festival frolics in Kidderminster where Nickolenko made the acquaintance of a silvery moose.
June: One of the undoubted highlights of the year has to be the Guildford Cricket Festival, watching Warwickshire take on a Surrey team that featured the legend that is Ricky Ponting. Closer to home, there was an evening visit to the Crooked House at Himley once Nick and I had gone cross country across the fields to find it, whereas the Hub Marketing Board were in Shropshire so that the Secretary could sample the Joule's brewery tap (the Red Lion in Market Drayton) and the Chairman could demonstrate how not to mount a Harlescott sheep.
July: the height of summer brings with it the Bromsgrove Beer Festival where the magnificent marquees provide some welcome shade from weather of heatwave proportions. Nickolenko and I went clubbing in Halesowen (thereby hangs a tale) whereas Mr D9 had to settle for a Staffordshire sweep around Handsacre and Rugeley, casting a glance to the home of Armitage Shanks.
August: the second big cricketing trip of the year saw Mr Beardsmore and I based in Headingley where wet weather had the final say in ensuring the match finished as a draw - similar meteorological conditions in Manchester had meant that England had retained the Ashes, although subsequent events in Australia make that seem like a very distant memory. A solemn air is required as the Hub Marketing brigade mark the passing of the Barley Mow at Wollaston, although a potential paddle in Lodge Farm reservoir did provide some light relief. Elsewhere, an evening with Nick in Knowle brought with it the curious discovery of the Vaults pub (a place that looks more like an adult bookshop than a local boozer) and Nick was also on hand to join Roger, myself and Mr WME Senior for the Worcester Beer Festival down on the racecourse.
September: as Autumn approaches so does a very special event in Leicestershire as the extended WME family made their way to Loughborough for my sister's wedding. There is also a homage to Rover as Mr D9 and I sniffed out South Birmingham, while Mr SBI had to contend with me sporting a world heavyweight wrestling belt on a tour of Halesowen and Amblecote (although I wasn't quite brave enough to wear it all the way round). There are cricketing moments in Derby and Nottingham (the latter accompanied by the Tamworth Beer Festival where the carrots were much smaller than in 2012), and my new camera got a very healthy workout stomping around Stonnall and Shenstone. Add in a Tipton parrot and the D9 Discount of the Year (courtesy of the Waggon & Horses) and it certainly was a hectic month.
October: Magic memories as the nights close in would have to include the resurrection of the Ron West tribute quiff over in Coventry, where there were even some real cats for Chairman D9 to stroke. Nickolenko and I dropped in on the Solihull Beer Festival and then ignored the wisdom of the locals by embarking upon a sampling session in Shirley (no wonder there were groans when we said where we were going), and we were in tandem again as we joined the Wolverhampton branch of CAMRA for an extra-special Hereford excursion that featured Dunkerton's Cider Mill.
November: The Telford rains really had it in for me as two attempted tours had to be aborted in quick succession, although I did at least see bits of Hollinswood, Lawley Village and Dawley Bank through the downpours. Thankfully the elements were altogether kinder when the D9 was revved up for Darlaston Day and a West Birmingham workout (who could forget the preacher on the 29 bus), and I believe there were silly hats and seasonal brews at the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre.
December: 2013 drew to a close in some style thanks to some Uttoxeter and Stafford shenanigans (the Vaults being a late entry to the favourite pubs category), and there was much festive cheer when the Hub Marketing awards were presented during a calendar crawl around Hateley Heath and Wednesbury - rumour has it that the Secretary won the title of Pub Game Champion but whisper it quietly! The Chip Foundation have a couple of guest members for our Christmas social whereby Ken and Mr WME Senior are on hand to participate in the goulash-inspired hilarity, and that's your lot for the past twelve months!
As another year is filed away, it is worth reflecting that 2013 managed to provide some wonderful exploration despite a backdrop of lingering uncertainty (especially as regards my employment situation, a position that remains very much unknown heading into 2014). My thanks as ever go to all of those brave (some would say mad) souls who have been involved in my various escapades - especially Nick, Stephen, Andy and Roger - and here's to a healthy and happy new year for everybody!
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