- The Remnants of Strykers -
Shaw Road gets me underway as I pause to remember Strykers, the bowling alley which closed last autumn before being burnt down in suspicious circumstances just before Christmas. The charred remains have largely been cleared away now leaving just a few bits of wall and rubble.
- The New KFC Nears Completion -
For many years Strykers was situated just across the road from the Bushbury Working Mens Club but that too is now a memory. Springing up in its place is a drive-thru KFC restaurant which is due to open very shortly, hence the finishing touches were being applied to the building, car park and revised road layout.
- The Island House -
Literally next door to KFC is the Island House, a pub that has been closed for some considerable time. I remember it under its historic name as The Croft and can vaguely recall having a drink in here with my Dad the once - we were hoping to watch some Wolves football but I think we reluctantly had to make do with Eastenders! I half expect that this place will itself be demolished at some point although it is still standing for the time being and could yet find a new lease of life.
- Continuing Construction at Goodyears -
Those of you who've read the blog over the years will know I've been keeping a watching brief on developments at Goodyears for some time, intrigued to see how the proposed regeneration takes place. Part of the tyre factory has been retained and has had the Gatehouse Hungry Horse pub and an Aldi supermarket for company for a while now. Today I caught a further glimpse of progress with Akron Gate where construction company Persimmon Homes are building a combination of houses and apartments. The photograph shows completed buildings on one side of the road while the other has cleared earth awaiting a future phase, so one day I'll hopefully come back to tour the finished estate.
- One Stop Hop Pole -
Onwards to Oxley and a chance to see what has become of two former pubs that I've also been keeping tabs on. The Homestead on Lodge Road has been replaced by housing, some of which is now occupied although construction is ongoing at the Eccleshall Avenue end of the plot. Down on Oxley Moor Road I can update my shots of the Hop Pole but the sight of some pretty blossoms can't disguise the fact this is now a One Stop convenience store.
- Community Centre at Foxley Campus -
Rummaging through Rakegate via Probert Road and the St Anne's estate, I make my way to Marsh Lane where the transformation of Pendeford High School into the North East Academy's Foxley Campus has moved on apace. A banner hanging on the railings suggests completion is due for September 2014, so in the meantime I seek out a shot of the replacement Fordhouses and Oxley Community Centre which does look rather smart.
- Pendeford Lane -
From Marsh Lane I cross the canal and follow the path up to The Droveway. The stretch of tarmac I'm walking along used to be open to traffic as Pendeford Lane back in the days when the area was an airfield rather than a housing estate. You can still make out bits of the road markings as I pass some allotments and the back of Fordhouses Cricket Club.
- Pendeford Community Hub -
Ryhope Walk brings me into the centre of Pendeford where Morrisons supermarket and the Pendulum pub are familiar features that I've certainly mentioned before. Other facilities include Nelson Mandela House (for respite care) and the local medical centre, while Pendeford Square brings back memories of visiting Saturday markets on the patch when I was a kid. St Paul's Church and the Oasis cafe feature prominently here, as does the joint library and community centre building which has recently been remodelled into a hub.
- Vine Island -
The Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal quietly passes the edges of Pendeford and makes for a pretty stroll with more examples of blossom trees. Back at Marsh Lane Bridge I branch off into Wobaston, noting that a special 3E shuttle route is operating to Patshull Avenue to maintain bus connections during i54-associated road improvements. Chetton Green flats and the Harrowby Arms are next to catch my eye, followed closely by Fordhouses Baptist Church (corner of Winchester Road and Newbury Road) as I emerge back onto the main A449. The new Vine Island layout is largely in place now, meaning restricted options for motorists exiting Bee Lane onto the Stafford Road.
- Poets Corner -
I've never been entirely convinced about the architecture of St Anthony's Catholic Church although it is certainly visually striking. The freshly-mown turf of Bee Lane Playing Fields is spongy underfoot as I cross into the Poets Corner estate, taking time to photograph some cute monster-themed letters on a fence by the playground. Shelley, Browning, Kipling and Burns lend their names to the estate's roads as parents collect their little ones from Elston Hall School after morning nursery. Sometimes you can happen across little surprises even in areas you think you know well, and a case in point here was the Community Garden facility up a path off Shelley Road. I wasn't aware of the project until now but it's certainly done a great job of reclaiming waste land and providing a space for the whole neighbourhood to enjoy.
- The Woodbine -
A couple more pub pieces can then round off my camera-wielding circuit. D9 and I only visited the Woodbine back in February but since then it has closed down despite still having the banner outside proclaiming the opening of its refurbished lounge. For as long as I can remember the place has had something of a chequered existence and even masqueraded as the Red Rooster for a few years, so quite what its future holds remains to be seen.
- Butlers Arms Stanchion -
The Woodbine is a very recent casualty in the closure stakes whereas the Butlers Arms went several years ago - I can just about picture it in my minds eye as a large roadhouse overlooking the roundabout where Bushbury Lane meets Kempthorne Avenue. Apparently Dave Wagstaffe the legendary Wolves winger ran the place for a while, but come the 1990's the site was a supermarket (initially a Kwik Save but subsequently Somerfield then Co-op). The pub building may be gone but there is still one lingering reminder of it on the car park, albeit the ornate stanchion tower these days holds a bright green co-operative sign rather than a Butlers Arms example. It just goes to show how features and facilities come and go over the years, sometimes dramatically and sometimes imperceptibly but for now at least I've documented what I can and enjoyed some sunshine into the bargain!
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