Happy New Year! The arrival of 2015 means another twelve months lie ahead filled with exploration and adventure, but let's pause to reflect on some highlights from the year just departed. 2014 was most definitely eventful with major changes professionally and personally - there were joyous occasions, moments of great sadness, the final ending to one job and the early chapters of what will hopefully prove a fruitful and enjoyable new career. Throughout it all, the ongoing threads of exploration and photography have provided continuity, solace, fascination and fun...
January: 2014 began with some local investigations, East Park taking the spotlight aided and abetted by Deansfield and Stowlawn. Mr D9 had his Domestos bottle on display during a Hub Marketing East Birmingham bash, mourning the loss of the Mountfort in Kingshurst and the Meadway Cafe in Bordesley Green. An epic darts tussle also took Board members around the pubs of Wednesfield, a marketplace bald spot and some duster skirts making their respective appearances.
February: There was no Redditch Beer Festival in 2014, so Derby became the annual ale curtain-raiser with Nick on hand to sample Chester Green and even New Zealand! The Chip Foundation got into gear with an evening in Gornal, with honorary member Ken joining us for a windswept wander encompassing the Old Bulls Head, the Black Bear and the Jolly Crispin. The Hub Marketing team set their sights on Pendeford with a D9 drive around the i54 development, plus there was an energetic Titford trek to contend with, saying 'Hello Dolly' in the company of a badly-bearded Barrel impersonator!
March: Springtime Skegness became the setting for the WME family holiday with visits to Lincoln and Louth living long in the memory, complete with a climb up the notorious Steep Hill. Loughborough and Leicester kept the beer festival bandwagon rolling, Nick and I fortified by Stilton cobs and an unexpected meeting with Phil Porter. The Chip Foundation chronicled the Shropshire scenery of Oakengates and Shifnal in what was to be the last outing when all of us were still in active library service; Nick and I then joined the Wolverhampton CAMRA crew for the branch visit to Church End and Nuneaton. Closer to home, the pubs of Portobello and Willenhall comprised another stage of the D9 Doorstep Challenge, the Royal Oak witnessing some of our best darts scoring of the whole year.
April: The West Midlands beer festival calendar goes into overdrive with events at Walsall, Coventry and Stourbridge happening in quick succession. The cricket season is underway as Stephen and I spend Easter in soggy Manchester, whereas a local walk enables me to check on what little remains of the Strykers bowling alley following a major fire. April was also the month when Nick retired, an occasion marked by a tour of some of our favourite Black Country hostelries the Beacon Hotel and the Trumpet for old time's sake.
May: There are further retirement celebrations when Nick Turpin was unleashed around Long Itchington complete with a tank, buffalo burgers and some suggestive Warwick foliage. A few days later and it was my turn to say farewell to old colleagues as an 11 year career came to a close - the end came more quickly than expected once I'd accepted a job offer elsewhere. A four week break between jobs was ideal opportunity for solo exploration, hence a waterways walk from Wordsley to Wombourne and a Telford tour encompassing Dawley Bank, Doseley and Aqueduct. Nick and I got drenched in a Hartlebury deluge prior to the Kidderminster beer festival, the weather being much kinder though when D9 and I buccaneered around Bridgnorth. May arguably provided my favourite trip of the whole year when the Hub Marketing Board tackled North Birmingham with breakfast in the wonderfully evocative Pype Hayes Transport Cafe.
June: Nick Turpin rides to the fore with a brace of Rugby visits, sampling Stockton and discovering Dunchurch in the process. Having covered the north of the city in May, the Hub Marketing Board turn their attentions to South Birmingham with a closet-themed circuit of Hall Green and Sparkbrook (not forgetting the Balsall Heath hub bald spot). There is cricket to be considered with a Sunday stop in Northampton, whereas at the Bromsgrove Beer Festival we nearly get entangled in a rugby scrummaging machine.
July: A summertime solo stroll takes me leisurely around Albrighton, making the acquaintance of various inquisitive cows along the way. The Chip Foundation enter a new era of fraternity with a Walsall workout, while Horsham is an undoubted highlight watching cricket in splendid sunshine with Stephen and Worcester Dave for company - excellent! Elsewhere, how could I forget the Hub Marketing Board's away day in Liverpool, getting interviewed on local radio and trying to get the bald spot a suntan on New Brighton promenade. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms had one of the best pub interiors I've ever seen, although I was less impressed by Mr D9's attempts at Cilla Black karaoke.
August: Another memorable pub discovery has to be the Midland in Bearwood, a converted bank that featured in the Chip Foundation's Sandwell soiree and would later be the venue for December's Hub Marketing Awards ceremony. Nick Turpin became the Harbury Highwayman for ales and Morris dancing at the village hall, whilst elsewhere there were contrasting festival fortunes in Stafford and Worcester. Nick single-handedly cleared out the tombola at Stafford's school sports hall, but we didn't even get into the Worcester event after neglecting to purchase advance tickets!
September: Into autumn with Mr D9 back in the saddle for more marketing exploits, this time crafting a crawl around Cradley Heath before carpeting our way around Kidderminster and Bewdley (the WME wallet still hasn't forgotten the expensive round in the Cock & Magpie). The Stagecoach was stood down when some Diamond-haulage propelled Nick Turpin and I into Studley for the village's inaugural beer festival, but we still never quite made it to the Weighbridge at Alvechurch (maybe 2015 will be third time lucky?) The Cannock Chase Beer Festival was another first time event to make an excellent impression, and I commenced my solo series of Monday musings with a roam around Rushall.
October: Monday magic was again in the air for some snippets of Sutton Park, pausing for lunch at Boldmere Gate. The Streetly spillage provided entertainment as the Chip Foundation also ventured towards Sutton Coldfield, while D9 and I relished a thorough trawl of the Sheepwash Nature Reserve near Great Bridge, tickling a few Tipton taverns along the way of course.
November: The Coventry Cats tour is an integral part of the Hub Marketing autumn agenda, so all quiffs were present and correct once more for Bell Green, Wood End and Foleshill. I spent a few extra-special days in Loughborough getting to know my new nephew before Dad and I savoured some of the ales on offer in Shrewsbury - the Chocolate & Vanilla Stout in the Dolphin was absolutely delightful. Warren Farm and Perry Common took pride of place during my third Monday montage, during which I unearthed a sense of slightly hidden history around by Perry Barr's parish church.
December: a festive flourish or two sees Chip Foundation action in Halesowen (the Swan being pub of the day with a potent half of Russian Rouble) and Hub Marketing merriment from Tamworth and Fazeley (the Wilnecote shops bald spot being especially devious here). There is just time then to cram in a proper Hub heartlands haul around Handsworth, Winson Green and Smethwick (ah the joys of the Londonderry Hub) before the sun sets on another epic year.
2014 was unpredictable, a year in which I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions like never before. The exploration was excellent, and my thanks as always go to all those who were involved in making so many memories with particularly honourable mentions for Stephen, Nick and Andy - thanks chaps. I look forward to 2015 with much optimism and am excitedly anticipating seeing what January has to offer...
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