- A Right Royal Metro -
Our designated rendezvous is Bradley Lane at 1000 hours, with Secretary WME safely aboard his Metro connection from The Royal (Wolverhampton St George's being still out of action due to ongoing works that have already overrun by a few months). Chairman D9's doorstep dash is less successful and incurs him the first cob penalty of the new year; apparently a meeting with the Bloxwich Showman has left our leader with something of a delicate disposition!
- Giving it some Juice on the 97 -
The ride to Snow Hill passes without incident, except for the occasional swig of orange juice along the way. The said carton takes pride of place as we track down the 97 bus on Moor Street and gear up for our regular reprisal of D9 driving duties. The route acts as our gateway into East Birmingham via Garrison Circus and Bordesley Green.
- Garrison Closet Conundrum -
Ever on the lookout for remains of old toilets and urinals, the Chairman instructs us to alight on Garrison Lane where a curious doorway can be found on the side of the Grand Union canal bridge. We are not entirely sure whether this was indeed a closet or had some other former use (maybe as an electricity substation or general storeroom) but the requisite photo is taken just in case.
- Old Yardley Park -
The 97 is a frequent service operating regularly to Chelmsley Wood, so within a matter of moments we are back on board surveying the terraced townscape of Bordesley Green. At Belchers Lane junction is a McDonalds fast food outlet housed in a former pub (the Broadway?), and we also pass the Heartlands Hospital before hopping off near Stechford. A short walk down Church Road brings us into Old Yardley Park, a surprising pocket of historic village charm with St Edburgha's church spire on the horizon.
- Posing at Pool Way -
The appealing scenery doesn't last long though as the pleasures of the Pool Way precinct involve an altogether different architectural approach. A Greedy Guts breakfast sets us up nicely for a thorough trawl of the shopping centre with Poolway Fashions and Kents Moat Library still present and correct from WME's previous visit. A location such as this needs to be christened properly as a Hub Marketing haunt so a bald spot shot fits the bill just nicely.
- Kents Moat -
One thing the Secretary hadn't realised when exploring Kents Moat before was that the area really does have a moat, a legacy of a former medieval manor house that nowadays can be traced as a clear rectangular ditch surrounding The Hays off Sheldon Heath Road.
- Yardley Village -
The Chairman is starting to perk up a little more now and benefits from further fresh air as we stroll back into Yardley. The area of Church Road around St Edburgha's and the Old Grammar School is a dedicated conservation area although a feature that might not have been preserved is an old urinal the Chairman thinks was once located here - more D9 research may be required to confirm this.
- Ring O' Bells Redevelopment -
One landmark that has definitely disappeared is the Ring O' Bells pub; sadly demolition was no real surprise given that the building had been a derelict eyesore for a number of years, and the houses that have now sprung up on the site still reference the former pub's name. Yardley is not devoid of pubs though, as drinking options still include the William Tyler (a Wetherspoon's housed in a shop unit once home to Woolworths) and the Clumsy Swan (the modern incarnation of the Yew Tree, albeit the current building doesn't have anywhere near as much presence as the Mitchells & Butlers landmark that preceded it).
- Tile Cross Terminus -
Some Silly Rucker (a blonde Backyard brew) is Secretary WME's early attempt at claiming discount honours for the day before the action switches to the number 17 bus. Our ride through Garretts Green is punctuated by more sterling steering from Mr D9 and then Mackadown Lane closes in on Tile Cross turning circle. The local shops on Bell Lane corner have the Chairman drooling with delight in advance of a swift slice of Solihull courtesy of a quick turnaround by the Marston Green Tavern.
- WME Whirlwind wins, by George! -
Sheldon is the prime attraction on our afternoon agenda with the 72 taking us bravely through Garretts Green congestion at school closing time. The Crane is a standard Hungry Horse affair on Cranes Park Road but it's the George V on Common Lane that provides darts and Doom Bar, the Secretary prevailing by 4 legs to 3. There are sightings also of Sheldon Country Park and (on Barrows Lane) the local Gospel Hall.
- Staying Alive on the Old Coventry Road -
Evening falls as we reach the main A45 Coventry Road, a mainstay of our marketing efforts down the years with Small Heath and Swan Island already having received prior hub treatment. The chance to add Wells Green to our coverage prompts Chairman D9 into performing a bizarre Bee Gees-themed dance routine in celebration of our arrival here. Whether it was his jive talking or not, the Three Horseshoes faces off against the Wheatsheaf in a battle of the chain pubs (Sizzling versus Toby Carvery).
- Peaky Blinder -
The 957 does its duty for our ride back into Birmingham where flat caps are to the fore during a swift half in the Peaky Blinder - somehow the Secretary doesn't quite look villainous enough to convince as a 1920s gangster. With razor reflexes we return via the tram, pitching up in Bilston for an enjoyable Cafe Metro nightcap and one of the year's most essential explorations is safely in the bag. Cheers!
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