Sunday, July 26

Another Pub Bites The Dust!

The Bushbury area of Wolverhampton has lost a number of pubs over the years and now one more has been added to that list following the demolition of the King Charles on Northwood Park. The news prompted me into doing another of my occasional local walks...

- Northwood Park Primary School -
My stroll commences at Sandy Lane where I remember the old Bushbury Pool and swimming lessons of my youth. The nearby allotments seem to be growing well with some plots marked out using pop bottles on sticks. St Mary's Churchyard is a place of quiet reflection while Northwood Park Primary School has fallen silent during the school holidays except for the caretaker mowing the lawn.


- Family Shopper -
Further along Collingwood Road, the Family Shopper supermarket has been trading for a couple of years or so in the building formerly known as the Staffordshire Volunteer; Collingwood Library has settled into its new home in the Broadway Gardens sheltered housing scheme over a similar period. My wandering by coincides with the postman going about his deliveries as the 32 and 33 buses pass each other on their respective terminal loops of the estate.


- Bushbury Community Centre -
It's funny what things can trigger pangs of personal nostalgia and for me the sight of some rusty old swings in the local park transports me right back to being about eight years old. Admittedly I have less affection for Bushbury Community Centre but it's still sad to see it closed down, boarded up and increasingly overgrown.


- Northicote School -
The neglected appearance of the community centre is matched by that of the neighbouring Northicote School buildings which latterly became the Northwood Campus of the North East Wolverhampton Academy. The academy's site at Pendeford has become the focus of education provision however, leaving the facilities here somewhat surplus to requirements. I understand that the old school will return to use though this autumn as the temporary home of the University Technical College which will ultimately be based at the redeveloped Springfield Brewery.


- King Charles Gets Executed! -
To Cavalier Circus next where the fate of the King Charles is confirmed, a JCB completing the final acts of demolition amid piles of rubble. D9 and I called in for a pint and a game of darts last year, a visit that has an added poignancy now - the pub was a standard Banks's estate-type establishment, not especially impressive in truth but still a lost landmark all the same. 


- Northycote Farm -
My last few photo targets had been rather depressing so a visit to Northycote Farm was necessary to recover a cheerful disposition. Fields and footpaths provide a chance to stretch my legs further, enjoying a bit of sunshine despite the unseasonably cool temperatures.


- Herb Garden -
I had hoped to get my customary pictures of the animals but there was some kind of farm management activity taking place that meant the enclosures were out of bounds. Instead I consoled myself with a look around the herb garden where parsley and chives were among the specimens being cultivated. The tea rooms in one of the barns looked (and smelled!) very tempting hence proving popular with young families.


- Woodbine Sign -
I have one final calling point in mind before heading home so Moreton Road leads me down to the Woodbine, another pub I sampled last year with D9 that has subsequently closed. Perched on Wood Lane next to the railway bridge, the building is still standing and could yet reopen, especially if the proximity to the train tracks deters any potential housing developers. A watching brief will be required to see what if anything happens here, but for today my photographic work is done.

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