- White Lion Darts Winner -
It's hello from Highgate to begin with and a glimpse of The Gorway, home to Walsall Cricket Club. The Secretary then summons up an item from his extensive sleeve repertoire when a disused windmill is revealed down a cobbled alleyway. Our first pub of the day is an old favourite on Sandwell Street where the White Lion features televised Davis Cup tennis at the deep end of the bar. We can't resist staging our own sporting spectacle and it's Chairman D9 who soon leads on the darts, Secretary WME distracted by trying to operate the electronic scoreboard correctly.
- In Search of Caldmore Closets -
The Chairman soon switches his focus to his favourite topic (old toilets) when investigating a possible closet adjoining the White Lion, meaning the bald spot gets an early airing. A portion of Palfrey includes painted Mitchells & Butlers off licence signs on Spout Lane plus a wander along Watery Lane where Mr D9 nearly gets swallowed whole by an abandoned settee.
- White Hart sign -
Caldmore Green has attracted a few mentions on this blog over the years but it always merits a return look, especially with the White Hart on hand to contribute its landmark qualities. The former pub's sign is in line for a prized picture today, standing proudly outside a building converted into residential flats a good while back. The Chairman is more interested though in tales of an underground toilet that once stood opposite the pub in the vicinity of Watery Lane.
- The Village Hub -
Always eager to promote the hub cause, the Chairman seizes on an ideal marketing opportunity courtesy of the Village Hub, one of the shopfronts looking out over the Green itself. Caldmore Road then leads us temptingly towards Walsall town centre as we keep an eye out for any sidestreet gems.
- Despicable D9 meets a minion -
In Walsall itself the St Matthews Quarter project is an ongoing regeneration scheme aiming to breathe new life into what had become a neglected corner of town. The Asda supermarket has been in place for a few years now while a new Primark store nears completion. Some buildings adjoining High Street and Lower Hall Lane are also earmarked for development, while colourful hoardings give D9 chance to practice his supervillain impressions accompanied by a rather startled minion.
- The White Horse -
A Cherry Blonde in the Black Country Arms precedes the Leamore leg of the afternoon. On the way we stop off in Birchills where the Tannery pub on the precinct has been demolished. The White Horse is still going though, a detached whitewashed Banks's local where the Chairman displays more of his new-found darting prowess - perhaps he was inspired by a Pet Shop Boys soundtrack as the Secretary wondered "What Have I Done To Deserve This"?
- The Secretary gets Crowned -
On previous visits to Leamore, Secretary WME had noted how the area had lost several pubs in a relatively short space of time - cases in point are the Four Crosses (now the site of a KFC), the Black Horse and the Butlers Arms. One bit of brighter news is the reopening of the Crown on Leamore Lane so we call in to test out the new carpet and watch some of the Open golf. We should not forget the Lamp Tavern (a Holden's place very much going strong), and it's useful to see progress with construction of the new Bloxwich Leisure Centre which is due to open by summer 2016.
- Driving Duty on the 89 -
At the Chairman's request, it was time to go full throttle through Bloxwich. The Hatherton Arms on Reeves Street was an interesting find, not too far from the site of the original Bloxwich railway station (the Station Hotel is still standing but closed as a pub some years ago). The Bell meanwhile has been recently refurbished but retains a traditional layout with an appealing smoke room - Secretary WME is pleased that the pub is no longer under threat. The D9 bladder necessitates a couple of splashes and dashes (possibly encountering a Spotted Cow) before the accelerator is kept firmly to the floor with some dramatic driving on our homeward 89. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment