WME Flickr Focus: January 2017

Gently does it! After a quiet couple of months in November and December, the West Midlands Exploration photostream has lurched back to life thanks to photo additions from near and (fairly) far...

Exploration Extra has been leading the way in January with contributions claimed from across the country. My Arnside archive has been raided once more for glimpses of the Lake District (Derwent Water and Keswick's Lake Road Inn) along with Lancashire (Moor Lane Bridge on the Lancaster Canal), whilst my cricket-focused Sussex stay in April 2012 has become the subject of a new Hove album containing stadium seating, Hove railway station views and a strange shellfish I spotted on Brighton beach.

April 2012 must have been a busy month as it has also provided content for that year's Rail Rover album, currently showcasing a quartet of Cromford Canal shots including Grattens Bridge near Ambergate. Of a more recent vintage I can offer a platform clock at Loughborough's Great Central Railway (photographed in January 2016) whereas last February's visit to Daventry and Braunston supplies the knitted resemblances of everyone's favourite canal characters, Rosie and Jim - how cute!

Further back in time, I've dug out a couple more pictures from the Chase Farewell Running Day in April 2007 - one at the Chase Depot and one at Arriva's Delta Way Garage - to round off Exploration Extra's recent haul. Complementing these, WME Staffordshire has itself received two bus photos taken that day (the 870 at Cannock, the 381 at Lichfield) with the latter of those representing one of Chase's last ever workings - it's hard to believe it's been nearly ten years since Chase and their distinctive orange-liveried Leyland Nationals ceased independent bus operations. 

Glancing elsewhere reveals that WME Birmingham has dropped in on Acocks Green (a railway station sign) and Aston (the Britannia pub sign plus Lock 5 on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal). The final word however goes to WME Worcestershire which combines bus 44 at Worcester (loading for Malvern) with an Alvechurch assortment featuring Crow's Butchers, a Cross City train and the Crown Inn at Withybed Green. The photostream can therefore consider itself safely resuscitated for the time being, and we wait to see which pictures will keep the pulse beating as we head into February...