- Holy Trinity Church, Hartshill -
Monday 16th April: there's certainly plenty of sunshine as my week begins in Staffordshire, the Potteries to be precise. From Stoke-on-Trent station I enjoy a wander into Newcastle-under-Lyme, passing through Hartshill where I can admire Holy Trinity Church among a carpet of daffodils. Newcastle itself offers photo possibilities courtesy of the Ironmarket and St George's Church while the Lymestone Vaults on Pepper Street is my opening pub, settling in with a pint of Stone Faced.
- The Holy Inadequate, Etruria -
Talking of pubs, Monday's afternoon activities centre on a long-awaited visit to an Etruria free house that I've heard good things about. It doesn't open until 4pm so I have a look around Basford (Polite Vicar and the New Vic Theatre) followed by a stretch along the Caldon Canal focusing on Bedford Street staircase locks. The wait is more than worth it when the Holy Inadequate becomes an instant Paul favourite - alongside guest ales, the pub has its own microbrewery wares so I partake of the Nut Brown and the Porter, both superb. The Trent & Mersey Canal then brings me back to Stoke Station with a nod to Twyford's former Cliffe Vale Pottery works along the way.
- 'Towpath Turpin' in the White Bear -
Tuesday 17th April: Tuesdays of Rail Rover Week are traditionally reserved for Shropshire and that rule applies again this year; what's more, there is a guest appearance from Towpath Turpin who has been enticed by the prospect of the Llangollen Canal. It's an overcast morning as we make our way to Whitchurch, and some annoying drizzle means we have a half in the White Bear (Hobson's Shropshire Stout, lovely stuff) before commencing our walk. The pub is a homely market town inn set back through a courtyard off Whitchurch High Street.
- Grindley Brook Locks -
Hoping that the rain will relent, we set forth on our circular route, plotting a path across a golf course to reach Grindley Brook Locks. Unfortunately if anything the weather is getting worse and Nick's purple umbrella is struggling to shield us from the squall. Another shelter stop is required so we pop into the Horse & Jockey on the A41, sampling Merlin's Spellbound merely yards from the county boundary with Cheshire. The return leg is just as damp although we do enjoy seeing the Whitchurch Arm, the restored stub of what was once a longer branch serving a wharf at Mill Street; it is hoped to extend beyond the current Chemistry Bridge terminus to a new basin area. We then dry out again at the Black Bear, sipping Stonehouse Station Bitter in the shadow of St Alkmund's.
- Barnards Green Memorial Shelter -
Wednesday 18th April: no rain in sight as a Worcestershire-themed Wednesday gets underway at Great Malvern once I've caught the 9:52 across from Smethwick Galton Bridge. Rather than do the hillside spa town, I head east of the station to investigate Barnards Green where a prime landmark is the War Memorial bus shelter overlooking a kidney-shaped junction. It seems unseasonably warm for April and I'm literally sweltering as I happen upon the Morgan, a Wye Valley establishment on Clarence Road. A refreshing pint of Bitter helps me cool down while I peruse the various references to the Morgan Motor Company, an iconic local firm renowned for car craftsmanship since 1909.
- St Ecgwin's Church, Honeybourne -
Wednesday afternoon means a Worcestershire wildcard as I take a punt on Honeybourne simply because the Cotswold Line train I'm on stops there. First impressions are reasonably favourable: the station is functionally pleasant, and there's a Co-op near the 'All Things Wild' activity centre - it's not every day you have a giant dinosaur head staring at you as you walk down the street! The heart of the village completely steals my heart thanks to a combination of St Ecgwin's Church (looking spectacular in a setting of springtime fields) and the Thatched Tavern (said to date from the 13th century, although I doubt Fuller's Southern Star was the ale being imbibed by folk back then).
- Cheltenham Spa Station -
Thursday 19th April: more stunning sunshine as I glide into Gloucestershire for a day in glorious Cheltenham. The station here was designed by Samuel Whitfield Daukes and opened in 1840, the frontage retaining a Regency elegance to this day. With a brief look at the nearby Stagecoach depot, I wander the mile or so into the town centre via Montpellier Gardens and passing the Ladies College. Among the resplendent parades and terraces I'm on the hunt for the Sandford Park Ale House, CAMRA's National Pub of the Year 2015 no less, where the Clout Stout is worthy of such lofty accolades.
- Gustav Holst conducts proceedings -
Cheltenham boasts several examples of impressive architecture and yet I suspect I've barely scratched the surface of what there is to see. One landmark I am pleased to discover is Gustav Holst's statue, poised for conducting duties in Imperial Gardens - the composer was born in Cheltenham in 1874 and achieved acclaim with The Planets orchestral suite. Another Good Beer Guide entrant is music to my ears next and the Kemble Brewery rewards a bit of backstreet navigation with some Prescott Chequered Flag amidst a gaggle of guitars - very nice indeed. My Cheltonian conclusion is a stroll along the Honeybourne Line footpath, tracing the course of a lost railway where there formerly was a station in the vicinity of Malvern Road.
- Play underway at Wantage Road -
Saturday 21st April: fast forward to the weekend and my Rail Rover ticket comes in handy for some 'Bears on Tour' cricketing action. Warwickshire are playing Northamptonshire in an early season clash so Stephen and I head nervously to Wantage Road, hoping the Bears can get last year's dismal relegation out of their system. Having bowled Northants out for a mere 147 on Friday, Edgbaston's finest are accumulating steadily thanks to the efforts of Sam Hain (85) and Tim Ambrose (103). Perhaps most crucially, the ice cream van is present and correct for our all-important vanilla cones!
- Eagle in the Eagle -
Somewhat unexpectedly, the Warwickshire tailenders pile on some valuable runs as Henry Brookes contributes an impressive 70 to a final total of 413 all out. The home side bat out the remaining ten overs without alarm but Mr B and I are still hopeful of an overdue victory as we decamp to the Spread Eagle on Wellingborough Road. This is a Charles Wells pub where the Eagle IPA slips down well while the Spurs v Man Utd FA Cup semi final rumbles along in the background. Still on a football note, we make sure to raise a glass to Wolves who have secured the Championship title in style after a 4-0 win at Bolton.
- Train at Northampton -
Sunday 22nd April: alas my final day of Rail Rovering for 2018 as Stephen and I resume our spectator shift at Northampton. The town's station has been overhauled since we first saw it a few years ago - gone is the rather plain black box building to be replaced by a large glazed frontage that serves as a much more welcoming sight for incoming visitors. We say hello to Charles Bradlaugh's statue on our way to the ground; he was the Liberal MP for Northampton from 1880 to 1891 and founded the Secular Society in 1866.
- Closing in on a rare win -
There's something timeless about watching cricket on a Sunday morning - church bells on the wind, the rustle of newspapers, people dipping into sandwich boxes and pouring flasks of tea - that kind of thing. From our perch in the Turner Stand we can watch with quiet appreciation as Warwickshire gradually proceed to an encouraging innings victory - Ryan Sidebottom (a namesake of the former England bowler) took ten wickets in the match while Northants wicketkeeper Rossington offered the most resistance with a defiant half century. An ice cream or two caps things off in fine fashion, and when Henry Brookes sends stumps-a-flying the win is sealed. A power supply issue makes for an eventful journey home, crammed in sardine-style among runners returning from the London Marathon, and that's all for Rail Rover this year - what a week it was!
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