WME Flickr Focus - January 2019

January is never the nicest of months, usually being too cold and dark to generate much enthusiasm for anything, but the good news is that February is just around the corner. Nonetheless, the first few weeks of 2019 have made some telling contributions where the West Midlands Exploration photostream has been concerned...

Tipping the scales with no sign of a New Year's diet is Exploration Extra, eagerly gorging on photos from 2018's Rail Rover and Fishguard holiday adventures. Rail Rover ruminates upon Cheltenham courtesy of some railway station and bus depot signage (plus a peek at the Old Restoration pub), whereas Fishguard fine-tunes a mileage marker and a boat called Sanity. Aberystwyth adds in an arty Winsor & Newton advert while Banbury breezes in with the Dog & Gun, not forgetting a further Forage find to keep things accumulating nicely.

The remainder of January's photostream activity has otherwise been concerned with tidying up some random archive extractions. Among the arrivals are the Farcroft at Handsworth and a Queen Elizabeth Hospital bus stand (WME Birmingham), the Cat & Fiddle at Pheasey (WME Walsall), a reminder of the latterly demolished Balds Lane Tavern near Lye (WME Dudley) and a Black Country Ales pub sign for the Midland in Bearwood (WME Sandwell). Honourable mentions meanwhile go to Blists Hill's drapers shop (WME Telford), a Lyndhurst Road ceramic street sign (WME Wolverhampton) and a display character sporting historic eyewear at Warwick Castle (WME Warwickshire).

On the surface this all appears to be photostream business as normal then, however I am beginning to wonder whether the time has come to freshen things up a bit. I first joined Flickr in 2011 as a direct replacement for my previous Fotopic-based website, so I just stuck with the same background process of resizing, editing and then publishing my photos. My preferred image size has remained resolutely 600 x 450 or thereabouts which was fine for my first forays into digital photography but the technology has moved on considerably since then. I'm not sure this approach works any more for showcasing my pictures at their finest yet I don't just want to undo several years of effort building up my Flickr archives. I'm therefore weighing up how best to proceed - carry on as usual, try larger resolutions, or maybe even see what other photo-hosting options might entice me (Instagram perhaps). I expect the WME Flickr photostream will be rumbling along for a good while yet but please bear with me if I start experimenting a bit more...

Hub Marketing 2019: Desi Day

There’s something about the Desi Pub phenomenon that makes such establishments ideal for a January pubcrawl - the peculiarly heady mixture of spicy scents, curry and Carling which soon banishes away the winter blues. Step forward the Hub Marketing Board with Chairman D9 and Secretary WME both in need of some New Year rejuvenating and the wilds of West Bromwich willingly at our disposal...

- West Bromwich Football Supporters Club -

Friday 18th January 2019 sees Secretary WME making haste for West Bromwich, eager to get a few photos before the designated 12:30pm rendezvous. Another look at Claypit Lane is on the cards to confirm that Living Well Street is now fully occupied, then Westbourne Road offers up some bonus Banks's branding at the West Bromwich Football Supporters Club bowling green. WME is just bearing down upon Oak House when Mr D9 declares himself available earlier than scheduled - good grief! Perhaps it was the threat of a curry penalty rather than a cob forfeit that ensured the Chairman's new-found punctuality.

- The Ridgacre Branch Canal -

The balding one is indeed present and correct outside the bus depot and we can immediately plunge into Desi duty courtesy of the Soho Oak (previously the Oakdale Social Club). D9's memories of this establishment stretch back many a year so it's a little strange for him to see the place all transformed - we wonder what the likes of Stan Barnes and Roger 'Hairpiece' Woodward would make of the new look. An opening Carling christens our 2019 adventures before we head for Black Lake and the Ridgacre Branch Canal. Several shopping trolleys have met a watery grave along here, including all your favourite stores - Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and even Safeway (remember them?)

- Spotted by the scrapyard -

A hike through Hateley Heath has Mr D9 reminiscing about former local councillors as Denbigh Drive and Coles Lane connect us to Hill Top. The Hen & Chickens has been stylishly renovated as a Desi contender although there are still plenty of loyal regulars partaking of the lager. The first silly songs of 2019 are declared with 'Poor Begonia Got Pneumonia' receiving the Chairman's approval, although Mr D9 is quickly distracted by a scrapyard crammed with vintage vehicles. After eyeing up a particularly rusty old Cortina, we proceed to the Three Horseshoes and commence another year of darting duels. Secretary WME soon finds himself trailing and takes the unusual step of removing his walking boots; playing in his socks certainly does the trick and a 4-3 Whirlwind victory is the result. The pub is a Black Country Ales house that is listed in the 2019 Good Beer Guide, our pints of Heritage Red are undoubtedly befitting of such an accolade.

- Mill Pool -

D9 Destroyer puts his darting disappointment to one side and plots the route for an afternoon ferret that will guide us through some of his formative haunts. Take Mill Pool for example, an area of open space just off Rydding Lane where the pool itself is known locally as 'The Milky' due to its opaque appearance. The younger D9 was also an occasional user of the running track at Menzies High School albeit the site is currently closed off and overgrown so we cannot stage the nostalgic lap he'd been hoping for. No matter, we can just continue via Marsh Lane into Stone Cross and recall well-known barbers including Gordon Dale and Mad Harry - are they responsible for the Chairman's subsequent baldness?

- D9 drives the 4H -

Stone Cross gives its name to our next Desi find, a true landmark roadhouse prominently sited on the junction of Walsall Road with Hall Green Road. The pub is also known as the Curry & Grill House and is where we pause for more Carling as quaffed to a Pat Benatar soundtrack ('Love is a Battlefield'). In terms of fixtures and fittings this place feels much more basic compared to other Desi examples though we're still glad to have done it. The bus stop over the road beckons so that we can flag down a Hayley Green-bound 4H ready for the Chairman to show off his customary steering prowess.

- Might this be the Red Lion perchance? -

We stay on the bus a mere handful of stops until the Red Lion looms into sight - it's hard to miss this one to be fair given there are large illuminated lion sculptures guarding the main entrance. As one of the flagship Desi watering holes it is essential we pay it a visit, especially as we're feeling rather peckish. There are little bits of Ansells heritage to marvel at as we enter, then we take up residence in the rear restaurant section to share a large mixed grill. The sizzling platter includes chicken tikka, seekh kebab, chicken hariyali (coriander coated) and even a rogue couple of fish pakoras, all on a bed of charred onions - delicious! 

- Mild in the Miners -

Re-energised by that spicy fare, we plough on towards West Bromwich as darkness sets in for the evening. There are three more pubs to account for so Church Lane is selected to convey us to the Queens Head, an understated Black Country boozer where the regulars all seem to be engrossed in watching ITV quiz show The Chase. Not too far away (around the back of Oakwood Park) we nip into the Merry Go Round for a swift half and a look at some AJW Mario Lanza beermats, then we weave our way into Golds Hill to sample M&B Mild in the Miners Arms. This Bagnall Street local feels like its out on a limb a bit and is notably quiet although the dominoes team should be arriving later on.

- Hub Le Bas, Bradley -

The Chairman's navigation skills have done us proud as an Eagle Lane dash sees us safely onto the number 43 West Bromwich to Bilston bus. We alight at Bradley to make use of a twilight marketing opportunity (cue Hub Le Bas) and pluck ourselves one final Desi feather for our caps. The Old Bush on Cross Street by the canal workshops has only recently come under Asian ownership having faced something of an uncertain future. Hopefully it will now go from strength to strength, and given it's on the D9 doorstep we may well return. Thus concludes this entertaining entry in our Desi diary and the first Hub Marketing outing of 2019; fingers crossed there will be plenty more to come - cheers!

Taking the towpath to Tipton

Believe it or not, I haven't made canal walking my 2019 New Year's Resolution and yet here I am again with another towpath tale to tell you about. This time I tackled the six or so miles along the Birmingham Main Line Canal from Wolverhampton to Tipton via Coseley Tunnel...

- Broad Street Beginnings -

Saturday 12th January 2019 greets me with unremittingly grey Wolverhampton skies, hardly the best photography weather but at least it's dry and not too chilly. My walk commences at Broad Street Basin where I admire the timeless cottages overlooking Top Lock with Littles Lane Bridge for a backdrop. Broad Street Bridge is a boring affair these days (the original structure takes pride of place at the Black Country Living Museum), after which the canal passes beneath the railway station's multistorey car park and on below Corn Hill. 

- Horseley Fields Junction -

I quickly reach a significant waterways location in the form of Horseley Fields Junction, a desolate spot surrounded by derelict land, railways and other assorted rubble. The junction is where the Birmingham Main Line meets the Wyrley & Essington, the latter canal stretching off towards Wednesfield, Bloxwich and ultimately Chasewater. The Main Line however is my focus for today so I proceed via Horseley Fields and Walsall Street, spotting ugly rusty shacks and plenty of protest graffiti. These post-industrial landscapes aren't everybody's cup of tea but I find them weirdly captivating if somewhat unnerving. 

- Rough Hills Railway Bridge -

Beyond Bilston Road the Main Line quietly makes its way through Monmore Green and Ettingshall as I have a steady succession of industrial estates for company. Cable Street boasts an old brown humpback bridge, then at Dixon Street I detour momentarily to get pictures of Laystalls Engineering (they make hydraulic cylinders) and confirm that the New Inn buffet restaurant has depressingly closed down. Back on the towpath, a Booker Cash and Carry store is a familiar sight from when I first walked this line many moons ago. Rough Hills has a modern green railway bridge plus an intriguing residence that I assume must be a former lock cottage - the canal certainly narrows here even if any lingering lock remains have been removed.

- Deepfields Junction -

Catchems Corner is followed by Millfields Bridge in bringing me into the vicinity of Spring Vale - go back forty years and you'd have seen the last remnants of the Bilston Steelworks which used to dominate the local area. Nowadays the canal is altogether quieter, the blast furnaces of yore having been replaced by residential developments such as Sedgemoor Park. The A463 Black Country Route didn't exist back in the time of Big Lizzy either but today it marks my approach to Deepfields Junction where the Bradley Arm branches off to serve the Canal & River Trust workshops on Bradley Lane.

- Inside Coseley Tunnel -

Anchor Lane, Hills Bridge (Biddings Lane) and Deepfields Footbridge present themselves as a quickfire sequence, the latter being a pedestrian link that connected to The Coseley School (an educational establishment that shut permanently in the summer of 2017). Next up is arguably the star attraction of my walk, the Grade II-listed Coseley Tunnel which is 360 yards long and first opened in 1837. The tunnel's north portal can be accessed off Ivyhouse Lane and there are twin towpaths throughout, each flanked by a rusty handrail as I enter the darkness.

- The Apple Tree -

It had been some years since I last ventured through Coseley Tunnel and the experience is still as spooky as I remembered - eerie silence except for occasional dripping noises, and slippery cobbles underfoot as I try not to trip over. I emerge unscathed at the south portal with steps up to School Street and reward myself with a pint at the Apple Tree, a recently refurbished corporate Marston's boozer just off the Green Street/Central Drive roundabout. Some Banks's Bitter (masquerading as 'Amber' in modern marketing parlance) hits the spot as I watch a bit of Football Focus and ponder the bright and breezy open plan interior. It's not my favourite Coseley pub - I prefer the New Inn or the Old Chainyard - but I'm certainly pleased I popped in for a look.

- Factory Bridge -

Having accounted for my quaffing quota, I resume my trek by rejoining the towpath through Wallbrook and thence onward to Tipton. The course of the canal passes the site of Beans Foundry, once a prominent manufacturer of castings for the automotive industry whereby the foundry's corrugated blue structures were for many years a distinctive feature at the water's edge. That's all history now although street names such as Thunderbolt Way reference the firm's heritage in among the new housing developments. At Factory Junction the canal splits in two so I opt for the New Main Line to revisit Factory Locks and ultimately reach my final destination, Tipton railway station.

- Tipton & Coseley Building Society -

Faced with a little wait for my train, I can't resist teasing out a few general Tipton photos by way of rounding things off. Owen Street therefore reacquaints me with the Fountain Inn (historic headquarters of the pugilist William Perry, a.k.a. the 'Tipton Slasher') and St Martin's & St Paul's Church; dwindling congregation numbers here have resulted in worship being transferred to St Matthew's instead, any future use of the building is still unclear at this stage. A swift glance at the Tipton & Coseley Building Society main offices and then the 14:25 home to Wolverhampton awaits - cheers!

Waterways Walks: Rowley Regis... and also Curdworth!

It turns out the New Year period has been rather busy for me so far with not one but two trips to tell you about. Waterways were at the core of both outings as I stretched my legs courtesy of the Dudley No. 2 and the Birmingham & Fazeley Canals - here are some selected highlights...

- Netherton Tunnel Footbridge, Windmill End -

The outings together straddled the crossover from 2018 into 2019 with trip number one being a Windmill End wander on New Year's Eve. I caught the X8 across from Wolverhampton to Warrens Hall and then surveyed Windmill End Junction, trying to capture the various different turnover footbridges serving the Boshboil Arm and the Netherton Tunnel Branch. The Dudley No. 2 Canal soon took centre stage though, leading me towards Blackheath via Bullfields Bridge (Springfield Lane) and the back end of Brickhouse Farm.

- Totnal Bridge -

Added interest along the Dudley No. 2 towpath is undoubtedly provided by a series of little moorhen figures plus local history artworks, notably recalling the chainmaker Eliza Tinsley as a prominent Black Country businesswoman. After passing under Powke Lane beside what used to be the Neptune pub (now a Londis supermarket), I proceeded to Totnal Bridge before venturing across some playing fields in search of local Blackheath photo targets. The old library building on Carnegie Road has found a new use as the Bookworms Day Care nursery with a Gruffalo peering out of one of the windows, while Alan Jinks's Watch Repairs shop looked atmospherically antiquated.

- The Waterfall -

Every good canal walk should always pitch up at a pub or two and I picked two classics by way of bidding 2018 a fond farewell. The Waterfall was essential for some Holden's hospitality even though the interior has had a makeover since I last saw it, creating an almost continental cafe vibe until the taste of scratchings and Bathams Bitter confirmed I'm very firmly in the Black Country. My final pint of the old year came in the Britannia at Rowley Village, an establishment that has latterly become home to the Britt Brewery so I simply had to sample their Working Mon's Mild (5% and very drinkable) - the giant cobs were also impossible to resist. 

- Cater's Bridge and Minworth Locks -

Plunging headlong into 2019 next whereby Friday 4th January provided my curtain raiser for the year. Still firmly bitten by the canal bug, I made tracks for Gravelly Hill Station and joined the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Bromford Lane to the rear of Buffet Island. The surroundings are initially industrial heading up towards Tyburn, negotiating the likes of Brace Factory Bridge (Holly Lane) and Butlers Bridge (Kingsbury Road). The towpath at one point flanks the Tyburn House, a Sizzling roadhouse with an appearance reminiscent of Cotswold stone, but things gradually become more scenic through the Minworth Locks. 

- Curdworth Tunnel -

Minworth Green gave me my fix of North Birmingham pictures, the leafy open space here being overlooked by the Hare & Hounds, a primary school and F G Mansell's Cycle Repairs hut. It's then a case of ploughing onwards into Warwickshire, counting down a satisfying sequence of bridges (Wiggins Hill, Broad Balk, Curdworth Church) to ultimately reach Curdworth Tunnel. I'd never done this particular section of the canal until now so I was in my element, taking pictures of new discoveries and enjoying the invigorating exercise. Curdworth Tunnel by the way is 52 metres long with a full towpath throughout.

- Curdworth Village -

Not only was that stretch of canal new to me, I'd never set foot in Curdworth before. The village immediately charmed me with a totem sign and some old-fashioned cottages, plus there's a modern village hall situated on Coleshill Road. Two pubs serve the main centre so it would've been rude not to do them both; I therefore duly accounted for the White Horse (a rather corporate Vintage Inns place where the Doom Bar was decent and the roaring fire much appreciated) and the Beehive (homely if a touch dated which naturally made it my favourite of the two, a proper boozer for a pint of Pedigree). The trip concluded with a ride on the number 75 Diamond bus to Sutton Coldfield via Walmley and Reddicap Heath - the route also serves Coleshill and Birmingham International - meaning I returned home happy with a few more miles under my belt. I certainly sense there could be more canals to come as 2019 continues, but for now... cheers!

WME Review of the Year - 2018

Happy New Year everybody! Whilst I wouldn't say I'm an absolute stickler for tradition, one of my little customs here on the WME blog is to pitch the first post of a new year as a reflective look back at the preceding twelve months. Now that 2019 is upon us, let me pause to consider the year that was 2018 and in the process I'll quietly submit WME blogpost number 700...

January: the old year burst into life first and foremost with an Ironbridge solo session, making use of my Gorge Museums passport with calls at Coalbrookdale and Broseley plus an opening pint in the Tontine Hotel. There were family visits to Tipton (the Pie Factory) and Codsall while Stephen and I spent a spare Thursday morning exploring Ettingshall, unearthing railway heritage and new housing developments. Elsewhere, the Chip Foundation contributed our Bumblehole Bash comprising a Windmill End waterways wander before we sought Shell-ter in a new Halesowen micropub.

February: stealing the headlines here has to be the WARP Reunion, a Worcestershire outing that saw me join forces with Messrs Wood, Chance and Lunn for a fun-filled tour of Stourport, Worcester and Redditch - the D9 bald spot came in for a lot of attention that day! The remainder of February was dedicated to judging duties, firstly with D9 around Cradley Heath and Warley (Ivan's Chip Shop was one of my culinary discoveries of the year) and secondly with the Chip Foundation cohort in Enville where Nick was apparently spotted manhandling a dismembered cock!

March: the Beast from the East was making its frozen presence felt, not that the blizzard would get in the way of a Friar Park and Bilston blast with Mr D9 - we've only just about thawed out again mind. A trio of solo treats then took centre stage, featuring input from Stafford (specifically Marston Road around the Stafford Rangers football ground), Telford (Sutton Hill and Woodside) and Lichfield, the latter involving a Good Friday investigation of canal restoration efforts at Fosseway Heaths and Borrowcop Locks. I certainly plan on returning in future to see what further progress the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust have made.

April: spring was now in full swing as evidenced by some Moor Pool moments in Birmingham; there was quite a contrast between the inner-city scenery of Ladywood (the ex-Twin Towers pub being a particularly prized flat roofed find) and the leafy suburbia of Harborne. Nick Turpin clocked in minus his Stagecoach for some High Wycombe hijinks whereby Haddenham & Thame Parkway installed itself as the unexpected (some would say unwanted) bonus location of 2018; twelve minutes waiting for a connection there felt like we'd landed in purgatory. That experience did not deter me from the jamboree that is Rail Rover Week, landing this time around at Etruria, Whitchurch, Honeybourne and Cheltenham. The Chip Foundation found time to squeeze in an Ironbridge itinerary (Jackfield japes in the Tile Museum) plus Stephen and I witnessed Warwickshire storming to cricketing victory at Northampton.

May: a quieter month to begin with, save for a scorching Sunday solo walk to Trysull and Wombourne augmented by some Stowlawn snippets with Stephen (how sad to see the Happy Wanderer as an overgrown mess). An afternoon at the Banbury beer festival kept Nick and I out of mischief with twin micropubs to account for, namely the Bailiff's Tap and the Old Town Ale House. May's major event however was undoubtedly the 2018 WME family holiday which entailed spending Whitsun Week in Wales, or Fishguard to be more exact. Tenby, Aberystwyth, St David's and Cardigan all succumbed to my camera's gaze over the course of five exceptional days, and how could I forget two classic Draught Bass pubs in the form of the Fishguard Arms and the fantastic Dyffryn Arms (otherwise affectionately known as Bessie's).

June: my return home from Wales was immediately followed by duck-detecting Coalbrookdale action with the Chip Foundation; Mr Beardsmore Senior certainly hasn't forgotten the hoppy taste of his ale in the Coracle, a beer far-removed from his usual John Smith's persuasion. The Beardsmores were likewise in attendance for a day in Shrewsbury checking out Coleham, Quarry Park and Frankwell, while the Going Quackers duck sculptures also registered during a Paul solo special that took me to Much Wenlock. In other news, I strapped on my hiking boots when covering the Seisdon section of the Staffordshire Way, Nick and I were impressed by Newhampton Arts Centre as the venue for Wolverhampton Beer Festival, and Mr D9 returned from a three month hiatus to resume our Hub Marketing mission courtesy of Gornal and Sedgley.

July: the nation by this stage was gripped with World Cup fever as England progressed to the semi-finals, Nick and I witnessing the fateful Croatia defeat at the Victoria in central Birmingham (Titanic Plum Porter could not mitigate the disappointment). Mr D9 and I galloped around Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay to a footballing soundtrack (World Cup Willie, Nice One Cyril) on a sticky day of Staffordshire imbibing, whereas the Beardsmores were my accomplices for a Worcester safari that required us to hunt down various giraffe sculptures before pondering the beer temperatures in the Sociable Brewing bar. Besides all of that, there was still time to sample the Shrewsbury beer festival, to carry out some Shenstone reconnaissance (Stephen negotiating the narrow lanes to drive us to the Plough), and to muscle in some micropub magic (Ken and Nick being on hand for my first visit to Tivi Ale).

August: the height of summer and 2018 did actually provide us with a fair amount of sunshine. The fine weather was put to excellent use watching cricket at Colwyn Bay, Warwickshire beating Glamorgan inside three days on their way to County Championship promotion - superb! The annual Hub Marketing away day excursion necessitated getting 'Hoodwinked' in Nottingham, Mr D9 and I duly rummaging for robins, old closets (Sneinton Market) and various hub locations. Back in the West Midlands, I enjoyed a gentle morning taking pictures of Kingswinford - St Mary's Church looked spectacular - whereas Shropshire was again the setting for some Chip Foundation antics, Coalport taking its turn in the Ironbridge Gorge Museums spotlight.

September: a month that began with Stephen and I still in Wales, the Bears' rapid victory giving us a free day with which to consider the drizzly delights of Blaenau Ffestiniog, very atmospheric despite - or perhaps because of - the rain. A successful cricketing season would later come to a close at Edgbaston whereby Ken, Nick, the Beardsmores and I celebrated Warwickshire's title success with an ale appointment at the Physician. Railway-related matters were very much to the fore in September; Nick and I wallowed in Inter City APT nostalgia at the Crewe Rail Ale festival, then Stephen, John and I sought out train sculptures in Bridgnorth (keeping an ear out for news of Wolves drawing 1-1 at Manchester United but of course). Even the Hub Marketing Board got in on the act, walking the remains of the old Harborne branch line out from Winson Green and dancing a Dick Emery conga for good measure. 

October: no year's autumn agenda is ever complete without a Hub Marketing Coventry caper, the 2018 edition thus focusing on Canley and Coundon - the quiff was present and correct for the requisite rock and roll singalong although Johnny Mathis gatecrashed the playlist in reference to a local estate agents! I spent a few days staying with my sister in Loughborough being thoroughly enchanted by my niece and nephew, nipping out but briefly to partake of Bass in the Plough at Thorpe Acre. Solihull was somewhat soggy when Nick and I descended upon the town's beer festival, albeit the Tap & Tandoor's vegetarian mixed grill and a canal walk at Hockley Heath soon took our minds off the damp conditions.

November: continuing with the beer festival theme and Stoke's Spode Hall is where Dad, Nick and I contemplated Potteries life over thirds from Titanic, Fixed Wheel and such like. Dudley Winter Ales gave Mr D9 his festival fix, ploughing through the programme with steely determination on the same day in which we found our final pepperpot and savoured the Parkfield Central Bar, wow! The Chip Foundation got sent to Coventry again, lingering on Lentons Lane and landing up in Longford prior to an industrial estate encounter with Byatt's Brewery Bar, we do introduce Mr Beardsmore Senior to all the best places! A quick note too for a couple of solo strolls, one gently getting to grips with Greensforge for Kinver Edge in the Navigation, the other weaving around Wightwick and Wrottesley on the edges of Perton.

December: and so we reach December, a month always concerned with festive forages and calendar unveilings. The 2018 Forage concentrated on Kenilworth and Leamington, Nick seemingly being on a quest to astound me with weird and wonderful establishments - can that Smeg fridge entrance to the Apehangers Bar ever be beaten? The Hub Marketing Christmas adventure comprised a Whitmore Reans circuit involving inflatable Santas, Pegasus pints and Winning Post wonder, whereas Dad and I made Bridgnorth our 'Twixmas' destination for Belgian brews in the Merckx Bar and gastro experiences in the Woodberry Inn. The closing word is reserved for New Year's Eve and a Dudley No. 2 Canal dart that concluded at the hallowed Waterfall below Blackheath - perfect!

I say it every year and 2018 is no exception - what cracking outings I've done and magnificent memories I can cherish. As always my sincere thanks go to the intrepid folk who have made all these terrific trips happen - Andy (a.k.a. Mr D9), Nick, Stephen, John (a.k.a. Mr Beardsmore Senior), Ken, Dad, Rog and Woody. It simply wouldn't be the same without you, and I hope 2019 will give us plenty more moments of mayhem and mirth - cheers!