Lockdown Log: TIPTON

The protracted process of easing lockdown restrictions continues to gather momentum and whilst I would hardly claim that things are returning to normal (far from it), there have been a couple of milestones to report over the last week or so - a proper pint and a train trip...

- Castlecroft Calling -
I reckon it would have been mid-March when I last set foot inside a pub, nipping into the Great Western for my usual Holden's Mild and cob combination. Days later, the Covid pandemic necessitated a shutdown of the entire hospitality industry and it is only recently that establishments have been permitted to reopen. The potential mayhem of 'Super Saturday' didn't appeal much to be honest as instead I opted for a quiet Thursday lunchtime for dipping my toe back into the water. Deliberately staying local, my choice was the Firs at Castlecroft where some Banks's Amber broke my cask drought in very agreeable fashion. It is disconcerting having to follow one-way arrows, stand on certain circles and keep sanitising your hands but this is a small price to pay for having our pubs back.

- Remembering St Martin's & St Paul's -
That near four month gap between pub visits was echoed by a similar hiatus since I last used public transport. Indeed, the first phase of the new Wolverhampton railway station has been completed in my absence, at long last giving the city a facility fit for the 21st century. Facemask at the ready, I board the 9:48 stopper and have an entire carriage to myself for the eight minute journey to Tipton. Owen Street then serves as the starting point for my tour as I pay particular attention to St Martin's & St Paul's, the former parish church which has been standing empty for some time. A victim of diminishing congregation numbers, the parcel tape crudely covering over the church sign tells its own story. The building is apparently available 'To Let' but quite what it can be used for is anyone's guess - a chance for someone to get creative perhaps?

- Foxyards Primary School -
One part of Tipton I'm not overly familiar with is the Foxyards Estate so that becomes my top target (I've been through it on the bus but never done much there photographically). The Pie Factory claims its customary shots and I note with interest the Staffordshire Territorial Force Association base on Sedgley Road West - this Drill Hall dates from 1910 but is another landmark that lacks a current purpose. Foxyards Road leads me down past the local primary school and there are a selection of short cul-de-sacs to ponder before I emerge onto the Birmingham New Road via Wrens Avenue. A well-known feature I sadly can't take any pictures of is the Foxyards pub, otherwise affectionately known as the Rag & Mop; I recall spotting its colourful mural when I was a kid but alas the wrecking ball had the final say back in 2007.

- The Red Lion redundant? -
From Foxyards I meander my way to Tipton Green, dutifully acknowledging Dudley Road offerings such as the Waggon & Horses and St Matthew's Church (the latter being where the parishioners from St Martin's & St Paul's relocated when that closed). Tipton Green gives a glimpse of the Old Main Line Canal and also the Red Lion, possibly Tipton's oldest watering hole (or so a blue plaque tells me) which makes its boarded-up predicament very regrettable - hopefully the shutters aren't an indication of a permanent demise. The associated guest house shows limited signs of life so I presume that it too has fallen on hard times, the Covid pandemic unlikely to have improved the situation. 

- Jack Holden Gardens -
Passing the Silvertrees Primary Academy school, I reach the site where Tipton Baths used to be and am a little surprised that the land remains disused. Signs for Select Healthcare hint at possible redevelopment on the horizon although for now the incumbent hoardings are looking unsightly, all a far cry from the days of swimming galas and lifeguards. The little green patch opposite has become somewhat overgrown although I can still detect a memorial stone paying tribute to Jack Holden, a great of British distance running and a leading light of the Tipton Harriers athletics club.

- Tipton Free Library -

After a quick Union Street glance at the defunct Tipton Conservative Club (the only place where I've posed with a pint next to a portrait of Margaret Thatcher), I venture into Victoria Park where the bowling green is waiting to spring back into action. The lake, playground and sports pitches seem to be attracting a few visitors and the benches by the war memorial are all taken which is good to see. Victoria Road supplies shots of Sacred Heart and All Souls Catholic Church (the associated primary school to which has shut down), and I finish off with probably my favourite Tipton landmark of the lot. The Free Library is a classic Carnegie structure in red and yellow terracotta bands, officially opening in 1906 and serving the town's reading needs until 2000 when the Unity Walk replacement took over. My return train from Dudley Port requires further facemask precautions and with that the trip is done - cheers!