The Hub Marketing Awards 2020

Covid has understandably curtailed Hub Marketing activities this year, with only one trip (Stafford in October) having been submitted since the end of February. We can now add another to that list after an extraordinary general meeting was convened on Monday 21st December in order to facilitate the annual Hub Marketing Awards. Naturally these were more low-key than normal with pubs completely off the agenda, but Chairman D9 and Secretary WME did still cover many other aspects of hub business during the course of a Walsall Canal wander...

The Awards: as is customary around Christmastime, our ancient Hub founder Charles Pemberton Rowbottom III is stirred from his slumbers in order to undertake presentation duties. All of the usual accolades were dished out including Pub of the Year (the White Tower in Birmingham), Dive of the Year (Highgate's Town Crier) and the prize for the most devious discount (Mr WME with a £2.10 round in Stafford). The Chairman was not left empty-handed, far from it after hoovering up the Expensive Round title (£5.50 for nitrokeg in Stourbridge), but perhaps most significant was the news that D9 Destroyer finally claimed the Pub Games Championship for the first time ever!

The Closet: at Mr D9's insistence, the inclusion of a public conveniences on each outing is a standing item on the Hub Marketing rulebook. Decorum was fulfilled on this occasion by finding a gents outhouse within James Bridge Cemetery, the Chairman cashing in some prior research to good effect here. Note too the topical t-shirt being modelled by D9 in the above picture, he's certainly well versed as regards mobile tracking devices! Other closets that merit a mention from 2020 are the examples at Penn Fields Bowling Club and Stafford's Victoria Park but you'll have to take D9's word for it...

The Ferret: ongoing Tier 3 restrictions meant we couldn't attempt too much in terms of actual exploring so we settled on a steady canal-themed walk. Beginning in Moxley with Champions League Popmaster by the derelict Travellers Rest, we surveyed the remains of the Bradley Locks Branch down to Moorcroft Junction. Our main focus then became the Walsall Canal through to Pleck, passing the Rough Hay estate and detouring into Darlaston for a classic Middletons chip shop lunch. James Bridge Aqueduct meanwhile was originally built in 1797 and comprises two round arches carrying the canal over what is now Bentley Mill Way. 

The Bald Spot: another staple of many a marketing meeting, the D9 bald spot has suffered from particularly slim pickings this year (and for once we're not talking about the lack of hair up top). December's contribution is this snap taken during our Bradley Locks investigations, the Chairman distracted by a combination of old waterways infrastructure and the Midland Metro bridge. The Bradley Canal Restoration Society is working to bring about the re-opening of the canal from Moorcroft Junction through to the Canal & Rivers Trust workshop off Bradley Lane, a scheme that would involve reinstating nine locks in total. Fingers crossed this will become a reality in the not-too-distant future!

The D9 Drive: as has been the case with bald spots, D9 driving poses have also been conspicuously absent from our marketing minutes in 2020. Thankfully the Chairman seems to have lost none of his prowess behind those imaginary pizza-sized steering wheels as indeed he was keen to demonstrate aboard the number 34 bound for Bilston. In keeping with current regulations, face coverings were worn at all times whilst on the vehicle albeit Conductor 'Ding Ding' Dave is allegedly still on furlough.

The Hub: the core mission of the Hub Marketing Board is of course to identify and document hubs in all their myriad shapes and sizes. Ever on the lookout for undetected examples, we were pleased to spot the Olio Hub among the industrial units on Midland Road (apparently it's some kind of dance studio or music academy). That discovery came near Darlaston Green where we paid homage to the former Rubery Owen works; based in Booth Street, the factory employed around 5,000 people before closing in the early 1980s although the Rubery Owen name continues to operate across eight subsidiary companies.

The Charts: the final essential piece of activity that needs reporting on has to be our silly songs chart. DJ D9 Hubbacini therefore counts down our very own Pick of the Pops, starting with Jon Inman's 'I'm Free' and progressing through gems from Nina & Frederik (Sucu Sucu) plus Valerie Singleton (Solomon Centipede). The all-important top three comprised Freddie Barratt's version of 'It's Impossible', Monty Norman's 'Good Sign, Bad Sign' - which later got reworked into the James Bond Theme - and at number one was Wing with her unique take on 'All the Single Ladies'. Such was the impression Wing made that the Chairman in his infinite wisdom spent most of the walk playing examples of her other recordings, good grief!

That concludes our light-hearted look at the 2020 Hub Awards but in all seriousness it has been a year like no other and our hearts do go out to anybody who's been affected by loss and hardship during the pandemic. We sincerely hope that 2021 will be a better year all round, and as the Northern Soul cushion says - Keep the Faith!