The Hub Marketing Anniversary: Smethwick Revisited

February 2021 had the Hub Marketing Board celebrating our tenth anniversary although Covid considerations meant we weren't actually able to go anywhere. At the time we made do with a special blogpost reprising our first ever trip log and promised that sooner or later we'd restage the outing properly. That day finally arrived on 9th July whereby we had Smethwick squarely in our sights again, seeing how many of our original 2011 haunts were still going...

- The Spon Lane Locks Branch -

At the Chairman's insistence we meet at Sandwell & Dudley railway station primed to remember Oldbury manufacturing names such as Hunt Brothers and Cuxson & Gerrard. Mr D9 is keen on some canal ferreting this morning so we soon find ourselves strolling up the Spon Lane Locks where the towpath is increasingly being reclaimed by nature. Spon Lane Junction occupies a desolate spot underneath the M5 motorway and we lap up the 'Soviet Swimming Pool' scenery as the Old Main Line meanders among dripping concrete girders when heading for Galton Valley.

- 'Spotted' at Smethwick Locks -

Claims that the brutalist beauty here would rival the charms of the Lake District or the Shropshire Hills are somewhat questionable but we do enjoy exploring the Engine Arm, constructed as a feeder canal providing water to both the Old and New Main Lines. We can only get as far as Engine Bridge before the arm becomes a private mooring base, but further canal delights await at Smethwick Locks where the distinctive octagonal BCN tollhouse keeps the bald spot engrossed. The flight comprises three locks between the Engine Arm Aqueduct turning and Pope Bridge, beyond which we proceed via Smethwick Junction (overseen by rusty blue industrial cylinders) to the Avery Railway Bridge.

- Black Patch Park Memorial -

We start to overlap with our inaugural 2011 adventure once we reach Black Patch Park, an area of open space notable for its gypsy connections. Two water courses - Hockley Brook and Boundary Brook - converge here but apart from a couple of mown pitches the rest of the park is looking distinctly untidy. Nearby, the Soho Foundry frontage of the Avery Weigh-Tronix works is as impressive as ever, complete with a blue plaque detailing how Matthew Boulton and James Watt established the site in 1796. Avery's acquired the plant in 1895 and have earned a worldwide reputation for the production of scales and weighing equipment.

- Booth Street Closet -

Directly opposite the factory's archway entrance is the Soho Foundry Tavern, our opening pub in 2011 repeating the same trick today. Carling is our tipple this time, sitting in the front bar watching Wimbledon tennis coverage that previews the forthcoming men's semi-finals. Things may be quiet at the moment but we can easily imagine the place in its heyday, works buses parked outside in Foundry Road and smoke-filled rooms heaving with folks imbibing after a hard day's labour. Perhaps some of those gents would have made use of the Booth Street closet, a bygone relic that Mr D9 is determined to see again.

- The Falcon has flown -

The next stage of our re-enactment sadly involves paying homage to those watering holes that haven't survived over the last decade. The Falcon at the bottom of Messenger Road and Baldwin Street was an early casualty, getting demolished within weeks of our 2011 visit. Houses now occupy that patch of land whereas the Moilliet Arms (converted into flats) is at least still standing on the Cranford Street/Grove Lane junction. Another lamented loss is the London Works Tavern, a no-nonsense M&B boozer formerly positioned on London Street which has been sacrificed as part of the Midland Metropolitan Hospital development.

- Super-Hospital Sightseeing -

Talking of the 'super-hospital', we note that this protracted construction saga is now nearing an end and it is anticipated that the facility will open in the summer of 2022. It certainly looks dramatic as a building and will hopefully go on to deliver world class health care despite the various delays that have beset the project. Covering some 16 acres, the hospital's footprint also swallowed up the George, a Grove Lane inn that was latterly known as the Hono Bar or Maan's. We can't blame medical advances for the demise of the Puffing Billy though; it had already closed for a few years before suffering a catastrophic fire, leaving behind just Raglan Road rubble and hints of mock locomotive wheels on the disused car park. 

- Relaxing in the Robin -

All these references to pub closures have the potential to get very depressing so we need to find somewhere that is happily soldiering onwards. The Robin on Suffrage Street fits the bill nicely as a Cape Hill community local not far from Victoria Park or the Windmills Shopping complex. Carling Euro 2021 bunting accompanies more of the said lager as we ponder beermats depicting the faces of the England squad and catch up on the Wimbledon latest. Whether football indeed comes home this weekend remains to be seen but Secretary WME thinks the team have done us proud just by getting into the final - fingers crossed for victory! 

- Seven Stars, Cape Hill -

The heart of Cape Hill revolves around a notoriously busy road junction where several routes all meet. Architecturally the area is still recognisable from vintage pictures taken in the early C20th albeit the traffic levels have vastly increased. The public house contingent did include the Waterloo (a flagship terracotta M&B edifice that is long-term derelict) and the Sampson Lloyd (historically a bank, now a chicken wings restaurant) so it's the Seven Stars that flies the flag today - we nip in for yet more Carling as the Secretary cunningly secures discount honours for the Hub Marketing spreadsheet.  

- The Shireland -

The Seven Stars marked a departure from the 2011 itinerary (ten years ago it was so full we didn't stop) so we knuckle down to our core mission again courtesy of the Shireland. M&B lettering is still very evident but otherwise there has been something of a makeover, sprucing up the interior with an emphasis on Indian cuisine. We plan on dining a little bit later so we concentrate on playing Popmaster, Mr WME surprising himself with chart knowledge about East 17 and the Boxtops whereas the Chairman's star answers involve Sheena Easton and Stevie Wonder. We don't score particularly highly and have no chance on the Rihanna 3 in 10.

- Curry Contentment at the Red Cow -

Licking our quizzical wounds, we board the 80A for a short hop to Smethwick High Street. We didn't claim any curries in 2011 but the lure of the Red Cow is too much to resist this time around - cue the Baby Cow mixed grill drizzled in chilli and mint sauces, yum! A backstreet dash past Arden Road's former Co-op shop then gets us to the Old Chapel, perched on The Uplands beside Smethwick Old Church. Mr D9 is closing in on a Carling full house while Secretary WME goes rogue at one point by sneaking in an M&B Mild. Having accumulated eight pubs back in 2011 we satisfy ourselves with a magnificent seven on this occasion, the last of which is a new entry for the Desi 2 on Oldbury Road; this used to be called the Waggon & Horses and proves very handy for Galton Bridge train connections. 

There's no denying Smethwick and Cape Hill have seen some significant changes in ten short years but we managed to put together a cracking crawl for our anniversary tour - cheers!