Tuesday, August 24

Worcester's Big Parade

Having gotten well and truly 'Rammed' in Derby during June and July, I now bring you news of an elephant invasion that has taken over the fair streets of Worcester. A herd of artistic sculptures are awaiting discovery as the Chip Foundation celebrate Nick's forthcoming birthday...

- Stephen with 'Strawberrephant' -
I won't reveal Nick's impending age other than to say Paul McCartney might well have written a song about it. Our resident royal may be getting older but he isn't losing his hair yet, and he is safely aboard the 10:15 train at Galton Bridge ready to meet Ken, the Beardsmores and myself. The journey down to Foregate Street is spent trying to name as many famous artists and musical composers as possible - I think we did rather well! - before we get stuck straight into the elephant trail. Exhibit A is the fruitily red 'Strawberrephant', perched on the railway station forecourt and covered in a multitude of yellow seeds.

- 'It's What's Inside That Counts' -
Quickly warming to our task, we encounter 'Jackson' outside the Worcester Museum and Art Gallery; this is an expressive sculpture seemingly slathered in paint textures. The racecourse gates on Croft Road have us pondering the melting effects of 'Global Warming' while 'Hive in the Herd' is a study in honeycomb that blends in well with the city's iconic modern library. Also making quite an impression is 'It's What's Inside That Counts', a skeleton-themed creation with a bright red heart that can be found in the gardens close to the Severn View Hotel.

- Nick and Ken with 'Azalea' -
Crossing the mighty Severn care of Sabrina Bridge, our next calling point is Cripplegate Park where the play area is unsurprisingly busy with children during the school holidays. The park is home to 'Azalea', a suitably floral elephant which politely patrols the ornamental flowerbeds, while we're similarly impressed by other public artworks within the wider grounds - a large ceramic poppy commemorates the Worcestershire Yeomanry regiment whereas we can hardly ignore a giant shimmering golden pear, twinkling away as the sun starts to come out.

- Mr B Senior in the Brewers Arms -
New Road cricket ground is normally a place of pilgrimage for us but not today; in fact, we're rather disgruntled at the decision to charge an entrance fee for watching a Second XI match. Ken leads us in silent protest before we proceed west of the river into St John's, an interesting locality centred around the Bull Ring and St John-in-Bedwardine Parish Church. Top target here would have been the rehoused Bull Baiter's micropub were it not closed on a Monday lunchtime; the Grosvenor Arms is likewise shut so the Brewers Arms comes to our rescue. Those of us of a Wolverhampton Wanderers persuasion feel instantly at home here among the many references to Molineux's hallowed turf, just part of a distinct sporting emphasis.

- The All Important Chip Interlude -
I think we all rather liked the Brewers Arms actually - two docile boxer dogs commandeered their favourite sofas, Stephen had cricket ground landscapes to admire and Mr B Senior was able to partake of his much-craved John Smith's. Conversation covers the usual assorted range of topics including (somewhat morbidly) footballer funerals, with Ken recalling how the stars of yesteryear turned out in force for Derek Dougan some years ago. Attention soon turns to matters of luncheon whereby Cripplegate Park re-enters the fray as our chip-munching setting of choice. The food takes half an eternity to cook but at least we know it's fresh!

- Nick meets 'The Pears' -
Time for more elephants now as we take a Severn-side stroll along Bromwich Parade, looking out over a stretch of river that serves as a dedicated swan sanctuary. Standing above the foot ferry steps is 'The Pears', a particularly colourful design that prominently features the county's symbolic fruit. Alas the foot ferry itself isn't operational at the moment but it's no hardship going the long way round to the opposite bank, carefully listening in as cathedral chimes reverberate on the breeze and evoke a real sense of the quintessential English summertime. 

- 'Wellyphant' -
South Quay coaxes us with the prospect of 'Wellyphant' whose shiny red boots would surely be ideal for splashing about in the nearby fountains; 'Ash' meanwhile has automotive leanings referencing the Morgan car company, and 'Zentangle' offers a variety of golden geometric shapes in the shadows of the Diglis House Hotel. We then wend our way along Severn Street to account for 'Wild World' (showcasing an array of cute creatures in the grounds of the Royal Worcester ceramics museum) and 'Worcester in Porcelain' over by the Commandery. Aside from the animal sculptures, Nick is excited to find a Civil War-styled montage comprising helmets, chestguards and lances - we think HRH would definitely have been a Cavalier whereas Stephen is more of a Roundhead! 

- The Oil Basin Brewhouse -
Onwards we go to College Green for a momentary appreciation of the Edgar Tower, an imposing sandstone gatehouse which boasts C14th crenellations. Elsewhere within the Cathedral Precincts we spot 'Lucy Lavender', a pastoral elephant that conjures up more of the splendid River Severn scenery we were admiring earlier. Just over the road, 'Silverella' keeps Sir Edward Elgar company with a cog-based appearance before we squeeze in two swift pub visits. The Farriers Arms on Fish Street has dark wood aplenty as we respectively quaff Otter Bitter, Tribute, HPA or lemonade and blackcurrant; the Oil Basin Brewhouse by contrast is altogether much more modern, serving as a showcase for the Wintrip Brew Co. although Oakham's Black Magic Porter is our preferred tipple in this instance.

- 'Panda' -
The strains of Bob Dylan linger long in our ears as we bid farewell to the Oil Basin (a 2021 Good Beer Guide entry I'd happily return to) and eye up a few more elephants. 'Porcelain Elephant' guards the Guildhall with its carved effigies of Kings Charles I and Charles II; 'Panda' pretty much does what it says on the tin; 'The Gardener' has a checked shirt, sunflowers and a spade; and finally 'Life's Snakes and Ladders' has a different board game design on either flank. Pubwise we round off at the Imperial Tavern, a Black Country Ales establishment that seems highly fitting for raising a toast to the birthday boy Nick Esq. We then catch the 17:41 train home to conclude an excellent elephantine expedition - cheers!

- 'Woollyphant' -
Monday isn't quite the end of my elephant story though, for I return to Worcester on Friday 27th August to track down the remaining ten installations. 'Sundown Stroll' gets me back into the sculpture-spotting groove with its burnished African sunset effect at The Cross, and there are a multitude of miniature ele-babies to meet within the Crowngate Centre's shopping malls. 'Woollyphant' then beckons me to Sawmill Walk so as to inspect the pink, purple and blue yarn-effect design - I bet this one would be warm in wintertime! Another Crowngate candidate is 'Leave the Herd Behind' with its hints of ladybirds, bridge arches and even a narrowboat.

- 'Dare To Bee Different -
'The Elephant in the Room' at Chapel Walk is not a sculpture as such but rather an interactive display that emphasises the importance of good mental health. I'm impressed by both 'An Elephant Never Forgets' (the pink specimen accompanying St Andrew's Spire) and 'Inky', whose lovely black and white illustrations grace Friary Street beside Laslett's Almshouses. 'Muddy Walks' is well-prepared for adverse weather thanks to a yellow raincoat while 'Sundar' offers nods to Indian and Thai royalty. Two more to go and the first of those entices me to Fort Royal Park, scene of a decisive English Civil War battle. No such drama on this occasion as 'Dare To Bee Different' stands quietly atop the historic mound surveying the cityscape below. 

- 'Alex the Cleaniphant' -
Extra legwork is required to reach my very last elephant, the resulting stroll introducing me to Diglis Island on the River Severn where two landmark locks and a weir are just part of the waterways infrastructure. Towering over the lot is the visually arresting Diglis Bridge, a modern crossing that officially opened in July 2010 and provides the backdrop to my pictures of 'Alex the Cleaniphant', a creation adorned with details of swans and dragon-boat racing. With that I've found all 31 of the large elephants, and I hope they collectively go on to raise stacks of money for St Richard's Hospice when the herd is auctioned off in due course. 

- The Portobello, Bransford Road -
What of Friday's pub selections I hear you ask? Being at Diglis Bridge means I'm handily placed for visiting the Lower Wick estate where Canada Way reveals the Maple Leaf next to a Co-op shopping parade. Wolverhampton Wanderers regalia is once again evident as I savour a cracking pint of Banks's Mild, much of the bar chat revolving around Cristiano Ronaldo's proposed return to Manchester United. An alleyway to Swinton Lane then has me homing in on the Portobello, a townhouse Marston's affair on the B4485 Bransford Road. A decent drop of Banks's Amber goes down well while I watch some of the Headingley test match cricket, and with a glimpse of the former JF Willis Cinderella Shoe Works (specialists in glass slippers presumably??) I make my way back to Foregate Street, job done and dusted. 

Sunday, August 15

Hub Marketing 2021: Wednesbury

Certain places have become enshrined in the Hub Marketing minutes book as heartlands locations, those 'faithful servant' sort of settings which we return to time and time again. Whilst Smethwick probably ranks as our ultimate mainstay, Wednesbury isn't far behind after becoming the focus of this August adventure...

- Robinson Brothers, Phoenix Street -
Friday 13th August 2021 hopefully won't bring any bad luck as Secretary WME takes a leisurely amble prior to the designated 11:30am rendezvous. Phoenix Street is my choice for some morning photography, focusing in on the ex-George Inn (now acting as a base for yet another hand car wash) and the Robinson Brothers Limited chemical works. The latter is a family firm originally established by three brothers in 1869 that has gone on to specialise in fine chemical production and rubber accelerators. The factory overlooks Hadley Bridge on the Wednesbury Old Canal, more of which is coming shortly.

- Let the Dartboard Duel recommence! -
The unloved expanses of Greets Green Park combine with Turner Street as the allotted hour arrives and Chairman D9 emerges from his bunker hideaway. He's keen to get straight down to business so we reclaim the Greets Green Community Hub at Harwood Street Resource Centre and then pitch up at the Fox & Goose. It seems ages since we last put our darting prowess to the test, D9 Destroyer being the reigning champion from the curtailed 2020 season. Our collective rustiness is embarrassingly apparent so it's probably wise that the adjacent walls are well protected! WME Whirlwind can barely hit the board to begin with yet somehow prevails by three legs to two, perhaps inspired by a Blondie (The Tide is High) and Bob Marley soundtrack or an opening slurp of Beardsmore bleach.

- Wherefore art the Wednesbury Old Canal? -
The Chairman isn't necessarily known for Shakespearean speeches but he certainly delivers a grand oratory as we revisit the Wednesbury Old Canal from Belper Bridge to Swan Village. The plight of this BCN backwater provokes D9's ire, the line having been abruptly decapitated by the construction of the Black Country New Road in the 1990s. Boats historically used to be able to access the Ridgacre and Balls Hill branches but nowadays even the nominal Swan Lane terminus would be hard to reach due to a proliferation of reeds blocking the channel. The towpath could make for a nice walk if not piled high with fly-tipped rubbish.

- Wednesbury Market Place -
Swan Village's demolished gas holders are in our thoughts as we pause at the Ridgacre, a Table Table chain effort next to a Premier Inn (drop in for a Doom Bar if you must). We've charted the remains of the Ridgacre Branch before although a brief reprise works well en route to Black Lake, and soon enough a 79 whisks us off to lovely Wednesbury. Always seemingly one of the lesser-heralded Black Country towns, there are some fascinating fragments for the Secretary to capture on camera. The Market Place Clock Tower was installed in 1911 to celebrate King George V's coronation while some John Taylor Duce & Sons lettering displays steadfastly above the current post office.

- Checking out the Community Hub -
Pub-wise the Hub Marketing Board have covered Wednesbury quite comprehensively over several previous trips, albeit there are some changes to report. The Turks Head (otherwise known as the Tavern) on Lower High Street is now calling itself the Seven Bar while the George has been renamed as the William Archer in honour of a long-serving local councillor. Mr D9 is particularly smitten with the second of those, not just because of its flat-roofed wedged appearance but also on account of its discount potential - two pints for less than £4, no wonder the place is so popular! All of Wednesbury life seems to be in here today and there's even cricket coverage to keep the Secretary happy (until Sibley holes out that is).  

- The Park Inn -
Another Wednesbury watering hole primed for a revisit is the Park Inn, an unassumingly plain free house on Walsall Street. Armed with respective glasses of M&B Mild and Carling, we settle in the front snug to 'admire' the heavily patterned leafy wallpaper and play Popmaster. Our Del Amitri knowledge lets us down on the 3 in 10 but we score respectably highly on the main two rounds, aided by some inspired answers involving the Troggs and Annie Lennox. We would have followed the Park Inn with Wood Green's Horse & Jockey but that was closed, so the Queens Head on Brunswick Park Road provides a useful fallback for Wye Valley HPA amidst portraits of Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II - not bad at all.

- Disguised Driving on the 11 -
Wednesbury has definitely done us proud and our next move is to catch the number 11 bus over to Pleck, that multicultural portion of Walsall pressed tight between Bescot and the M6 motorway. The Chairman recalls the late 'Wednesbury Tone', a local character who was known for gesticulating at bus drivers - thankfully there are no offputting hand signals to distract us during this bout of D9 steering. Pleck's pub offering is the Bradford Arms (a.k.a. Champy's) perched above Pagett's Bridge on the Walsall Canal; sadly we don't have enough time to partake of their highly-regarded curries but a pint each keeps any thirst at bay.

- Incognito Secretary at Herbert's Park -
The day draws to a close with a Darlaston denouement, calling firstly at the Nutan Club for  down-to-earth hospitality that had Mr D9 waxing lyrical about 1970s social club seating and public payphones. That might have been that until the 39 bus reminded us of the King George V's Forge Road existence - this is probably better remembered as the Herbert's Park Tavern or Gabba's Bar until a recent Desi-style transformation. Secretary WME tries to go conceal the fact he's drinking Carling again but no amount of flat cap and sunglasses can hide the truth. Mr D9's 79 timetable is put to the test at Catherine's Cross and fails abysmally, meaning the Staffordshire Knot has to spare the bald one's scheduling blushes, and that pretty much concludes our extended crawl of Wednesbury and surroundings areas. Cheers!

Sunday, August 8

Swerving the Saturday Showers

It must have been well over a year since I last staged a Saturday outing, such has been the change of weekend routine brought about by the Covid pandemic. An iffy weather forecast wasn't about to deter me from amending that situation, so on Saturday 7th August 2021 I braced myself for the prospects of rain during a Rowley Regis, Shell Corner and Hurst Green circuit...

- A Merrivale Mess -
The plan is simple enough - get myself to Rowley Regis station and set about taking a few photographs - but yet again the railway gods have other ideas. For the second time in a matter of weeks, trains on the Stourbridge Line are subject to cancellations, lack of train crew being the root cause on this occasion. The 49 bus is my backup option as I consider visiting Brandhall, only for that idea to get torpedoed the moment I see the sadly stricken Merrivale. Once a fine suburban roadhouse, this Langley landmark looks a total wreck with half of its roof missing so its days must surely be numbered.  

- Causeway Green Post Office -
Budding Adam Peatys and Rebecca Adlingtons are making their way to Langley Baths for a morning swim as Joinings Bank combines with New Henry Street, custom dictating that I take my usual detour for snaps of Langley's Carnegie branch library. The Royal Oak as was is in a state of perilous half-demolished limbo, whereas in Causeway Green the former Hen & Chickens is now calling itself Saphari (still operating as an oriental buffet restaurant). Across the Wolverhampton Road, I note the presence of Oldbury Pharmacy, the Causeway Fish Bar and the local post office while trying to stockpile photos prior to any precipitation. 

- Shell Corner Memorial -
The rain holds off long enough for me to proceed via Penncricket Lane (passing Causeway Green Primary School and a Methodist Chapel) into Cakemore Road, albeit there is definitely drizzle in the air by the time I reach the Arcelor Mittal plant. Hurrying up a tad, Nimmings Road connects me to Shell Corner where I can admire a World War One memorial styled as an artillery munitions shell complete with painted poppies. The current commemoration came about following a heritage campaign and is a nod to a previous version which stood on the Nimmings Road/Long Lane roundabout from the mid 1920s through to the early 1970s.

- The Swan -
The promised showers are really making their presence felt so luckily the Swan is on hand to help me shelter from the squall. I recall this pub being under threat a few years ago; thankfully Black Country Ales stepped in and it continues to go from strength to strength. I'm almost spoiled for choice beer-wise but Salopian's Mind Bomb Stout soothes my craving for a darker brew, the accompanying cheese and red onion cob having a hefty wedge of cheddar. Cricket scores from Trent Bridge mingle with a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack as I ponder the joys of Saturday supping and check on Team GB's Olympics progress in Tokyo. 

- Banks's Amber at the Fairfield -
Any thoughts of venturing towards Old Hill are scrapped as soon as I see raindrops bouncing off the pavement, so I'd best stay close if I'm to keep dry. Hurst Green is a mere dash away, hence a hood-up scurry along Oak Barn Road has me homing in on the Fairfield. For a standard estate Marston's effort this is rather a handsome building, originally opening in 1938 although it has been modernised a bit since then. The front bar is just out of squealing range from the family dining contingent and serves me nicely for some Banks's Amber and a chance to cheer on the 4 x 400m women's relay team - they came 5th, no disgrace in that.

- Rowley Regis Conclusion -
With the rain relenting slightly, I take a punt on one more watering hole before heading home. My pick is the Clock Inn, languidly curving around the corner of Nimmings Road and Masters Lane. Carling suffices in the absence of cask ale as I make the acquaintance of an Elvis cardboard cutout over by the pool table - his blue suede shoes would've got a soaking today. I'm then handily placed for a dart to Rowley Regis railway station where I'm relieved to find a train is imminent and that's job done for my Saturday session - cheers!

Thursday, August 5

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives: Part 22

My previous post in the 'Lost Pubs' series concentrated very much on the Black Country for inspiration, so in order to redress the balance this time I'm flinging the net further afield. Let's see what we've hauled in as part of August's archive catch...

- The Royal Exchange -
Okay, I confess! I couldn't resist squeezing in one more from those four local boroughs although it is contentious as to whether Bloxwich truly comes under the Black Country banner. Situated on Stafford Road just north of the Bell traffic lights, the Royal Exchange has been shut for several years and made for a forlorn sight when the Beardsmores and I happened by a couple of months ago. Hopefully the building still has a future even if its pub days are over.

- The Raven -
Still within the West Midlands, we now broaden our horizons towards Birmingham where the Raven used to be a Brewer's Tudor establishment serving the Weoley Castle community. Pub pictures were quite a rarity in the very early WME archives because I mainly concentrated on bus and train photos back then, but I did feel compelled to capture this place using my very first Fujifilm digital camera. The Castlecroft Residential Care Home now stands on the site.

- The Plough -
Edging next into neighbouring counties, our third port of call is the Staffordshire village of Trysull, a place that is no stranger to the WME blog. Nor indeed is the Plough which I must have mentioned quite a few times over the years, including confirming back in February that it had been converted for purely residential use. This photograph depicts the pub during its Marston's days, preparing for Halloween and Bonfire events in the autumn of 2010.

- The Rock Tavern -
Another from my 2010 stockpile is this view showing the Rock Tavern, formerly a free house that overlooked the River Stour in the small Worcestershire hamlet of Caunsall. I nearly didn't get a shot of this one at all because I was more enamoured with the nearby Anchor, a lovely traditional inn famed for its generously-filled cobs. Alas the Rock is no more, unceremoniously gouged out of the landscape, but the Anchor is still on hand to tempt the thirsty; Caunsall is on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal close to Kinver, Cookley and Wolverley. 

- The Mermaid -
We finish with something of a Welshpool wildcard all the way from lovely Powys, where of all the town's watering holes it was the Mermaid which enchanted me into having a pint during my September 2010 Cambrian getaway. The timber-framed frontage impressed me more than the beer to be fair, and the building continues to be a Grade II-listed charmer despite having been repurposed for general residential use. Now that lockdown has lifted and I'm getting into wider exploration circulation again, I anticipate that my Lost Pubs series will become a more occasional blog offering although I do hope to keep raiding my archives from time to time. 

Sunday, August 1

WME Flickr Focus - July 2021

The Olympics are the pinnacle of this sporting summer and I've been really enjoying watching Team GB's athletes competing in their various disciplines now that the Tokyo Games are underway. I won't pretend that my photostream endeavours match the herculean efforts we're seeing in Japan but it is nevertheless time to bring you up to date with the WME medal table...

It's gold all the way for Exploration Extra which has been utterly untouchable in the updates competition over the course of July. Several locations have helped propel Extra to the top of the rostrum, starting with Suffolk where Ipswich provided the Isaac Lord quayside bar plus a Lord Nelson pub sign, and Felixstowe combined the Drill Hall with a seafront truck snap. More locks from the Kennet & Avon Canal in Bath have added their muscle to the total, while Leicestershire landed two Hinckley pub sign punches courtesy of the Holly Bush and the Duke of Rutland.

Still with Exploration Extra and another major contributor to the gallery's success has been Kent. Faversham powered in pictures of the Bear Inn and the cheekily-named 'Old Gits Corner' from the Elephant; the Broadstairs bandstand clocked in for its second appearance, supplemented by the Divers Arms at Herne Bay; and Deal took care of the watersports honours with a specimen from the Ship Inn. Away from the south east, Wales featured prominently on account of Chirk's platform mural and Conwy's vintage A55 RAC pointer. An impressive haul all round!

Silver medal position just about goes to WME Staffordshire, edging into second place on the back of Burntwood's Springlestyche Lane, Tamworth's Whitbread pub stanchion and Long Lane's canal remains on the Wyrley Branch. Bronze then becomes a three way tie between WME Shropshire (the Kings Arms at Church Stretton joining the Ellesmere White Hart), WME Walsall (Bentley Cairn and Aldridge Parish Church) and WME Sandwell (two contrasting views of the Red Admiral on the Gorse Farm estate). Well done to all of the medal contenders there.

The minor placings are filled out by a handful of galleries that should still be proud to have competed. WME Wolverhampton - so often a frontrunner - was quiet on this occasion, mustering up a single tram sign shot from The Crescent. Solitary additions are likewise the story for WME Dudley with its Black Country Museum vegetable basket, and WME Solihull which snares the 73A People's Express route. The final word is however reserved for WME Coventry, at long last receiving its first new item of the entire year thanks to the 34 bus at Tile Hill South terminus - sometimes it really is the taking part that counts!