Lost Pubs from the WME Archives - Part 24

For my last post of 2021 I thought I'd see which Lost Pubs might be lurking at the bottom of my Christmas stocking. So far the series has already recorded 112 expired establishments, mainly from the West Midlands and surrounding counties (Staffs and Salop especially) plus the odd one further afield. That's quite a big number when you come to think about it, especially given that most of the pictures are from within the last ten years, and yet I can't help feeling it is only the tip of the iceberg...

- New Inn, Bulkington -

A further quintet will take my running total for the series to 117, and Exhibit A among these is the New Inn from Bulkington (near Bedworth). I'd never set foot in the village until Nick and I went there in June 2017, and although we were mainly concerned with Draught Bass in the Weavers Arms, it was sad to see the New Inn all abandoned opposite the Methodist Church. Demolition was the ultimate outcome here, clearing the way for the construction of more houses on the Rugby Road/Wolvey Road junction. 

- Pyle Cock, Wednesfield -

My second selection for this post is a personal favourite I was very sorry to see close. The Pyle Cock in Wednesfield was a largely unspoiled Banks's boozer just over the road from the local branch library, and I well recall supping excellent examples of Banks's Mild here with my Dad or finishing a D9 Hub Marketing special with bargain Boondoggle (at only £1 a pint). The rooms were atmospheric - a real cottagey throwback - but alas it has latterly been turned into the Evolution Childcare Nursery and Pre-School. 

- Bell Inn, Willenhall -

Like the Pyle Cock, another pub well known in drinking circles would be the Bell at Willenhall with its compact frontage facing out onto the town's Market Place. Parts of the building are said to date from 1659 so it was such a shame to see the premises gradually fall into a state of disrepair. Thankfully the Willenhall Heritage Trust have helped to rescue the building for future generations even though it no longer functions as a watering hole. 

- Moilliett Arms, Smethwick -

Regular readers of the blog probably don't need any introduction as regards the Moilliet Arms because this was one of the original Hub Marketing haunts back in February 2011. A long term Smethwick landmark watching over the Cranford Street/Grove Lane/Soho Way roundabout, it had an air of faded elegance as if the surrounding industry had taken its toll. Trading ceased circa 2013 after which conversion into flats seemed pretty much inevitable.

- The Bellfield Inn, Winson Green -

We finish this edition with an absolute wreck over in Winson Green, whereby the Bellfield Tavern must have stood derelict for at least ten years before finally being put out of its misery. A Banks's concern prior to closure, it also had a spell under Davenports ownership and used to be accompanied on Winson Street by the Bellefield Garage (the pub itself has at times been spelled with an extra 'e'). I understand that the site has remained empty since the pub was demolished, and on that note I'll sign off until 2022 - cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - December 2021

Season's Greetings one and all! As the West Midlands Exploration photostream prepares to shut up shop for the Christmas holidays, I'll pause for breath before the festivities and bring you up to date with the latest WME arrivals. In true Sesame Street style, this month has mainly been devoted to the letter 'C'...

Yes we've finally got beyond our 'B' fixation and for sheer weight of numbers December's digest has to begin with WME Wolverhampton. I can't pretend to have released the most exciting batch of new additions though, as I've been unpicking my archives from the height of lockdown when any camera activity was restricted to my immediate local area. This is why Castlecroft and Compton both contribute several street signs (in Compton's case I developed a distinct taste for cul-de-sacs at one point) but there are potentially interesting excerpts from Chillington Wharf, the Castlecroft Gardens conservation area and Chapel Ash plus pub snippets involving the Clarendon Hotel and the Claregate. 

Away from Wolverhampton I am able to report tentative progress from WME Birmingham which did smuggle out a lingering 'B' or two from the Jewellery Quarter (namely the Button Factory with its wall of plants). The derelict Belmont Row Works on Eastside make an apologetic appearance - the whole site is now subject to restoration and redevelopment - while an evening entry for the Calthorpe Arms between Perry Barr and Handsworth Wood is similarly very welcome. 

What else is there to mention? In truth the remainder of my galleries have barely batted an eyelid this month, preferring to indulge in some winter slumbers. WME Sandwell eked out shots of Causeway Green Post Office and the former Dudley Arms pub at Cape Hill whereas WME Walsall pocketed itself a map of The Chuckery. Cannock contributed a Royal Oak pub sign over on WME Staffordshire which just leaves us with WME Telford's Coalport pointer from the Silkin Way leisure footpath. Totting up the numbers across the entire year, I reckon that brings me to exactly 600 photos I've published to the photostream in 2021 - not a bad effort at all!

The Festive Forage 2021

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells... Hark! Is that a Festive Forage I hear? Yes folks, another of the WME blog's integral Christmas highlights returns to the exploration fold after a year away. There are lofty yuletide standards for us to maintain when Nick and I descend upon lovely Leamington Spa...

- The Fat Pug -

Friday 17th December 2021 sees me arriving into Warwickshire care of an Avanti West Coast train, as opposed to any reindeer-hauled modes of transport. Nick is on hand to meet me at Leamington Station (where the ticket barrier bloke comments on HRH's resemblance to Prince Charles), and we begin with a leisurely wander along the Parade passing the Pump Rooms and the Royal Priors Shopping Centre. A short hop on the number 1 bus conveys us to Rugby Road for the Fat Pug, setting for much canine cuteness and an opening half of Silhill Brewery's North Star hopped porter. The pub is part of a small pug-themed portfolio which also includes the Royal Pug (on Regent Street) and the Black Pug (in Warwick).

- Santa Nick is in the Neighbourhood -

After marvelling at a bright red Smeg fridge and Golden Syrup cutlery holders, we stroll back into the centre of Leamington via Guys Cliffe Road and Warwick Place. Our second port of call stretches the boundaries of what we can truly call a pub, for the Neighbourhood effectively combines elements of coffee shop, bar and street food market with pop-up business units. This is truly a creative concept and we rather enjoy taking our respective halves of Guinness and Lawless Lager (Purity Brewery) on a tour of the premises, noting the upstairs presence of Barebells Gym - lots of punchbags - and the Seismic Records vinyl specialists. 

- Leif, where candlesticks grow out of Guinness -

Central Leamington has other surprises up its sleeve too, although the Copper Pot probably counts as a predictably standard Greene King experience (even taking into account the LED-adorned Rockin' Rudolph pumpclips). Bedford Street is a jazz bar boasting seasonal scatter cushions - not to mention two sleigh-inspired biome domes in the rear courtyard - whereas the Clarendon has curious blue mannequins and a montage of film/gig posters. All of those get upstaged however by the Leif Piano Bar, festooned with botanical drawings in what used to be the Prince of Wales Inn (no wonder Nick is so intrigued by the place). There is much tinkling of the ivories as we are treated to recitals of 'In The Bleak Midwinter' and 'Silent Night'.

- Lillington Library -

We purchased a bus ticket earlier and we've barely used it but Nick's plan all along was to include a jaunt out towards Cubbington. The 67C route gets us half the way there as we pitch up at the Lillington estate, notable for a distinctly 1960s-era branch library. Buckley Road and Mason Avenue connect us to Crown Way where we alight near a Youth Club and the local shopping parade (stores include a post office, a fish bar and the Winson Chinese takeaway). We speculate whether there might be a pub in the vicinity but the likeliest candidate is now a Tesco Express having been converted from the Walnut Tree ten years or so ago.

- The Queens Head, Cubbington -

Lillington at dusk nevertheless made for solid exploring and I'd be tempted to return in daylight hours for further photographs. As for this evening, Cubbington now beckons with the 67A bus ready to give us a helping hand. A trundle along the B4453 Cubbington Road takes us outside of the Leamington town boundary before we negotiate Windmill Hill and hop off on Queen Street ready for our next half. The Queens Head is soon in our sights complete with vintage Ansell's lamps, a spluttering log fire and hi-vis locals in full Christmas banter mode. I partake of Adnam's Southwold Bitter while Nick opts for Wye Valley Butty Bach as we settle in and soak up the atmosphere of a long-serving community melting pot - my pub of the day I'd say!

- Baby Jesus, Cubbington St Mary's -

Despite practically being absorbed into the wider Leamington conurbation, Cubbington does retain the air of a distinctly separate village and there are some nice cottagey streetscapes to enjoy as we proceed along High Street. Dating from the early 12th century, St Mary's Parish Church is a fine Norman edifice crafted out of sandstone albeit the glowing nativity scene on show in the porch is an altogether more modern inclusion. I've mentioned the Queens Head so it's only fair we account for the Kings Head too; this homely old inn is situated towards the foot of Church Hill and we have to be swift when imbibing of Fuller's Jack Frost - we're not quite in the Leek Wootton league of 'neck it and run' but the return bus is due shortly...

- Hat-Raising Antics in Fifteen -

As it turns out, we make that impending 67A with ease and cruise back into Leamington eager to finish the outing in spectacular style. Nick's expert foraging skills therefore introduce us to Fifteen, a party bar on Spencer Street wherein our resident royal can demonstrate the erectness of his Santa hat (said headpiece was probably distressed by the thumping rhythm and bass tunes). Things are no quieter at TJ's Bar and Grill although the 1980s soundtrack is more to our liking as we round off a fine forage over a closing glug of Guinness. All that remains is for me to wish all blog readers a very merry Christmas - cheers!

Hub Marketing 2021: The Coventry Quiffmas

Trips to Coventry always rate highly in the annual Hub Marketing Awards and there's an added element of anticipation this year after Covid ruled out any visits in 2020. Regular readers will know that Coventry usually provides an autumnal assignment but this time around we've chosen it as our December destination - prepare yourselves for quiffs, rock and roll mayhem and a sprinkling of festive fun...

- Secretary with a Snowman -

Friday 10th December 2021 commences with a bit of Birmingham business as members are keen to sample some of the 'Walking with the Snowman' trail . Based on the Raymond Briggs character, twelve seasonal sculptures have sprung up across the city centre with each one referencing a different gift from the Twelve Days of Christmas. Weaving our way through the German-themed market stalls, we locate Nine Ladies Dancing on Victoria Square outside the Town Hall. Chairman D9 then manages to tear himself away from some elf poses in order to track down Three French Hens by the Mailbox.

- Spotted at Coventry Station -

We don't want to delay getting to Coventry too long though so the 10:50 London Euston train is requisitioned as a suitable connection. Coventry railway station is currently undergoing a major overhaul with a state-of-the-art modern facility taking shape off Warwick Road, complete with bright red cladding. Mr D9 naturally is still a big fan of the existing station's brutalist 1960s architecture so we'll be intrigued to see how much of it is retained alongside the new build. 2021 City of Culture promotional hoardings are then very apparent as we stroll along the improved boulevard through to Warwick Row and Smithford Way.

- A Coventry Market Cuppa -

Any full day Hub Marketing bash requires a good breakfast so we fuel up at the cafe inside Coventry's famous in-the-round retail market. Bacon, egg, sausages, tinned tomatoes and beans are thus duly devoured, all accompanied by two thick slices of bread and butter - yum! We now feel ready for the task ahead and press on with some central Coventry exploration, noting the emerging glamour of the Telegraph Hotel as based in the city's repurposed former newspaper offices. I'm not sure whether this blog qualifies as journalistic endeavour though!

- Musical Mosaic at Pool Meadow -

An important component of our itinerary is to call in at Pool Meadow Bus Station to see some of the artwork that has been installed there this year. One mural pays homage to the bicycle pioneer James Starley while the wonderful 'Ska'd For Life' 2 Tone mosaic celebrates the city's rich musical heritage, including the likes of Vince Holliday, the Specials and the mysterious-sounding Roddy Radiation & the Skabilly Rebels. Artworks admired, we set about catching a bus to Earlsdon by intercepting the number 1 from the BS7 stop near Burges. 

- The 2021 Quiff is revealed! -

No Coventry adventure is fully underway until the Chairman has premiered his latest quiff creation, and we think you'll agree that the 2021 version is suitably festive with sideburns and a kiss curl crafted out of wrapping paper. The headpiece is paraded around the streets of Earlsdon while we pick out our first pubs of the day, starting with the Cottage on Warwick Street. Pints of Charlie Wells DNA amber ale power us to some respectable Popmaster scores before we visit the craft emporium that is Beer Gonzo, a highly-regarded bottle shop with a taproom to the rear. From the dizzying array of options available, Secretary WME is immediately drawn towards the Finlandia Coffee Porter (Twisted Barrel) and we're rewarded with a powerful slurp of roasted goodness - even Mr D9 warms to this tarmac tipple.

- Broomfield Tavern at dusk -

We've covered some classic Coventry watering holes over the years and two more to vie for our affections are the Albany Hotel and the Broomfield Tavern. The former did cease trading back in 2017 but has thankfully been resurrected; saying hello to a yapping chihuahua, we settle the 2021 Pub Games Championship (WME Whirlwind retakes the title with some darting decisiveness) and hand over the latest Hub calendar. The Broomfield Tavern meanwhile is an utter gem, hiding away on Broomfield Place not far from the Rugby Club. Ted the resident St Bernard bustles about as we sup an excellent pint of Pitchfork's Yuletarn and just enjoy a relaxing natter in the most traditional of pub surroundings. 

- Sky Blue Striker -

Chapelfields is next in our sights and that simply must mean dropping in on Craven Street, an otherwise ordinary residential thoroughfare around which several tempting taverns are located - it's remarkable how many pubs are to be found in such a small area. We've frequented some of them before so we concentrate on the ones we hadn't yet done, namely the Four Provinces (a neon-lit Irish haunt notable for mounted Celtic shirts plus good quality Guinness) and the Craven Arms (a swift Carling does the trick here). The Craven Street Club looks promising too but sadly the Coombe Abbey seems to have fallen by the wayside.

- And that's a wrap! -

Our Coventry Christmas Crawl concludes with a couple more pit stops intermingled with Rock & Roll singalong action (with apologies to Chubby Checker, the Chairman insists on renaming many of the tunes hence renditions of 'Let's Hub Again' and 'At The Hub'). Neither of us had heard of the Sky Blue Tavern previously but there it is as large as life by the Butts gyratory flyover; Dhillons Brewery seem to be involved here and the interior presents mock stadium seating, sports screens and pictures of legendary goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic. The curtain comes down courtesy of Hops D'Amour, billed as Coventry's first micropub and housed in an ex-Singer sewing machine shop. Lost Industry's Nightswim Stout is top notch for another dark indulgence and that's Coventry all wrapped up until we return in 2022 - cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - November 2021

There has been photostream progress during November - honest! - even if my monthly summary shows that I am still marooned amongst the Bs. Bradmore and Bewdley still hadn't finished after October's offerings and they've latterly been joined by Bilston, Bloxwich and Bridgnorth...

In an echo of last month's report, I'll open with WME Worcestershire just to tidy up those Bewdley loose ends. The numbers weren't as dramatic this time around with a mere trio of new arrivals but I'm hardly going to complain, not with the Talbot pub, Rag Lane and a Ribbesford pointer joining the mix. Bewdley is now second only to Worcester itself in terms of having the most pictures from my Worcestershire local albums (15 images and counting)...

Far and away my biggest contributor during November was WME Wolverhampton which as we know is never shy of doing some heavy lifting. Bilston Bus Station's stand lettering came in for a lot of attention although I did manage to eke out representation from Woody's Bar and the Trumpet to offset the B, D and E stop roundels. Blakenall recalled the British Queen as a Dudley Road drinking den whereas Bradmore smuggled out Star Street and the local post office/newsagents shop. Beyond that, Bramstead Avenue daffodils and Bhylls Lane blossoms placed the emphasis on the natural world with pretty shades of yellow and pink.

Where else shall we go? WME Shropshire cashed in on some Bridgnorth business courtesy of the historic Cliff Railway, Castle Walk and the Bandon Arms whilst a beer garden scene behind the Old Castle has all the hallmarks of a summer idyll. WME Telford was rather shy by comparison, only squeaking in a Brindleyford mural moment on the Brookside estate although every extra addition is an achievement in itself.

Back within the West Midlands county curtilage, WME Walsall and WME Birmingham both pocketed themselves new finds in triplicate. Walsall's gains were from Bloxwich (a Station Hotel lamp plus the Turf Tavern's weathered signage) and Blakenall (the former Royal Oak pub again) but Brum preferred to concentrate on Old Oscott (Brooklyn Garage) and Booth Street Metro stop in Handsworth. That then leaves us with WME Sandwell - a nod to Blakey Hall Bridge beneath the M5 - and WME Staffordshire's carved Brewood bench by way of acknowledging everything. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!