Chip Foundation Chronicles: Walsall

The Chip Foundation's catalogue of archive adventures gains another entry as Walsall gracefully consents to hosting a special outing for Ken's birthday. Prepare yourselves for coronation crowns, hippopotamuses and the usual array of watering holes...

- Preparing for the big day -

The chronicle count has now reached episode 75 as Friday 21st April has the gang variously converging upon an unsuspecting Walsall. Stephen and I make use of the number 69 bus via Coppice Farm, New Invention and Beechdale, whereas Nick is on the train and birthday boy Ken comes courtesy of a different bus route (probably the 529). Once we're all gathered in unison, our first stop is the New Art Gallery which dominates one end of Walsall Town Wharf. The gallery first opened in early 2000 and acts as a showcase for the best in contemporary art; judging by the large crown on display in the community exhibition, they must have heard that Nick was due to pay them a visit - it isn't quite coronation time just yet!

- Artistic Ponderings -

The centrepiece of the galley's holdings is the Garman Ryan collection as donated to the town by Kathleen Garman and Sally Ryan in 1973. It forms a permanent first floor display featuring numerous Jacob Epstein sculptures along with paintings and sketches by the likes of Monet, Constable and Pissarro. The Jacob Epstein Archive is imaginatively presented with slogans such as 'If you make art what happens we you die'? We spend a thoroughly cultural hour or more browsing the exhibits, including the temporary fourth floor homage to local Art Schools from the wider West Midlands area. 

- And the Pub of the Year is... -

Heavy early morning downpours are gradually giving way to brighter conditions but we still get a wriggle on to reach our first pub in case the rain returns. The Pretty Bricks on John Street is a backstreet Black Country Ales beauty which was recently declared to be Walsall CAMRA's 2023 Pub of the Year winner, thus making it a highly fitting establishment for marking Ken's birthday. Beowulf's Chocolate Porter goes down a storm as we admire a ceremonial cask lid trophy and photos from the branch's formative years - placards stating 'Ban Bubbly Beer' and 'It's a Swizz, It's Only Fizz' indicate what they were up against in trying to save real ale back in the 1970s. Cricket chat is also naturally on the agenda with those here present said to be rather content with Warwickshire's start to the County Championship season so far.

- Mr B meets the Walsall Hippo -

Afternoon sunshine is very promising indeed as we head back along Stafford Street into the town centre once more. The Red Lion on Park Street is certainly handsome with its Queen Anne-styled frontage topped with a terracotta lion; it's a Banks's boozer in the main and the Amber is frothily good on this occasion as we climb a narrow spiral staircase to sit on the upper mezzanine level. Posters about drag cabaret acts make the mind boggle so we're on safer ground discussing the changing plight of the stay-at-home housewife since the 1950s. The need for lunch then leads us to the St Matthew's Hall, now Walsall's only Wetherspoons after the demise of the Imperial, whereby a supposedly not-very-hungry Nick practically sprints to the bar when ordering his discounted Fishy Friday meal. What would a certain concrete hippopotamus make of such antics?!

- Cool for Katz? -

In fairness, the food at the St Matthew's Hall was good and arrived relatively quickly, nor could we quibble about the ale quality as regards the Burton Bridge Top Dog Stout either. Satisfied with that, we proceed via Intown Row to the Victoria on Lower Rushall Street. Affectionately better known as the Katz, this pub feels little changed by the ravages of time and we happily plonk ourselves in the front room next to the coal fire, all constantly watched over by Queen Victoria's stern portrait. Church End Gravedigger's Mild is always a beer Nick and I are very pleased to see and it more than meets our excitable expectations; Stephen meanwhile is caught out by a mischievous step but gracefully recovers his composure with aplomb.

- The Watering Trough -

There are no further pratfalls when we relocate to what I'd billed as my wildcard selection, not that the Watering Trough is especially unusual. I remember it being called the Rising Sun for a while (maybe when Highgate Brewery owned it?) and it had something of a heavy metal vibe. This time around we sense it is undergoing some kind of redecoration, and a lack of cask ale options mean we go rogue for some Old Mout Berry Cider - it makes a change for us all to be drinking purple peril! Whether the pub is quite to Nick's royal tastes is uncertain although Ken enthusiastically gives the place his seal of approval, impressed by the games provision and a very talkative barmaid.

- Hedgehog Happenings in the Black Country Arms -

Have we saved the best for last? The Black Country Arms is a firm Chip Foundation favourite which never lets us down, situated on High Street where the market stalls used to stretch past the front door and up towards the steps of St Matthew's Church. Lettering outside claims that this has been a licenced inn since 1627 while indoors we spot an old M&B sign from the days when it was called the Green Dragon. A whole host of handpulls requires much deliberation before we settle on Beartown's Polar Stout with traces of treacle and burnt toffee, lovely stuff! Our concluding conversations cover politics, football and train times, and there's even chance for Nick to hold a hedgehog before we go our separate ways. Happy Birthday Ken - cheers!

Lichfield with Towpath Turpin

It's not for nothing that we occasionally refer to Nick as 'Towpath Turpin', because he's equally as enthusiastic about inland waterways as I am. One lost line His Royal Majesty has never explored however is the Lichfield Canal, a navigation I've developed quite a fascination about in recent years. Two previous springtime visits had given me an idea of its ongoing restoration and now it's time to see how things are progressing...

- Boley Park Shopping Centre -

Saturday 15th April 2023 brings with it good walking weather as we meet in readiness for the 10:36 Cross City service heading north to Lichfield. Arriving in the City of the Three Spires just after 11 o'clock, we initially ignore the main centre in favour of heading eastwards towards the Boley Park estate via Station Road and Sturgeons Hill (the latter does not offer any sightings of former SNP leader Nicola, much to Nick's relief). Boley Park was built during the late 1970s and early 1980s with its focal point being a shopping parade which contains a Co-op store plus a health and fitness gym, a chip shop and a pharmacy. 

- Towpath Turpin's Turnpike Tipple -

Also part of the precinct fabric is the Turnpike pub, established in 1984 and very much in the flatpack vein you'd expect from that time. The name presumably is a nod to the pub's Ryknild Street address and its Roman origins, although the modern A38 nearby takes the traffic strain these days. Marston's have worked hard to liven up what might otherwise have been quite a dull interior, hence there are Donald Duck references, news screens and brightly-upholstered dining booths. The cask ale choice boils down to Wainwright or Pedigree so we plump for the Pedi (we are in Staffordshire after all) by way of a 'turnpike tipple', although what exactly any historic highwaymen may have partaken of remains a matter of conjecture.

- Darnford Lift Bridge (from afar) -

Darnford Lane has been designated as our chosen access point for the Lichfield Canal this time around, although it turns out that the towpath is fenced off due to construction works. We therefore have to negotiate a brief section of the adjacent Darnford Moors Golf Club in order to gain our desired views of Darnford Lift Bridge, seemingly accompanied by an entourage of JCB diggers. The bridge was installed back in 1997 where the towpath is intended to switch banks; beyond this point the line continues to Cappers Lane - itself subject to transformation due to HS2 - and thence to Huddlesford Junction. 

- Horse & Jockey -

Retracing our footsteps to Darnford Lane once more, we seek out Heath Road past Lichfield's rugby union ground and the Friary Lawn Tennis Club. Our next spot of refreshment comes at the Horse and Jockey on the A51 Tamworth Road at Freeford. Half of the pub is dedicated to dining while the other half is given over to drinkers so we make our way into the public bar for respective halves of Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Draught Bass. Wallpaper possibly taken from antique zoological sketchbooks provides the backdrop to our canal-related ruminations, then added entertainment comes from two canine visitors tying their leads in knots before rapidly draining their water bowls dry - they must be even thirstier than we are!

- Borrowcop Locks -

From the very edges of Lichfield we weave our way into the city centre as Nick undertakes his first ever inspection of Borrowcop Locks. The combined obstacles of the A51 and A38 present a huge challenge in terms of one day fully linking the restored canal together; nevertheless it is heartening to see part of the locks returned to water while bricklaying volunteers attend to the retaining walls below a traditional BCN canal cottage (No. 265). Cricket Lane is another potential crossing site and Gallows Wharf at London Road looks increasingly complete with every fresh visit I make. Towpath Turpin naturally gets very nervous about any mention of the word 'gallows' so it seems appropriate to exit the canal at this point and join St John's Street. 

- BitterSuite -

With a railway bridge getting nearer on the horizon, we note the Greyhound Inn as a perished pub on the end of a long row of terraced houses. We can't stop for a drink there but luckily the BitterSuite isn't very much further, situated literally in the shadows of the railway opposite the former Lichfield Brewery buildings. Oakham's Fruit Crumble Porter really hits the mark with its biscuity treacly notes, all that's missing is a jug of custard! I first sampled BitterSuite not long after it initially started trading and it seems to be going from strength to strength, retaining table service for that extra personal touch and also boasting a wide range of fruit ciders. 

- The Mad Hatter Looks On -

Leaving ourselves plenty of time to check out more of Lichfield's finest watering holes, we call into the Acorn Wetherspoons for a leisurely lunch (chicken katsu curry with deceptively spicy chilli slithers) before savouring the refined surroundings of Beerbohm's upper floor lounge. It takes considerable reserves of willpower to resist the extensive Belgian offerings here but we do keep it cask with a Port Out porter as 'forged in Yorkshire' by the Half Moon Brewery, and it's excellent! Similarly superb beer can then be found at our second Horse & Jockey of the day, Sandford Street's specimen getting very much into Grand National mode; we're not so fussed about the big horse race but do rate Three Tuns's Solstice as worthy of the winners' enclosure. An Alice in Wonderland shopfront scene encourages us towards the station and we're sure the Mad Hatter himself would have approved of our antics - cheers! 

Bears on Tour: Taunton 2023

Along with the springtime blossoms and buds, the Cricket County Championship has returned with Warwickshire's opening clash of the 2023 season being an away fixture in Somerset. Stephen and I last troubled Taunton nearly eleven years ago so we are keen to see the town afresh, and this time around Mr B Senior would also be coming along to take in the sporting spectacle...

- Checking In -

The match just so happens to coincide with the Easter holiday weekend so we venture down on Thursday 6th April, managing to avoid too much in the way of M5 motorway congestion. Our accommodation will be the Taunton North Premier Inn close to Obridge Viaduct, within reasonable walking distance of the ground even for those of us with little legs. After getting ourselves settled in, we use the evening to get our bearings around the town centre again. The hotel is handily positioned for the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal so we stroll along the towpath to Firepool Lock and reach the weir where the navigation joins the River Tone. 

- The Joel Garner Gates -

That Thursday had been when the game was due to get underway but the entire day's play is cancelled because of a wet outfield; on the one hand we're glad not to have missed any of the action, on the other we know the chances of a positive result are much reduced now. Anyway, we get initial glimpses of the ground from the riverside path where the Joel Garner Gate grabs our collective attention and acts as a tribute to a legendary West Indies fast bowler. The need for gammon has us filing into the Coal Orchard, an Art Deco-fronted establishment that used to be a Wetherspoons outlet. The resulting meal comes complete with herb-speckled chips and a pint of Exmoor Ale, once we dodged the darts and pool groupings that is. 

- The Ring of Bells -

Two other Taunton taverns will help us get reacquainted with Somerset's historic county town, and Molly Malone's on Tancred Street adds an Irish twist to proceedings - the place is packed with at least three dartboards in constant occupation and we can't fault the lively atmosphere. One hostelry I'm especially keen to sample is the Ring Of Bells, invitingly positioned next to St James's Parish Church merely a wayward bouncer away from the cricket ground itself. Table service is in operation here and the staff are very attentive, plus the beer isn't bad either with Mr B Senior on the London Pride whereas I partake of New Bristol's very hoppy Heyday IPA.

- Slip Cordon Ready To Pounce -

Good Friday 7th April heralds the belated commencement of the game, Somerset winning the toss and electing to bat. The Warwickshire bowling attack has a few new faces this year with Chris Rushworth, Hassan Ali and Ed Barnard all claiming their first Bears wickets during the course of the day. At one stage the home side are reduced to 136/7 but doughty resistance from Josh Davey (42) and captain Lewis Gregory (65*) sees them safely to the close on 269 for 8. We're not unhappy with that position and it's just great to be watching live county cricket again after what seems like a long cold winter - even Mr B Senior seems relatively contented. 

- St James' Church -

Play may have finished for the day but the glorious evening sunshine ensures St James's Parish Church looks resplendent in all its C15th glory. Friday night usually means chippy tea in the Beardsmore household although vast reserves of patience are required before we can get served at Howards (they're seemingly inundated with home delivery orders as a large queue snakes down the street). As you might expect of a Bank Holiday weekend, many of Taunton's pubs are very busy indeed so we pitch up at the Crown & Sceptre on Station Road so that Stephen can enjoy the Five Finger Death Punch tunes on the jukebox - judging by his choice of t-shirt he came especially dressed for such an eventuality!

- Priorswood Community Centre -

Easter Saturday 8th April has me indulging in some early exploration of the housing estates up near our hotel. Eastwick Road therefore brings me into the heart of Priorswood as marked by a shopping precinct (Co-op, bakery, post office, community centre) and the Waggon flat-roofed pub then Lyngford Park backs onto a children's centre and a local branch library. Two contrasting places of worship catch my eye with St Peter's C of E dating from 1956 while St Teresa's Catholic Church has a pronounced geometric spire. It doesn't matter where in the country I happen to be, I always enjoy getting to see different suburban horizons.

- View from the Somerset Stand -

Fortified by Brewers Fayre buffet breakfasts, we reclaim our seats in the Somerset Stand and witness the action unfolding. Somerset are swiftly dismissed for 284, debutant Barnard taking 3/54 and the ever-reliable OHD 3/76. Warwickshire's reply is an enterprising one built around an encouraging 118 from opener Alex Davies, the best we've seen him play in a Bears jersey. Sam Hain is more obdurate in his approach, painstakingly accumulating runs at his own pace with only the occasional flourish. Nevertheless, he's binding the innings together and remains unbeaten on 83* when the umpires call a halt to play just after half past six. Michael Burgess is 36 not out and Warwickshire have a handy lead at 307/5.

- The Rose Inn -

Saturday evening is a case of obtaining a Wetherspoons meal courtesy of the Perkin Warbeck (named after a pretender to the Tudor throne) before roaming along East Reach in search of additional refreshment. Hamilton Road has us passing a First bus depot to eventually reach the Rose Inn opposite Hamilton Gault Park - the Easter disco here is getting into full swing and a giant chocolate egg is being raffled off for charity. Armed respectively with Coke, Bath Ales's Gem or John Smiths for those of a smoothpour persuasion, we admire some ceramic bulldog figurines and join in with glam rock tunes including Suzi Quatro's 'Devil Gate Drive'. 

- Bathpool Swing Bridge -

Easter Sunday 9th April begins in very relaxed fashion with a lovely canal walk to Bathpool Swing Bridge, saying hello to morning joggers and dog-walkers en route. The Bridgwater & Taunton Canal is some 14.5 miles long in forming a rural link between the rivers Tone and Parrett, originally opening in 1827. I won't pretend that the Venture Way Industrial Estate is anywhere near as scenic but it does feature several flagship car showrooms for anyone in need of a new motor!

- The Final Score -

As for the cricket, after the loss of the entire first day it was always unlikely that either side would be able to force victory although Warwickshire give it a good go, Hain's 119 anchoring us to 392 all out. The seemingly scalped Hannon-Dalby makes early inroads into Somerset's second innings scorecard, and at both 25/3 and 92/5 there is an outside chance of seizing the spoils. Ultimately, Tom Lammonby and Craig Overton dig in for the home side who progress to 180/6 by the time handshakes all round confirms the inevitable draw. A solid first showing for 2023 in the end, and whilst I don't necessarily share Stephen's title contender aspirations, I'm hopeful that Warwickshire won't need any last day heroics to avoid relegation this year. 

- Cheers from the Black Horse -

A concluding few drinks will round off the holiday nicely so we troop into the Princess Royal just beyond the ground's Jack White Gates. Liverpool v Arsenal football coverage provides the backdrop as we reflect on a super holiday. More Perkin Warbeck meals then precede a Black Horse finale, where photographic evidence indicates that even I succumb to the 'Beardsmore Bleach' in there! All that remains is an Easter Monday breakfast and a steady trundle back to the West Midlands with the motorways again being kind to us. Come On You Bears!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives: Part 29

How very neglectful of me to deprive you of any archive raids for the last few months. My defence - and I'm sticking to it!! - is that I've been doing my utmost to support our surviving pubs during these tough financial times, but I have now belatedly unearthed five more pictures of bygone boozers from the West Midlands region...

- The Prince Albert -

You may remember that March's Wintry West Bromwich outing had Mr D9 and myself paying homage to the expired establishments of Moor Street and Bromford Lane. One such was the Prince Albert, a standalone offering that was dwarfed by the Bowater House tower block next door. The flats are still there but the pub is long gone, swept away as part of redevelopment plans that resulted in the creation of the town's new leisure centre. A namesake Prince Albert on nearby Sams Lane continues to trade at time of writing and is popular with Baggies fans.

- The Racecourse -

Prior to the Bromford Bridge estate coming into existence during the mid-to-late 1960s, the land on which it was built had been home to Birmingham Racecourse - a fact referenced in the name of a flat-roofed boozer that would go on to serve the subsequent housing sprawl. Perched at the far end of Bromford Drive (close to what was the number 26 bus terminus), the Racecourse gained a certain notoriety for anti-social behaviour and hit the headlines due to a cannabis raid. The premises is now used as the Ibrahim Noor community banqueting suite. 

- The Bell -

The county of Shropshire seems to have more than its fair share of timewarp taverns and they didn't come much more unspoiled than the Bell at Cleobury Mortimer, a Banks's bastion that proved most beguiling indeed when Rog and I sampled it in early 2011. Back then it was like entering someone's front room, mustily furnished with Express & Star beermats and a highly polished collection of sporting trophies. WhatPub suggests that it ceased trading circa 2019 and the Grade II-listed property is likely to become purely residential - a sad loss. 

- The Gate -

If the Bell had barely changed for what seems like decades, the same could also be said of the Gate at Colley Gate near Halesowen. A long-time landmark on the number 9 bus route, this most basic of ex-Hanson's hostelries occupied the junction with Maple Tree Lane directly opposite the Wilson Hall (Cradley Labour Club). A Hub Marketing sampling in June 2012 saw Mr D9 and I soaking up the rudimentary charms of an old-fashioned L-shaped bar; sadly the former bowling green to the rear has been built over with houses and the future for the main pub building seems far from certain. 

- The Colwyn -

Our quintet is capped off with an item from inner-city Birmingham where the Colwyn was tucked away on Great Colmore Street, in that triangular portion of town between Holloway Head and Bristol Street. Looking very much to be of the 1960s box-type variety, it never hugely appealed to me and shut down a good few years ago. Google Maps indicates it subsequently became a Community Church and Outreach Centre so that's that! 

WME Flickr Focus - March 2023

With all this talk of industrial disputes in the news I'm beginning to wonder if I should push for a payrise for photostream labour. Fear not, I won't be going on strike (unless the day job ballots for action) so you'll have to put up with the usual diet of street signs, pub branding and canal content for a while longer...

West Midlands Exploration's shop steward in chief has to be WME Wolverhampton which has been as vocal as ever in terms of supplying us with updates. Bradley and Bradmore have borne the brunt of recent dispatches, hence the inclusion of Old Bush banners and Bradmore Arms IPA pint stops (accompanied by the requisite packet of crinkle-cut crisps). Aside from the clutter of Slim Avenue, Wallace Road and Cedar Grove, Bradmore Rec gets a little bit fruity with foliage and football pitches to add into the mix.

Also agitating for improved terms and conditions is WME Dudley, which seems to have spent much of the last month bothering Brockmoor and Bromley. Two lost pubs probably speak up the loudest, namely the Commercial and the Royal Exchange with the latter being witnessed during its Chimera games emporium guise. Over in Woodside, there's something about the Bob Richardson Tools store that seems visually striking - perhaps it's the distinctive horizontal corrugated stripes that catch the eye?

In other news, WME Telford has stuck its head above the parapet with reference to the Blists Hill Victorian Town. Enamel plate advertisements for various soap brands seem to have been in vogue for no apparent reason, so pick your favourite from Hudson's, Puritan or Watson's Matchless Cleanser. If your home hygiene skills are already beyond reproach, you may wish to partake of ironmonger frontages or blast furnace ruins instead.

WME Worcestershire and WME Birmingham appear to have been in cahoots with WME Walsall over a work to rule mandate. All three galleries conspire to file exactly four new items each, even if Worcestershire's quartet of Bromsgrove area street signs won't set any pulses racing. Walsall revisits Blakenall's Kings Head and New Inn hostelries via Bloxwich's ornate ceremonial fountain, then Brum brings in some Bournville intelligence care of Cedar Road. 

Not all of my galleries have been as prominent with their picketing, though it would do them a disservice not to mention their efforts. Thanks therefore go to WME Staffordshire and WME Solihull which both offer a waterways-related newbie, Botterham Bottom Lock and the River Blythe Aqueduct to be exact. Negotiations will now continue over what can realistically be expected in terms of April arrivals, so keep your eyes peeled...