D9 does Brownhills (again) and Stonnall

Four full-on days of Rail Rover action are clearly not enough to satisfy my exploration cravings so let's sling in a Hub Marketing outing for the sheer fun of it eh? Mr D9 and I have been wanting to get back to Brownhills again as a sequel to last year's visit, and a stop in Stonnall always sounds like a good idea...

- A Cuppa for the Chairman -

Trip Log: Friday 19th May 2023 and the delights of Leicester, Oswestry and Macclesfield give way to the more mundane fare to be found in Walsall's northern outposts. The Chairman asks for a 10:40 Bradford Place rendezvous in advance of breakfast commitments at Jack & Ada's, the greasy spoon café opposite St Paul's Bus Station. Mr D9 remembers this being a drivers' canteen back in the day so it's only right that we should avail ourselves of a cuppa and a Full English each, provided we drop lucky for a spare table. Judging by the sheer popularity of the place and the way the staff interact with their regulars, Jack & Ada's is a much-loved Walsall institution that serves up a cracking brekkie.

- Plug pulled at The Waterside -

Getting down to the serious business of the day, the number 10 bus has us heading towards Brownhills West via a deluge-dodging pit stop in Walsall Wood. We're the only customers at the Royal Exchange near Streets Corner but we put their dartboard to good use, or rather D9 Destroyer does because WME Whirlwind is struggling to land his outshots again. Within no time at all, the Secretary faces a 5-0 deficit and probably wishes he'd stayed outside in the rain. The downpours continue on Wilkin Road where we're sad to see that the Waterside is due to be dispatched to flat-roofed heaven after plans were approved to turn it into a shop. 

- Railway Clues at Smithy's Forge -

Elsewhere among Brownhills's extremities, the Crown is a Marston's two-for-one dining affair on the main A5 Watling Street while the Rising Sun opposite has ever less of its roof intact having been a crumbling wreck for several years. At Mr D9's request we nip into the Hussey Arms Hungry Horse on the premise of sampling some Greene King IPA - it wasn't worth it!! - while the Smithy's Forge Sizzling specimen provides one of those very rare occasions when having a half of John Smith's was actually an improvement on the beer that came before it. Still on the topic of Smithy's Forge, we note that the former Walsall - Lichfield railway line passes behind the pub and has been rebadged as the McLean Way leisure footpath. We speculate that some of the earthworks here might mark the site of Brownhills Station; Dr Beeching still has a lot to answer for where Brownhills folk are concerned!

- From one expired Royal Oak... -

There's plenty of pub history in the Brownhills area although the number of closures has been accelerating rapidly in recent years. The Anchor lies dormant beside the Wyrley & Essington Canal while the Royal Oak further along Chester Road now cuts a very sorry figure, encased by grim mesh fencing with a burnt out caravan on the car park. The presence of a certain D9 bald spot serves only to add to the indignity, but better prospects are in store up ahead at the Shire Oak. A well-known local landmark, this one stands on the Chester Road (A452)/Lichfield Road (A461) crossroads and manages to still feel traditional despite being updated over time. Timothy Taylor's Landlord is an ale that the Secretary can finally appreciate, helping WME Whirlwind to an improved darting performance in the process.

- ... to a Royal Oak that's very much alive -

At the risk of things developing into an oak fixation, we take Main Street into the Staffordshire settlement of Stonnall where a brace of boozers await virtually opposite the village hall. We try the Royal Oak first, lured in by the cottagey appearance and a promise of traditional ales; cue Holden's Golden Glow and a spider dangling from the beams seemingly intent on dunking itself into Mr D9's pint. The Swan is then close at hand for more quality quaffing, Wye Valley HPA being our preference in an establishment which has Desi-style leanings whilst retaining some heavy old wooden doors and hints of 1960s glass blocks by the side entrance.

- Backyard Blonde at the Lazy Hill -

Stonnall certainly has some charm about it, especially when the sun belatedly bakes down on us, although we doubt whether silly songs such as the Jim Bowen Rap or 'Papa Pingouin' (the 1980 Eurovision entry from Luxembourg) would qualify as being charming. Lazy Hill Road is the most direct means of getting back into Walsall territory although you need to keep your wits about you given the absence of a footpath. Country lane scenery gradually gives way to West Midlands suburbia by the time we reach the Lazy Hill Tavern, a hostelry that has almost reinvented itself through the addition of a Desi restaurant. Backyard Blonde is proof that you can still get a more than decent drop of cask contentment here.

- Home D9 and don't spare the horses! -

We've made excellent progress and are actually on schedule for a change as we intercept an incoming 937 for a quick ride into Aldridge. Our onward journey back to Walsall is intentionally interrupted courtesy of the Dilke, a Table Table chain eaterie close to Longwood Junction and the Calderfields Golf Club. We can't get overly excited about Doom Bar at the best of times albeit it does serve its purpose while the Chairman speculates about what Bert and Deirdre might have got up to here back in the 1980s. Mellish Road is subjected to some D9-patented steering manoeuvres in bringing another classic Hub adventure to a close. Cheers!

Rail Rover Week 2023

King Charles III's Coronation has been and gone so it's time again to concentrate on explorational matters, and what a way to get back down to business! Rail Rover Week has become an integral component of my calendar each spring so I wonder where the Heart of England railway network will take me to this year?

- Loitering in Leicester? -

This epic saga begins in the East Midlands on Monday 15th May with Nick and I catching the 10:22 train across from Birmingham to Leicester. Our initial look around the city introduces us to luminaries such as three-time mayor John Biggs before we seek out the Newarke Houses Museum near the De Montfort University campus. This turns out to be an engrossing decision, learning about the history of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment (an infantry division of the British Army) as well as important trades in hosiery, textiles and engineering - we even spot a massive frying pan. Other exhibits present a 1950s street scene (complete with Jolly Angler pub) and a collection of toys from down the ages.

- Old Mill Race Bridge -

Eager to see some of Leicester's inland waterways, we join the River Soar at The Newarke and soon admire West Bridge as an 1891 piece of Victorian engineering. Evans Weir has us switching onto the towpath of the Grand Union Canal, passing Soar Lane and North Lock amidst increasingly gritty graffiti-strewn surroundings. St Margaret's Church acts as our skyline reference point, drawing us ever closer to Abbey Lane Bridge from where it is five minutes walk to reach the Salmon for our opening drink of the holiday. Positioned on Butt Close Lane, the pub still bears some Banks's insignia but is now operated by Black Country Ales and our Beartown Charlie's Nectar has a highly distinctive hazelnut flavour.

- The Blue Boar -

Lunchtime leads us to the Corn Exchange, a vast Wetherspoons that dominates Leicester's outdoor market square and is notable for a double-flight staircase archway that looks almost Venetian. The food can't quite live up to such a spectacular setting although Nick declares himself happy enough with his fish and chips. Our favourite Leicester pub discovery however must be the Blue Boar, a great little hostelry named in tribute to one of the city's famed old inns. The regulars are busy previewing the evening football clash versus Liverpool (albeit without much expectation of a home win) while hop-festooned ceilings and well varnished panels add to the appeal. Wantsum's Black Pig Porter is my ale of choice although Nick wonders why I turned down the prospect of a 9.5% nitrokeg Imperial Stout.

- Cambrian Railways Treasure Trove -

To Tuesday 16th May we trot and Nick will once again be gracing us with his royal presence. Our destination this time is the Shropshire border town of Oswestry, once we've caught the number 2 bus from Gobowen that is. Our first target upon arrival is to check out the Cambrian Railway headquarters (a grand old station edifice) as well as the adjacent museum. A school trip has commissioned a special charter train so much of the site is closed to the public but we are granted a quick peek inside the museum itself, noting a range of railway typefaces, running-in boards and complicated junction diagrams. Oswestry was a casualty of the Beeching Cuts in 1964 but volunteers have restored a short section to Weston Wharf. 

- "One Does Like One's Ruins" -

Two more of Oswestry's historical gems await our attention, namely the Castle Mound and King Oswald's Well. The first of those represents the remains of a medieval fortress where Royalist forces were besieged by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War; much of the ruins we can see today were landscaped during Victorian times. As for Oswald's Well, legend has it that King Oswald of Northumbria was slain at the Battle of Maserfield, after which a passing eagle collected his severed arm and dropped it on the site of a spring. Whether such tales would stack up to factual scrutiny is open to conjecture but Nick isn't inclined to quibble when stories about royalty are involved. 

- The Bailey Head -

As you might expect, we find time to sample a selection of Oswestry alehouses including the Wilfred Owen Wetherspoon's (scampi today for His Highness plus gammon for yours truly), and the Oak Inn opposite St Oswald's Parish Church. Those two are upstaged slightly by the Griffin, complete with its wonderful snug displaying an array of nautical memorabilia, and the Bailey Head. The second of those is a serial winner when it comes to CAMRA awards and is ideally located opposite the Grade II-listed Guildhall. 3pm opening means we have to be quick but we aren't about to miss out on great beers such as Stonehouse's Station Bitter. 

- Careful in Colwall -

Fast forward to 17th May and what I've billed as a Worcestershire Wednesday, although my adventure actually starts with a helping of Herefordshire. The villages that make up Colwall Parish can be found on the south-western edges of the Malvern Hills and offer many excellent walking opportunities in their own right. Colwall's railway station is situated on a single-tracked section of the line between Great Malvern and Ledbury, while among the landmarks captured on camera are the Colwall Park Hotel, the Yew Tree Inn, a post office and 'Aunt Alice', the affectionate name given to the village clock tower which stands outside the local library.

- Prince of Wales Beer Garden -

I'd promised myself a wedge of Worcestershire and Malvern Link duly delivers, again with some stunning scenery once the sunshine breaks through. I really like the way that the station here has been given a heritage-inspired makeover - a vast improvement on the brown shed Rog and I encountered back in 2005 - while the pubs are up to spec too. I hadn't necessarily heard of the Prince of Wales previously so its lovely beer garden is a cracking find, then the Retired Soldier supplies quality Draught Bass and murmured conversation. I'm particularly impressed by the Nags Head, a real ale haven with plenty of nooks and crannies for me to nose around. Teme Valley's 'This' is a smashing golden local brew that befits such a setting.

- St Michael & All Angels, Macclesfield -

Barely pausing for breath, I plunge headlong into Thursday 18th May by taking a chunk out of Cheshire. Macclesfield falls outside of my rover ticket's validity but a cheap return from Stoke does the trick and the Silk Town is soon within my sights. It's perhaps best not to dwell on the station's aesthetic appeal here (fans of Brutalist architecture would no doubt disagree) though I'm much more taken with St Michael & All Angels Church as accessed via the famous 108 Steps. The churchyard pavement comprises numerous centuries-old headstones which prompt me to ponder their memorial inscriptions.

- Bridge 35, Macclesfield Canal -

The Macclesfield Canal was a major factor in enticing me to visit the town hence I earn myself a towpath taster by tracking down Bridge 34 near Higher Hurdsfield. The section through to Black Road feels surprisingly rural in places - especially either side of Barracks Road Bridge - then I need to take evasive action when a vicious goose thinks I'm getting too close to its newborn goslings. The Old Hovis Mill forms the backdrop to a popular narrowboat marina before I exit at Bridge 38 and aim for the town centre via Windmill Street.

- The Castle -

I've been spoiled for choice pub-wise all week and Macclesfield isn't about to disappoint me on that score either. I count at least six tempting watering holes within two minutes walk from the railway station so part of my dilemma is deciding which ones to leave out. In the end I plump for the Waters Green Tavern (partaking of Whim Ales's WGV English Bitter), the Nag's Head (a very fresh Robinson's Unicorn inside what appears to be a shrine to Eric Cantona) and - arguably the best of the lot - the Castle. This gem was shut for several years prior to its triumphant return and boasts an unspoiled interior listed in CAMRA's national inventory. Plush high-backed seating, bell pushes and a pint of Tatton Best - what a way to round off an absolutely astounding few days of train travel. Cheers!

Waterways Walks: The Wyrley & Essington to Wednesfield

Sometimes the places I'm most familiar with are the ones I blog about the least often, as I tend to concentrate my exploration activity (and consequently my writing output) on fresh discoveries. It's nice therefore to shine a belated spotlight upon the Wyrley & Essington Canal as it heads north out of Wolverhampton, a stretch I must have walked countless times over the years...

- Journey's Start: Broad Street Basin -

Trip Log: Friday 5th May 2023 and Broad Street Basin by Wolverhampton Top Lock marks the beginning of this pre-Coronation canal caper. Despite a forecast for thundery showers, there are sunny skies to encourage me along a brief initial segment of the Birmingham Main Line Canal passing directly beneath Wolverhampton railway station's multi-storey car park. The modern apartments of Albion Street stand in stark contrast to some near-derelict industrial ruins as I spot dilapidated workshop signs for Kingfisher Narrowboats. Cleared patches of wasteland are dominated by graffiti as a closed British Steel site rots on the horizon.

- Crane Street Viaduct -

Horseley Fields Junction is the meeting point of the Main Line and the Wyrley & Essington Canals; as waterways locations go, this is definitely one for the purist and would not win any awards for chocolate box-type vistas! The melancholy arches of Crane Street Viaduct are evidence of the railway's gritty presence while an old factory on the other side of Horseley Fields Bridge burnt down last year. From such inauspicious surroundings, the Curly Wyrley will gradually snake its way for 16 and a half miles through to Ogley Junction at Brownhills, encountering Wednesfield, Short Heath, Goscote and Pelsall along the way. 

- Trapmakers Bridge -

Today I'm planning on covering the first three and a bit of those miles which should get me to Perry Hall about lunchtime. Heath Town's dwindling number of high rises still command the inner-city skyline by Deans Road, and I can also see the back end of the Jolly Collier with its scruffy approach to gardening. Even in my relatively short lifetime I can remember what the area looked like before the arrival of the Wednesfield Way bypass and Bentley Bridge Retail Park, so I'm pleased that the traditional humpback of New Cross Bridge offers a rare note of continuity. Before long, the canal secretively sneaks behind Wednesfield High Street with the odd glimpse of St Thomas's Church, the Boat (closed pub alert!) and Trapmakers Bridge, the latter providing handy access into the local park.

- Wards Bridge -

Pinfold Bridge is the next landmark, rebuilt a few years ago and looking quite smart with a Belvoir estate agents hut for company. Wards Bridge used to give its name to an adjacent secondary school (a complex I knew better as the Jennie Lee Centre) but even that is just history now, swept away and replaced with a housing estate. From this point onwards, the scenery becomes ever more leafy thanks to the suburban back gardens of Mattox Road, Hylstone Crescent and Measham Way. Pangs of personal nostalgia have me pausing at Moathouse Bridge, checking that the worn wooden benches where I used to eat packed lunches remain resolutely unchanged. 

- Approaching Perry Hall -

Aiming vaguely north-eastwards, I effectively bisect the residential areas between Linthouse Lane and Olinthus Avenue. Devils Elbow Bridge has a distinctly reddish sandstone hue then Olinthus Bridge nudges the bottom edges of Ashmore Park. Over the course of its journey, the Wyrley & Essington flirts with the A4124 Lichfield Road at several junctures, one such being Castle Bridge in the shadows of the Buzz Bingo site. No full houses for me on this occasion, just more towpath investigations trading views of either Castlebridge Gardens or Peach Road as I close in on the underwhelmingly plain Perry Hall Bridge.

- The Spread Eagle -

The bridge might not be a looker but by emerging onto Broad Lane South, I have reached the Wolverhampton/Walsall metropolitan boundary and the end of my canal sojourn. My reward will be a well-earned pitstop at the Spread Eagle, a Marston's roadhouse operating under the 'Generous George' banner, not that I'm sure who George is/was or what he does to qualify as being generous. Decor-wise I think they're trying to attract a slightly younger target audience although the combination of Banks's Amber (very fresh), scratchings and a Bullseye-themed dartboard is enough to keep me satisfied. The jukebox meanwhile seems to have lodged itself squarely in the 1970s with selections from Demis Roussos, David Essex and the Piglets.

- Barbel Drive -

Quiz night duties mean my main exploring task for the day is effectively done and dusted so I head back into Wednesfield to join Stephen at the Vine. We can't escape Coronation fever completely, hence I patriotically partake of 'Ale to the King', Kinver Brewery's nod to Nick's - sorry, King Charles III's - forthcoming crowning moment. A Friday chippy tea in Heath Town will aid our quizzing preparations, and there's enough time to mooch around the Bowman's Harbour estate where all the roads are named after fish; naturally Mr B Jr wholeheartedly approves of references to barbel, bream and grayling, being a casual angler himself. Alas Team Bears did not romp home to glory - joint fifth was as much as we could muster - but nonetheless we had a great time (apart from being stumped by Francoise Hardy). Cheers!

Hub Marketing 2023: The Hartshill Mile

Recognised as being one of the Potteries' premier pubcrawling challenges, the Hartshill Mile is a sequence of around a dozen or so pubs strung out along the A52 between Stoke town centre and Newcastle-under-Lyme. Would the Hub Marketing Board be up to the task? Strap yourselves in, there's a lot to cover...

- Route 25 at Newcastle Bus Station -

It's Friday 28th April 2023 and Chairman D9 is cutting it even finer than usual when catching his tram into Wolverhampton. Secretary WME is counting down the seconds when he sees a distant bald spot sprinting along Railway Drive, and we make it onto the 12:26 train at the very last moment. Stoke railway station sees us switching onto the number 25 bus, a 'Constellation' branded service that links Hanley with Keele University via Stoke town centre, Newcastle and the Royal Stoke University Hospital. We touch down at Newcastle bus station shortly before 2pm so that Mr D9 can test out the on-site toilet facilities. 

- Bus Art Baldness -

We're not planning on doing too much Newcastle sightseeing today because our main Mile mission should have more than enough to keep us entertained. Saying that, we can't resist investigating the Ironmarket roundabout underpasses with their examples of military murals and depictions of mod scooters. The adjacent Queen's Gardens look rather cheerful with their terrific displays of tulips, but our attempts at getting beery business underway are hindered by the apparent closure of the Jolly Potter opposite Newcastle Bus Station. This pub used to effectively mark the start (or end!) of the Hartshill Mile and is currently shut, perhaps forever.

- Rocking the Cask Bar? -

In the Jolly Potter's absence our core quest begins at the Cask Bar, converted from a Tandoori restaurant unit as part of the Andrew Place precinct. Sandstone's Amaretto Stout gets WME's considered thumbs up here - the micropub has collaborated with a Wrexham-based brewery to create it especially - while D9 tests out Oakham's Inferno to equal acclaim. It's not only the ale that's impressive for the place has become a community melting pot with a ladies knitting circle in attendance and coach trips running to Holme Mill. If this sets the standard for the trip we're going to be in for an epic afternoon!  

- The Museum -

At this point in proceedings we're flirting dangerously with the boundary between Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent. The Greyhound is on the Hartshill side of the divide and registers as a Titanic Brewery taphouse serving a range of Burslem's finest, from which we partake of the very pink Raspberry Pale. Back along George Street, the Museum gets going at 3pm and counts as a Newcastle hostelry, and a very friendly one at that. Draught Bass in the Vaults room is a real treat, chatting to the regulars about home working, Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild and the general state of the country. The Chairman even joins in with Adil Ray's ITV quiz 'Lingo', either that or he just randomly felt like shouting out "thermometer" for no reason.

- Darting Assistance at Hopinn? -

Although we've got a packed agenda, we're never ones to turn down a local recommendation so the Victoria (a.k.a. the Little Vic) earns itself a look for a swift half of Three Tuns Stout; well it was just a brief alleyway walk along a path from the Museum so it would've been rude not to drop by. The Vic also dovetails nicely with us checking out the Hopinn on Albert Street, an establishment which has won CAMRA awards and continues to rank highly each year. We're blown away by the lovely fittings here, from the plush blue bar upholstery to the 1930s glazed panels in the doors. D9 Destroyer discovers a dartboard then promptly wishes he hadn't when WME Whirlwind secures his first victory of 2023 by three legs to one - despite the pictorial evidence, I did not enlist George to help me with any checkouts!

- Sanctuary Ale House -

After that highly productive detour we'd best crack on with the Hartshill Mile proper again, and the candidates stack up in very short order; the Red Lion is slightly off the main road then the Artisan Tap and the Old House at Home are literally next door to each other. We're certainly being spoiled for choice along this particular stretch although the Sanctuary Ale House might just eclipse the others with a full-to-bursting Friday early evening vibe. We'd tried to keep it cask all the way thus far but the sight of Bacchus Kriek means we dabble with a Belgian interlude, the promise of Flemish Brown infused with Morello cherries being hard to ignore!

- Robin Hood -

Aside from all the pubs, the Hartshill Road corridor is interesting in its own right for the variety of terraced shopfronts and amenities. Barkers Dog Grooming, Chantilly Blinds and Checkley Interiors are all duly noted as we close in on Holy Trinity Church, known for its 'Middle Pointed' design by George Gilbert Scott and the copious presence of Minton tiles (Herbert Minton was the church's original benefactor). The watering holes at this end of the crawl would normally include the Noahs - currently closed for refurbishment - but the Robin Hood is ready to claim our custom, supplying Courage Directors in another pleasingly traditional setting.

- Back to the station and don't spare the horses -

It was a quirk of the Hartshill Mile that the outermost pubs at either end had almost identical names. We may have been deprived of Newcastle's Jolly Potter earlier but Hartshill's Jolly Potters - with the extra 's' - is still on hand to round things off in style; there are four separate rooms to choose from plus an enchanting suntrap beer garden, so we settle by the dartboard and drain our final halves: job done! All that remains is the statutory D9 driving demonstration aboard the return 25 bus - ding ding - and the 19:24 train home to Wolverhampton. Cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - April 2023

Unlike my usual scattergun approach where updates can be sprinkled far and wide, April very much tailored its additions on three specific galleries - Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Staffordshire. This wasn't necessarily planned as such, more a random quirk of how the photos slotted themselves into position, but at least it should make this summary more digestable than usual...

Which of the 'big three' shall we focus on first then? Eeeny, meeny, miny, moe, let's give WME Staffordshire a go. Alphabetically speaking we've definitely hit a tranche of C pictures recently with Cannock, Codsall and Calf Heath all jostling for coverage. Cannock's contribution involves the Boot & Sons chartered surveyors offices and an Asda supermarket, Calf Heath concentrates on Straight Mile with Oak Lane (yet more pesky street signs) while Codsall captures St Nicholas Church looking rather fine in a springtime setting. The Bs haven't been completely overlooked though, not with Burton bringing forth pub pickings from the Weighbridge or the Crossing. 

Talking of things beginning with B, WME Birmingham hasn't been shy in April. City centre items have led the way here, including Colonel Burnaby's Memorial, Bath Passage signage and two street art examples (an oriental dragon and a cheeky Christmas elf). Deep Cutting Junction's bridge nameplate counts as a piece of canal content whereas the Malt House nearby adds nicely to the pub-related quota, leaving Edgbaston's Calthorpe Park to claim the final Brum word with yet more of its pretty cherry blossoms. 

Spring has similarly sprung over on WME Wolverhampton thanks to Castlecroft daffodils, albeit wider seasonal representation is provided by autumnal golden canopies (Windmill Crescent) and wintry street scenes (Castlecroft Gardens) by way of balance. The local medical practice and the Firs pub keep the Castlecroft flag while Compton tries to piggyback with glimpses of Boots Land Allotments and Pickwick Gardens. Bringing up the rear is the former Cleveland Road bus depot during its demolition phase, and that's your lot. Will May be as intent on stocking up only select galleries or will we return to a more expansive harvest - time will tell...