Meanwhile over in Bridgnorth...

The delightfully characterful Shropshire town of Bridgnorth is no stranger to the West Midlands Exploration blog for it is a place I've been visiting for days out since I was a mere lad. My archives tell me of several trips over the years - involving variously the Hub Marketing Board, the Chip Foundation, the Beardsmores and even a Beer Festival attendance or two - although the 2023 equivalent is simply a solo affair...

- The Great Bear -

Trip Log: Friday 23rd June 2023 and essentially it's that time of year when I need to use up my annual leave allocation, hence arranging this Bridgnorth bonus. The number 9 bus runs hourly from Wolverhampton (via Wightwick, Rudge Heath and Worfield) so I take advantage of the capped £2 single fare initiative; this means it costs me £4 in total there and back rather than having to buy a more expensive ticket. Arriving in High Town just before half past nine, I pitch straight into photographic action courtesy of Love Lane, passing the Endowed School en route to the agreeable open spaces of Ropewalk Dingle. Friars Street then reminds me that several locomotive-related sculptures are still on show around the town, including our old friend 'The Great Bear' as designed by Deborah Meredith.

- Oldbury Wells School -

One Bridgnorth enclave I'd hitherto never investigated is that of Oldbury Wells, a residential tangle of streets branching off Hollybush Road towards the A458 Bypass. Hillside cottages look rather attractive as I meander through to Oldbury Wells School with its 'Aspire, Enjoy, Achieve' motto. The school is split across two sites, the eastern half being home to a sixth form centre while the west side contains the main reception. This arrangement reflects that the school was originally two separate concerns - one for boys, one for girls - prior to these merging in the mid-1970s. After getting my bearings, I continue along the lane past Captains Road and join a footbridge over the dual carriageway. 

- St Nicholas Church, Oldbury -

On the far side of the bypass, I can venture into the small settlement of Oldbury Village which was included in the Domesday Book of 1086; the tenant-in-chief nearly 950 years ago was a chap by the name of Reginald the Sheriff and the population amounted to 13 households. I'd imagine its a slightly bigger place these days but perhaps not all that vastly different. Anyway, a church presence was first recorded here in 1138 although the current building as dedicated to St Nicholas is principally Victorian, dating from around 1863 whereby it serves as the centre of worship for the nearby community of Eardington too.

- Severn Valley Sightings -

Utilising Oldbury Road, I amble back into Bridgnorth making sure to pay my customary visit to the Severn Valley Railway station. Even on a drizzly overcast morning there is much to admire here, not least the upgraded refreshment rooms and traditional platform architecture. Diesel unit D9551 looks resplendent in green British Railways livery as it gets powered up over by the engine shed while the wider concourse is gearing up for a 1940s Weekend, hence the arrival of several sandbags and a NAAFI kiosk. I haven't brought along any Brylcreem nor starched my trousers sadly, plus I'm a day too early for participating in jive dancing classes, but it's nevertheless a lot of fun browsing around as preparations take shape.  

- A Stern Scarecrow -

Another Bridgnorth attraction I usually make a point of returning to are the Castle & Gardens as arranged around the ruins of a Norman fortification which was mostly destroyed during the English Civil War. The flowerbeds and bandstand look as immaculate as ever while I love the sense of humour represented by two cheeky scarecrows; one wears braces and has a pink watering can while the other has a hippie-style floral necklace (possibly in support of LGBT Pride Month). Further drizzle sees me seeking shelter in Wetherspoons (the Jewel of the Severn) for an opening pint of Brewster's Aromantica, infused with tropical citrus flavours.

- Bucolic Banks's at the Bell & Talbot -

This isn't a dedicated pubbing trip but a couple more watering holes will grace my agenda for the afternoon. The Crown is a tasteful Marston's affair with entrances off both Whitburn Street and the main High Street; a Hobgoblin Gold keeps me out of mischief whilst I watch some of the Women's Ashes test match from Trent Bridge, albeit England are struggling to take the last few Australian wickets. I then decamp to Salop Street for the rustic charms of the Bell & Talbot, quaffing a cracking pint of Ludlow Gold washed down with a ham and cheese cob. There can't be many finer ways to pass an hour or two than having some pints in Bridgnorth!

The Hub Marketing Board's Round Oak Return

Back in late May 2013, I prepared for a big birthday by joining Chairman D9 for a Hub Marketing tour of Brierley Hill and its environs, visiting pubs that would have been frequented by workers from the Round Oak Steelworks. Fast forward ten years and I'm again - albeit more reluctantly - celebrating getting even older, and we decide to repeat the same trick. What can the area offer us this time around?

- Brockmoor Breakfast Beckons -

Round Oak Steelworks was a major Brierley Hill employer from its inception in 1857 through to the closure of the plant under British Steel in 1982, with the land being redeveloped to form the Merry Hill Shopping Centre and Waterfront facilities. Even though most traces of the old steelworks had been demolished by 1984, the vast site is still widely remembered to this day and thus provides the inspiration for our outing. At the Chairman's request, we converge upon the Brockmoor Cafe eager to indulge in a traditional greasy spoon experience. 'Breakfast 2' costs £5.50 and comes complete with two rounds of toast, sausages, bacon rashers, beans, tomatoes, hash browns, mushrooms and tea or coffee - great value it must be said. The cafe is busy with its takeout trade as well as having six tables for those who wish to eat in. 

- Spotting the Steelworks? -

After that substantial feed, we proceed via Station Road into Brierley Hill town centre and unleash the day's silly songs into the bargain. Mr D9's choice is that Bill Oddie oddity 'Harry Krishna' which combines Hare Krishna chanting with reference to famous Harry surnames (think Secombe, Worth and Corbett) whereas Mr WME selects Jon Pertwee's 'Noodle Doodle Man' as based on a Heinz spaghetti advert. Two pubs on Brierley Hill High Street get our quaffing underway; the Dog & Partridge featured on the original 2013 Round Oak crawl but has since been upgraded with some very bright floral wallpaper. The Brier Rose meanwhile was a HSBC bank ten years ago but is now on hand to serve up Carling, Ashes cricket and some very broad Black Country accents - one purple-rinsed lady does not like the Albion! Sepia snapshots of steelwork chimneys ensure that the bald spot is suitably distracted. 

- The New Talbot -

Long-term roadworks mean that the High Street is only open to traffic in the Dudley direction so we continue on foot rather than try to hunt down any diverted buses. It isn't too far to Silver End anyway, even in soaring temperatures, and we can soon avail ourselves of refreshment in the New Talbot which sits near the easternmost end of Brettell Lane. A plain and unfussy free house, this is an understated gem of a boozer and the landlord makes us feel right at home. Samuel Smith's Extra Stout is quality drinking, the Chairman breaking his golden rule of not touching tarmac when the weather is hot, and the darts honours go to WME Whirlwind (2-0) despite our host's best attempts at sledging the Secretary for some initial wonky throws.

- Brettell Lane Bridge -

The obligatory ferret for this trip involves a stretch of the Stourbridge Canal, part of a network of navigations that would have provided access to the steelworks in its heyday (although the Dudley No. 1 Canal went through the actual site). We join the towpath at Brettell Lane Bridge, being mindful of the low headroom, and plod on through to Moor Street while steering clear of any swan or goose nests. Having avoided any unwanted peckings, we pause briefly at the Samson & Lion between Locks 4 and 5 of the Stourbridge Flight; this canalside concern retains a few hints of heritage despite being repainted in shades of midnight blue. Our al fresco glasses of Timothy Taylor's Landlord perfume the air with the scent of hops.

- Hawbush Housing -

Further lock-collecting antics keep us occupied along the short distance down to Swan Lane Bridge from where we can investigate the Hawbush estate. Swan Lane itself offers reminders of the Nags Head, a lost pub which partially became a One Stop convenience store. Hawbush Road is deceptively hilly as the afternoon heat takes hold so we've worked up a considerable thirst by the time we reach our old favourite the Starving Rascal. Nowadays owned by Black Country Ales, this famous local landmark stands on the fork where Collis Street splits away from Brettell Lane. Inside it is lovely and cool making it the perfect bolthole for partaking of Enville White in exemplary condition, and the Chairman is getting all nostalgic about the summer of 1976 when his neighbour Mad Matthews used to endlessly play 'Combine Harvester' by the Wurzels day after day after day - what torture!! 

- Bathams Best in the Robin Hood -

Amblecote really is an ale-lovers paradise and we're spoiled for choice as regards tempting taverns to try out. Keeping with Brettell Lane, the Swan needs to be done because Mr D9 has never had the pleasure of sampling it previously. Secretary WME knows the place well and pines ever so slightly for the days of chintzy furniture and internal ironwork, although there's no doubting that the new owners have carried out a high quality refit that feels more modern yet simultaneously still traditional. Oakham's Hangar 17 offers tantalising tastes of tangerine here before we relocate to the Robin Hood, perched halfway up the slopes of Collis Street. Bathams Best Bitter always gets the WME vote whereas Mr D9 dabbles with the aromatic aspects of Purple Moose's Elderflower Ale.

- The Chairman and the Chieftain -

Another Amblecote alehouse that's high on the Chairman's wishlist is the Maverick, which is sited at the very bottom of Brettell Lane on the Audnam traffic lights. A country and western theme is immediately apparent with American car registration plates, bounty hunting posters and a large carved chieftain character - not the kind of thing you'd normally expect to see on the outskirts of Stourbridge, that's for sure. Wye Valley's Hollywood is a limited release brew infused with summer berries (quenchingly nice) as Mr D9 worries about getting scalped, understandable when you haven't got much hair left to lose!

- D9 drives home -

Thankfully the Chairman escapes with his remaining follicles intact and we intercept the 6 bus in readiness for a Holly Hall finale. The King William might be handy for Russells Hall Hospital but is otherwise an average community local where the barmaid's kids are having a lot of fun, while the Railway Tavern on Buxton Road gives us a lively nightcap Carling that nearly causes us to miss our onward 8 connection. So concludes my series of birthday excursions, and I wonder if we'll return to Round Oak once more for the 2033 celebrations? Cheers!

The Chip Foundation's Bewdley Bother

The law of exploration averages ensures that not every trip we do always goes 100% to plan, and there were certainly a few flies in the ointment when the Chip Foundation buccaneered our way around Bewdley on one of the hottest days of 2023 thus far...

- Arrival at Kidderminster -

Episode 76 of the Chip Foundation Chronicles falls on Saturday 10th June 2023 with another outing designed to mark my recent milestone birthday. Worcestershire's Wyre Forest should be on the agenda along with a sneaky slice of Shropshire, hence we all converge aboard the 10:26 train from Smethwick Galton Bridge to Kidderminster. Nick is wearing a very summery yellow shirt especially for the occasion while Mr B Senior has managed to drag himself out of bed early as well, and the weather is set fair albeit with the risk of thunderstorms later on. We reach Kiddy as planned just before ten to eleven and say hello to postal reformer Sir Rowland Hill's statue en route to the town's bus station. Alas it is here that fate starts to intervene as our desired Cleobury Mortimer connection fails to materialise. 

- Bewdley Bridge -

Ever resourceful, we decide to shunt Bewdley higher up the batting order by catching the 125 bus instead (operated by Diamond, the service in full links Bridgnorth with Stourbridge). The resultant journey takes us past Kidderminster General Hospital and the West Midlands Safari Park; thankfully the latter attraction doesn't attempt to reclaim Mr B Senior as an absconding silverback gorilla! A wriggle through Wribbenhall precedes us crossing the becalmed River Severn and alighting on Load Street outside a mystical gift shop. The town centre is already proving a popular destination in the summer sunshine and we aren't the only people enjoying a riverside stroll. The stately Bewdley Bridge was designed by the famed engineer Thomas Telford and has been in operation since 1798, although there have been previous structures here dating back to the mid-15th century.

- Bewdley Brewery -

Severn Side South leads us in turn to Lax Lane where a former schoolhouse has become home to the Bewdley Brewery. Established in 2008, the company produces a range of highly-regarded ales including Worcestershire Way, the stronger Worcestershire Sway, and William Mucklow's Dark Mild. Their on-site taphouse showcases these plus several other beers and is invitingly decorated with steam train illustrations, railway maps and a variety of ceramic jugs (one of which references the Beaufort Scale with its gradings of gentle, fresh and moderate breezes). While the majority go with halves of Way, I break ranks for a Baldwin IPA as named after three-time Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who was born in the area and served as the local MP for nearly 30 years. There's a lot for us to like here and it deservedly features in the 2023 edition of the Good Beer Guide.

- A Mellow Yellow Fellow in Air Raid Action -

Just across from the Boys School entrance, a pathway links into a community orchard and the carefully-maintained Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Gardens. Apple core sculptures, carved owls and lily ponds are all part of the fun before Bewdley Museum has us browsing the community galleries. Nick and John find themselves consigned to the stocks while Stephen manages to extricate himself from the prison cells, no bread and gruel for him! The museum grounds also include a rediscovered air raid shelter so we can experience the claustrophobic conditions of wartime self-preservation; these things weren't built with tall people in mind so I narrowly avoid bumping my head when negotiating the tight steps down. Two more pub visits will complete the Bewdley leg of proceedings, starting with the Real Ale Tavern where talk of fishing maggots and Boris Johnson may or may not be unconnected. 

- Beardsmores in the Bache Arms -

After the Black Country ales place, we had hoped to intercept the 292 again but the buses still aren't playing ball, meaning a George Hotel luncheon interlude enters the equation. All day brunches, Katsu curries and gammons of varying sizes are duly devoured albeit Mr B Senior's porky platter initially comes minus any egg, mushroom or tomato - oh dear! Cleobury Mortimer is officially cancelled when the next bus along turns out to be another 125 but we can at least hitch a lift over to Highley, a large village with a coal mining pedigree. Our pub target here is the Bache Arms, chosen by default as it seems to be one of the few amenities open on a Saturday afternoon. Guinness and Worthingtons have to suffice given the lack of cask ale although there is enlightening discussion about people who died on toilets; somehow the conversation seems to fit the downbeat nature of the surroundings but anything has to be better than further talk about Boris. 

- Highley Mining Memorial -

Highley is strung out along the B4555 road around seven miles south of Bridgnorth and is also served by the Severn Valley Railway although the station is a fair walk from the village centre. Not wishing to risk any more bus mishaps, we won't chance investigating that today and thus stick with the main road instead, noting St Mary's Parish Hall, a Costcutter and a pharmacy. One particularly notable find is Highley's Mining Memorial incorporating a depiction of a bloke in a pit cage topped off with a stylised clock tower. In the absence of an obvious bus stop, Ken uses his detective skills at the chip shop to ascertain the likely departure times and we duly catch the 16:04 125 back into Kidderminster. The bus feels like an oven as oppressive heat begins to bubble up and stormy skies are on the horizon.

- Posing in the Post House -

A thunderstorm is on the cards so it's lucky that we just about get to our next pub prior to the heavens opening. Just inside Kidderminster Ring Road, the Red Man as was is now known as the Post House having been taken over by Davenports last year. They're really gone to town on the refit too, displaying a flair for Penny Black stamp motifs and 'Beer at Home' nods to brand heritage. Quality halves of Original Bitter hit the spot nicely as we dodge the worst of the deluges, just finding enough time to nip into Ye Olde Seven Stars for a glug of Guinness en route to the railway station. The trip might not have been as we intended - Cleobury Mortimer may think it had a lucky escape - but we definitely made the most of it. Cheers!

Perry Barr with the Beardsmores

June 2023 is a significant month for me as I'm celebrating a milestone birthday (i.e. one with a zero on the end). A selection of special trips have been arranged in order to mark the occasion, the first of which sees Messrs Beardsmore and Beardsmore joining me for a Perry Barr peregrination... 

- Lending a hand at Newtown Baths -

It's Friday 2nd June 2023 and the latest rail strikes mean there is a reduced train service as we make our way over to Birmingham. High Street by Dale End is where we intercept the 51 bus bound for Walsall, and within short order we have arrived at our first destination of the day - Newtown. Constant traffic and high rise tower blocks mark this out as typical inner-city fare while the local shopping precinct has very much a multicultural flavour, noting stores such as Royal Patties, the Sagal Shoe Shop and Marrakesh Sofas. Much of the area was redeveloped from the late 1960s onwards and facilities such as the Newtown Baths building still carry an underlying air of starkness, even despite being brightened up with colourful murals depicting ladder-wielding figures as approved of by Stephen.

- The Bartons Arms -

The star of the Newtown show has to be the spectacular Bartons Arms, a James and Lister Lea architectural masterpiece which first opened in 1901. It's a remarkable survivor in many ways having been threatened with demolition and then also enduring a long period of closure. Thankfully it is still with us so we can enjoy a relaxed pint (in my case of Oakham's 'Flag Fen Bronze' 30th anniversary ale) amidst swathe upon swathe of Minton tiles plus mahogany snobscreens. Parking ourselves in a particularly opulent stairwell corner flanked by hunting friezes, Mr B Senior threatens to tinkle the ivories but just about refrains from enacting any Liberace impressions. The pub is rightfully proud of its historic links to the Aston Hippodrome whereby many performers used to lodge here, including Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy. 

- Perry Barr Stadium -

Not all of today's settings will be as magnificent as the Bartons Arms but we will continue into Perry Barr to see how the ongoing transformation there is progressing. It's almost a year since Birmingham held the Commonwealth Games so we can start to assess what kind of legacy has been left behind in the host district. For starters, the A34 Walsall Road is no longer a total mass of roadworks and the bus stops adjoining the One Stop shopping centre are fully back in operation. Stephen has memories of the former University of Central England Campus from his student days but that has been swept away and replaced by apartment blocks which don't yet seem to have any residents. One familiar constant is the Perry Barr Stadium which was originally constructed as the home for Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club (who are nowadays based at the Alexander Stadium) before latterly hosting greyhound racing and speedway.

- Garage No More -

Wellhead Lane allows us to see more of the construction work where UCE used to stand, and the former Wellhead Tavern (also known as the Hare of the Dog) on Franchise Street seems to be getting retained as part of the scheme although I've no idea when or if it will ever reopen as a pub again. National Express West Midlands have completed their garage move from the old Perry Barr depot to their new site off Aston Lane, so there's a melancholy atmosphere to seeing the gates all chained up and the yard becoming redundant. I presume demolition will follow in due course and another part of Birmingham's transport heritage will drift off the face of the map. Having satisfied ourselves with our snooping, we retrace our footsteps past the greyhound stadium and set about finding some lunch.

- Perry Barr Station -

The obvious mealtime contender here is the Arthur Robertson Wetherspoons which occupies an extended front unit at the One Stop. Named after a Scottish-born Olympian who competed at the 1908 London Games, the pub has earned a place in the 2023 Good Beer Guide (a fact which takes me somewhat by surprise although my pint of Froth Blowers Old Pal's Ale befits such an accolade). Gammons all round ensure any hints of hunger are held at bay as we keep abreast of the daytime television schedules, cue Jay Blades salvaging items being thrown away at a council tip somewhere or other. The Beardsmores seem well clued up regarding the plotlines of 'Father Brown' but once 'Escape to the Country' comes on, we engineer our own exit back onto the number 51 via quick sightings of Perry Barr Station. 

- Beardsmores in the Beacon -

After a steady trundle up past the Scott Arms and over Junction 7 of the M6 motorway, we reach Great Barr where the Beacon is on standby to supply our next drink. This establishment is part of the Harvester chain complete with an adjoining Premier Inn, and it's a nice enough place to carry on our chat about JB's welding career and Stephen's hopes for Birmingham Bears' T20 campaign. There is astonishment when Mr B Snr turns down the prospect of his beloved John Smiths in favour of sticking with Guinness so it's left to yours truly to partake of the Beardsmore Bleach instead. Luckily, the trauma does not put me off my quizzing stride and our monthly evening engagement in Tettenhall results in a hard-fought victory. Cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - May 2023

Ladies and gentlemen, a West Midlands Exploration public service announcement: normal service has now been resumed. After April's additions curiously concentrated on only three galleries, I've been my usual liberal self in May, scattering photographic arrivals in multiple directions...

The chief beneficiary of this return to standard procedure appears to have been WME Walsall, which has amassed itself a clutch of Darlaston-related newbies. Salisbury Primary School earns a gold star for its multicultural mural saying 'welcome' (or similar greetings) in a whole host of different languages, then we've got the Allied Storage Tanks compound on Richards Street plus a sighting of a backstreet mechanics building near St Lawrence's Church. Holden's memories are evoked by a Prince of Wales sign but the pub sadly stopped trading a few years ago.

WME Dudley has responded impressively to being ignored in April by bouncing back to life on a wave of Coseley content. Memorial wreaths, purple planting, Royal lettering and Broadbents Butchers all make the cut along with the customary collection of street signs, not forgetting a reappearance for Deepfields Footbridge on the Birmingham Main Line Canal. WME Sandwell hasn't been anywhere near as active but does conjure up a dusky Bell & Bear snapshot from Gorsty Hill Road. 

Of the galleries that monopolised all of April's activities, WME Birmingham and WME Wolverhampton have remained busy whereas WME Staffordshire has gone suspiciously quiet. Brum dabbled once more with Digbeth (hence selected street art specimens, Barn Street bites and a gilded glance at the Old Crown) while Wolverhampton captured some Colton Hills vistas, sunkissed scenery near the secondary school there.

Other May moments mean I'm giving shout-outs to three galleries that don't get very much attention. WME Telford has chipped away at Church Aston for spring-loaded play equipment and a Pinewoods cul-de-sac; WME Coventry nudged out a Nunts Lane street sign from the vicinity of Holbrooks and Whitmore Park, then last up is WME Solihull with a mooring perch on the Grand Union Canal at Catherine-de-Barnes. Until next time, enjoy the pictures!