Isn't it strange how easy it is to ignore places on your own doorstep? The Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford is a case in point, situated just a handful of miles northwest of Wolverhampton and yet the only member of the Chip Foundation who'd ever been there was Ken, and even his visit was many moons ago. Absorbing aviation exhibitions therefore await us on a day that will also allow us to sample some ale-related stopping off points on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury railway line...
- Meeting Trackosaurus at Wolverhampton Station -
Pilot's Log: Monday 31st July 2023 and the mission has been scrambled so as to celebrate a certain elder Beardsmore's milestone birthday. Yes, John turned 80 earlier in the month so the trip is being conducted in his honour, starting by spotting one of the Jurassic Wolves dinosaur specimens guarding the ticket barriers at Wolverhampton railway station. Mr B Senior isn't quite old enough to remember when the likes of triceratops, stegosaurus or raptors prowled around the planet but 'Trackosaurus' seems friendly enough with its elongated green neck. Several such sculptures have appeared across the city as a fun trail for the school holidays.
- Lockheed SP-2H Neptune -
The 10:15 Shrewsbury train is the departure we require with Ken and Nick on hand to ensure a full Chip Foundation quorum. Cosford Station is a reasonably basic halt serving both the museum and its accompanying operational RAF base; one old railway building has become offices for a paintball company while an adjacent shed acts as The Coffee Stop cafe. Once we've alighted, it's still another half mile walk to the museum's main entrance and we're taken unawares by shooting practice at the rifle range. Thankfully none of the gunfire is trained upon us and we can safely begin to investigate some external exhibits including a Neptune aircraft used for maritime patrol and anti-submarine reconnaissance in the 1950s.
- Nick braces himself for engine thrust -
The museum site comprises four principal hangars, some of which date back to the wartime development of Cosford as an airbase. Admission is completely free although one of the halls is currently hosting a Horrible Histories display which you do have to pay for and is already attracting an expectant throng of excitable kiddies. We give that a miss and instead zero in on the National Cold War Exhibition, documenting the tensions between East and West during the second half of the 20th Century. Naturally there are eyecatching examples of some of the aircraft involved - Britain's V Bombers being the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant - plus tanks, land vehicles and an ominous collection of missiles. It's frightening to look at these deadly items and wonder how the technology must have progressed even more in current conflicts.
- Soviet Leader Russian Dolls -
The Cold War ensemble is based within a highly distinctive purpose-built repository that has won design awards and first opened in 2007. Aside from the planes and associated vehicles, we're fascinated by the military memorabilia on show from the large Russian dolls depicting Soviet leaders (Stalin through to Gorbachev) or a recreation of Checkpoint Charlie as part of references to the Berlin Airlift. Ken remembers having a Volkswagen Beetle car himself back in his motoring past, then there are uniforms and the RAF gift shop to consider. We reckon 'Biggles Beardsmore' would look quite spiffing in a leather aviator's helmet!
- Hangar-ing Around? -
Next we visit the other two hangars which respectively concentrate on 'War in the Air' (with an emphasis on famous British and German warplanes) and 'Test Flight' (aircraft developed in secrecy so as to further the nation's technological prowess). One of the museum volunteers tells us about the Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I with its innovative gun turret, used mainly during night-time operations and manufactured in Wolverhampton. There are Messerschmitts, an Avro Lincoln bomber and a Fairy Delta 2 to peruse amongst many, many more. We easily pass a couple of hours and might have stayed longer were it not for a train cancellation.
- Birthday Boy in the Station, Codsall -
As it is, we're committed to catching the 13:12 to Codsall despite the risk of getting utterly drenched by heavy downpours that have suddenly set in. News of test match wickets lifts our soggy spirits, as indeed does the prospect of high quality quaffing at the Station pub where Holden's consistently serve up excellent ales. Nick and I both partake of the Summer Buzz seasonal special brew (laced with hints of locally-sourced honey) while John fills us in on a Cornish holiday revisiting his childhood home in Truro. As you might expect given that it is situated in the former station house, this is a boozer adorned with railwayana and we particularly like the carpet with its GWR logo patterns.
- The Crown (Joule's) -
The Station doesn't serve food on Mondays (or at least not on this particular Monday) so we need to head elsewhere for our lunchtime scran. The Bull is a longstanding Banks's number in the heart of Codsall village centre and has a reasonably priced menu for us to choose from; cue various portions of gammon plus a fishy deal for our kingly colleague. John used to play dominoes here as part of the Wolverhampton District Friday Night League although it takes him a little while to recognise the place. We are all pronounced very satisfied with our meals so we happily trot straight across The Square into The Crown, recently refurbished by Joule's of Market Drayton (albeit it doesn't look vastly different to how they'd got it before). Halves of Slumbering Monk, Blonde or No. 37 Summer Tonic keep us out of mischief as we occupy a high-benched partition backed with antique book covers - 'Vital Things for Lively Youngsters' looks like a tome our venerable birthday boy could do with reading!
- Danish Dynamite at the Old Vicarage -
The Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury railway line lends itself to beer exploration with notable taverns in Oakengates, Wellington and Shifnal as well as Codsall. Two of the more recent additions to the scene are a couple of impressive micropubs. Love and Liquor is literally straight across the road from the Crown Joule's and is Wolverhampton CAMRA Branch's Staffordshire Pub of the Year. Enville Ale is on top form here as we await news of a pitch inspection at The Oval; it sounds as though play should recommence shortly with England hoping to level the series. The second newish micro can be found in Bilbrook (not a station any of us have ever alighted at until now) where the Olde Vicarage stands next to Holy Cross Church. Fixed Wheel's Danish Dynamite is a golden treat sitting at a low table with Blondie and Beatles artworks for company, and there's just enough time for a leisurely call into the Woodman on Duck Lane prior to the train home. Cheers!
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