Two October Outings (the 2023 edition)

October 2023 has begun with back-to-back outings, one being an interesting incursion with the Beardsmores into Telford territory, the other a classic slice of Birmingham's southern suburbs. Here are a handful of selected highlights for you...

- Middle Pool, Trench -

Friday 6th October offered a trip down memory lane for Stephen and John in that we revisited one of their old fishing haunts over near Oakengates. Middle Pool and the larger Trench Pool were originally constructed as feeder reservoirs for the local canal network, and still make for popular leisure amenities and beauty spots all these years later. Stephen remembers coming here for nighttime angling activities with his uncle back when you had to hurdle disused lock remains to reach the waters edge; there even used to be an inclined plane mechanism in the vicinity which terminated near the Blue Pig pub. Our circuit made partial use of the Silkin Way leisure footpath and included brief glimpses of Wombridge Parish Church.

- The Blue Pig -

Talking of the Blue Pig, it made perfect sense to pop in there for a pint. Alternatively known as the Shropshire Arms, its colloquial name is not a reference to porcine animals but instead is a nod to the pig iron ingots that would historically have been transported on the canal outside. A welcoming committee of lively springer spaniels greeted us in the bar, as indeed did a 'Super Smashing Great' depiction of comedy legend Jim Bowen next to the dartboard. Ringwood's Razor Back was the cask ale option at time of visit and proved a decent drink as we chatted away about lesser-known Nolans hits and more fishing reminiscences. We all really rather liked this one, an unspoiled Marston's boozer right beside the main pool.

- Theakstons Tarmac in Oakengates -

The remainder of Friday was given over to Oakengates imbibing followed by quiz night action in Tettenhall. The Coalport Tavern was a place I hadn't sampled previously so that needed to be done, resulting in us encountering more boisterous canine company and spotting a framed tribute to locally-born Wolves footballer Johnny Hancocks. I'm already on record as being a firm admirer of Market Street's pub prowess with four hostelries virtually on top of each other, so we picked out old friends the Station Hotel and the Crown for another whirl. Goose Eye's Golden Goose was peachily glorious in the first of those whereas the Crown Inn delivered a delectable drop of Rudgate's York Chocolate Stout. As for the quiz, Team Bears came 2nd.

- The Stadium Site -

I was still processing that runners up placing when Saturday 7th October heralded a helping of Hall Green, a sizeable district of Birmingham which straddles the A34 Stratford Road between Springfield and Shirley. I'm very much a fan of the local railway station and its Edwardian-era GWR architecture complete with lovely covered footbridge. My morning mission was to see what had become of the Hall Green Stadium site, a sporting facility which hosted greyhound racing for nearly ninety years from 1927 to 2017; housing now occupies much of the land although the road names do reference its previous use, hence the presence of Prestige Avenue and Kildare Close after an annual stakes competition and a celebrated hound. 

- A Not Very Lucky Horseshoe? -

Hall Green was an area once blessed with several fine examples of the suburban roadhouse boozer but some of these have fallen by the wayside in recent years. The York is boarded up and surrounded with hoardings although you can still see some carved M&B details such as a heraldic crest above the doorways; there is talk of the building being repurposed as a religious temple, whereas its counterpart the Horseshoe looks set to disappear and be replaced by a Costa Coffee drive-thru takeaway with associated Farmfoods supermarket. Whether either of those schemes comes to pass remains to be seen but the current eyesores are depressingly sad, and the Horseshoe already has much of its rear elevation missing.

- Dragon Seat, Hall Green Library -

Happier photographs can be plundered elsewhere so I paused awhile at Hall Green Library, admiring a dragon bench created by the sculptor Graham Jones in 2002 in recognition of the branch's 40th anniversary - I wonder if it is at least partially inspired by The Lord of the Rings book trilogy being as author JRR Tolkien has links to the area. A Quaker Meeting House and the Hall Green Junior School (originally provided by the Yardley School Board) also added hints of heritage for me to capture on camera, not forgetting the Scotts Cycles shopfront bringing to mind an independent family business that was founded in 1905.

- The Robin Hood -

Naturally I was keen to frequent some of Hall Green's surviving watering holes, hence I made sure to call into both the Bulls Head (an Ember establishment where the late Pete Allen was the resident quizmaster) and the Robin Hood. The latter is a Toby Carvery affair I'd never tried before but it caters for the casual drinker as well as roast-seeking diners, meaning I watched the Luton vs Spurs Premier League football whilst partaking of a Pale Brummie cask ale - not bad at all! A Shirley sojourn to reacquaint myself with the Shaking Hand microbar (yielding a very nice pint of Infinity's Perspective Mild) rounded off two days of quality exploring. Cheers!