WME Flickr Focus - September 2024

As the very last vestiges of summer disappear and any cricketing equipment goes into hibernation until next spring, I shall raise a metaphorical bat in recognition of my own September half century. Not of runs in this case but rather photographs, as fifty new pictorial arrivals swell the West Midlands Exploration photostream ranks to a current cumulative total of 7,200 images...

I hate to be predictable but there are certain galleries you just know will always be topping the scoring charts. WME Wolverhampton leads the batting averages year on year - this is hardly surprising being as I live there - although this month's contributions don't bring you Finchfield blossoms nor Compton cul-de-sacs for a change. Instead I offer Graiseley grabbings (CVH Fabrications and a delve into Drayton Street), flanked by Heath Town's almshouse doorways and two racetrack-related street signs from the Goodyears estate in Oxley - I like the way the road names reference autosport heritage there.

Also a reliable run-getter is WME Staffordshire which has nudged and nurdled its way to another sizeable innings. The Potteries possibilities of Hanley Art Gallery and Heron Cross make for attractive strokeplay whilst Huddlesford has unfurled some aesthetically pleasing cover drives courtesy of the Coventry Canal and Huddlesford Lane (even if a railway gantry is admittedly far less attractive). Gospel End signage and Hednesford pub lettering for the Plough & Harrow ensure a healthy haul is duly recorded. 

Our middle order power hitters this time around are WME Worcestershire and WME Dudley, news which marks a welcome return to form for Worcs after a barren run at the crease. The main beneficiary here has been Honeybourne with supplementary snapshots of both the village (Fancutts Garage) and the railway station; as for Dudley, it maintains the steady form it's been showing all year by supplying Fixed Wheel Brewery fragments and a sneaky sighting of Fountain Arcade. There's even a guest appearance from Santa at Gornal's Jolly Crispin!

September's tailenders are a tireless trio not averse to bludgeoning the occasional boundary. WME Birmingham takes something of a liking to the Highbury pub and Gosta Green whilst pausing to remember the short-lived Halton Turner Brewery under Digbeth's railway arches; WME Sandwell sprints a couple of quick singles involving the Fox & Goose at Greets Green and the Metro sign at Dudley Street (Guns Village), then the coup-de-grace is applied by WME Coventry with the Craven Street pairing of Guinness and M&B branding from the Hearsall Inn and neighbouring Coombe Abbey. Innings over until October...

An Early Autumn Assortment (2024)

Leaving aside last week's raid on my photographic back catalogue, the last you heard from me in an explorational sense was at the Tamworth Beer Festival so what else have I been up to in September? The 2024 County Championship cricket season is nearing its denouement (with Warwickshire inching away from peril almost despite themselves) and I've been on the prowl for even more animal artistry - time for a catch-up post?

- Play Underway at New Road -

It's fair to say that 2024 hasn't been a vintage year for the Bears with only one Championship win to their name all season. True they have accumulated a high proportion of draws but were nevertheless perched a little too close to the relegation trapdoor by the time the derby fixture at New Road rolled around. Stephen and I were there to see the second and third days play with Worcestershire definitely in the ascendancy, the home side boosted by Tom Taylor's career-best bowling figures of 6/28 in dismissing Warwickshire for a limp 128 all out.

- Blue Penguin -

Solace from such batting aberrations came in the form of more Waddle of Worcester penguins as I added to the initial haul I'd located with Mr D9 in August. This time around Stephen and I had the pleasure of meeting 'Little Blue Makes A Wish' in Cripplegate Park, followed by two riverside specimens along Bromwich Parade ('The Swan', so styled to support the Severn's swan sanctuary designation, and 'Doing the Worcester Wiggle' with an emphasis on tropical fish decoration). A particularly nice find awaited on the opposite bank where 'Blue Penguin' is based on picture book illustrations and celebrates the importance of friendship. 

- Chocolate Sponge -

Made to follow on, Warwickshire admittedly made a better fist of their second innings with Alex Davies (65) and an unbeaten century from ex-skipper Will Rhodes ensuring the match would finish up as a rain-affected draw. Worcestershire might think they were slightly robbed by the weather but the Bears had restored parity by the time the terminal precipitation arrived; one crucial treat that must not be overlooked was being able to sample cake from the Ladies Pavilion, a New Road tradition that has assumed legendary status. A generous slice of chocolate sponge was more than enough to keep me very satisfied!

- OHD appeals for LBW -

And so we move on to the final home game of the season, an Edgbaston clash against Essex which could hardly have gone much worse from a Bears batting perspective. 78 all out gave Warwickshire a mountain to climb, even though the bowlers did relatively well to restrict the visitors to 232 in reply. Oliver Hannon-Dalby has been a shining light leading the attack all season and claimed two early wickets, including the scalp of South African test match opener Dean Elgar. Craig Miles and Ed Barnard were also in on the wicket-taking action but a breezy 69 from Shane Snater would prove crucial in setting up an easy Essex innings victory.

- The Pub at Moseley -

Disappointed about such feeble scorecard impressions, we at least cheered ourselves up with talk of childhood television memories and by teasing Ken Peakman about his West Bromwich Albion allegiances. An evening investigating Moseley's fine hostelries also helped to lift our collective spirits, starting with The Pub at Moseley on the Alcester Road/St Mary's Row traffic lights; previously known as Bohemian (and The Junction before that), this is the sister venue to an emerging chain of similarly titled establishments in Bearwood and Kings Heath. A solid Belhaven Best at £2.90 a pint proved considerably cheaper than the prices being quoted for Carling inside Edgbaston Stadium, that's for sure!

- "One Rather Likes Jaipur" -

Elsewhere in Moseley, we checked out the craft credentials of the Dark Horse for the liquid Crunchie bar that is Blue Monkey's Cinder Toffee Stout - even Stephen was able to sniff out its pronounced honeycomb fragrance from several paces away. The evening was rounded off in style at our old friend the Prince of Wales, which showcased all of its community qualities by hosting writing group meetings and Irish music rehearsals. Whether Nick and Ken would be dab hands with a tin whistle remains to be seen but they did approve of their halves of Jaipur, a Thornbridge tipple that always goes down well where our own resident royal is concerned.

- Well Active Bear -

The fact Warwickshire contrived to lose to Essex in barely a day and a half meant that Mr B and I were at something of a loose end come Friday 20th September. I couldn't say whether Handsworth would normally be high on the list of potential Beardsmore destinations but the promise of a different kind of bear lured us along Nineveh Road and Grove Lane to reach Handsworth Park, a prime example of a Victorian public space which first opened in 1888. Features of note include a bandstand and boating lake but we were primarily interested in a couple of Big Sleuth sculptures which are on permanent display here, beginning with 'Well Active Bear' who depicts various exercising poses outside the local leisure centre. 

- Handsworth Cricket Club -

Our second sleuthing specimen guards the Community Garden near the Holly Road railings, with 'Sun Guardian' standing sentry over the flowerbeds in all his boldly-patterned glory. Both bears are part of the Handsworth Park Public Arts Trail which also comprises carved tree trunk seating, a 'Memory Chest' installation, and the Here & Now bench created specifically for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In between admiring these al fresco exhibits, we made sure to wander over to the Handsworth Cricket Club which boasts a breezeblock pavilion and some practice nets within the wider park grounds. Stephen assured me that despite his extensive umpiring experience, this was his first time visiting this particular cricketing location.

- Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah -

As if we hadn't seen enough already, Handsworth Park's artistic attractions extended to two excellent murals celebrating black culture. The first of these was a montage celebrating local reggae acts from Apache Indian and Pato Banton to Ranking Roger and Musical Youth, while the second was a moving tribute to people's poet Benjamin Zephaniah who sadly passed away in 2023. Adorning the Sons of Rest building, the latter contains a salient quote stating "the people of Handsworth want liberty but that must come through unity and that must come through harmony, through you and me, through I and you". 

- Bemused Beardsmore beside the Astle Gates -

Having marched poor Stephen across most of Handsworth Wood, our efforts are rewarded with a bacon and egg sandwich at the Wattville Cafe greasy spoon followed by a memorable pint at the Royal Oak, a Holyhead Road Desi bar and grill which does much to remember the late hip hop musician Sidhu Moose Wala. Against our better judgement, we concluded our ramble at The Hawthorns home of Wolves' fierce Black Country footballing rivals. A sighting of Tony Bomber Brown's statue was fair enough although Mr B seemed less sure about posing next to the Jeff Astle Gates (which incidentally immortalise Albion's 1968 FA Cup-winning goalscorer). It was deemed best for all concerned that we swiftly caught our tram in case either of us became too indoctrinated in the ways of blue and white stripes. Cheers!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives #35

There's always an element of sadness whenever I file one of my Lost Pubs postings, thinking about what might have been if a pub had been retained instead of getting consigned to the history books. Every bygone boozer must presumably be missed by somebody - even the rank dives - so let's see if any of these five stir the sorrows of someone's memory bank...

- The Victoria -

Our starter for ten this time around is the Victoria, a former Banks's tied house which could be found on Malt Mill Lane between Shell Corner and Coombeswood. I remember playing darts (very badly) here on one of the Hub Marketing trips in early 2014, and it would have closed down permanently not long after that. Marston's disposed of the building by selling it for residential conversion and it is now occupied by several flats. 

- The Waterloo -

Sticking with a Dudley remit, let's bustle over to Brierley Hill to remember the Waterloo which stood on the Mill Street/Venture Way traffic lights. I must admit I had a soft spot for this one as stepping inside was something of a timewarp experience, transporting you back to the 1980s if not earlier - even the Banks's signs outside hadn't changed in years. The building is still there, another one given over to residential use. 

- The Cross Guns -

The South Staffordshire village of Codsall Wood (not to be confused with its larger neighbour Codsall) was home to two good boozers but alas one of those has fallen by the wayside. The Cross Guns was a handsome Wood Road mainstay for many years and had a flat-topped side extension to augment its restaurant provision, but it sat on a sizeable patch of land which was prime real estate for building houses. The Crown - latterly known as the Pendrell Arms - has thus far survived further along the same street.

- The Crusader -

Birmingham used to be a real hunting ground for proper precinct pubs, the kind that always looked very dodgy regardless of their reputation. They're a dying breed nowadays sadly with a notable casualty being the Crusader which was based in one of the Auchinleck Square units at the Five Ways Shopping Centre off Islington Row. In this case the entire block has been overhauled as part of the Park Regis development. 

- The Red, White & Blue -

I'll finish off in Featherstone, a village which straddles the A460 midway between Cannock and Wolverhampton. Given the amount of rooftops in the vicinity, you'd think there would be more than enough demand to sustain a local pub but the Red, White & Blue has seemingly fallen on hard times of late. First opened in 1928, it has been up for sale for the past couple of years so there's a chance it could yet resurrect itself, although the overall condition of the building has been deteriorating after suffering fire damage a few months ago. I fear the worst!

Trunks and Tipples in Tamworth

Into early autumn we happily glide for the prospect of seeing yet more March of the Elephants members, this time as dovetailed with the tantalising tipples on offer at the Tamworth Beer Festival...

- Ski-Ellie -

Those hardy souls amongst you who read this drivel regularly will know that Tamworth was my remaining frontier in terms of collecting elephant sculptures this summer, so on Saturday 7th September Jane and I attempted to fill in the gaps. Alas the weather was of the persistently drizzly variety but this did not stop us from seeking out the SnowDome in order to meet 'Ski-Ellie', a sporty specimen complete with safety goggles, green helmet and skiing attire. 

- Rainbow Elephant -

Also temporarily part of the SnowDome furniture was 'Rainbow Elephant', although this one had to suffer the indignity of standing outside in the rain rather than enjoying Ski-Ellie's shelter by the main reception desk. Swirling ribbons add to the colourful effect here, and the wider SnowDome facilities seemed very popular in comprising indoor ski slopes, swimming pool, gymnasium, ice skating rink and some climbing walls. 

- Elvis -

I wasn't prepared to risk the embarrassment of putting my frightful lack of coordination on public display so we gave any skiing the slip by heading for the Tamworth Castle Grounds. Two more elephants awaited us here, namely 'Tamworth Pigs' (referencing the famous local porky breed) and 'Elvis', who had nothing whatsoever to do with the King of Rock & Roll but instead was a yellow floral design with gerbera daisies and Stay Positive mottoes.

- Brothwell -

The ongoing rain did not make for the best of photographic conditions so we called it quits upon finding 'Brothwell', an elephant named after the founder of St Giles's Hospice. Located outside St Editha's Church, the design in this case referenced charity shop happenings with words such as donate and volunteer clearly to the fore. I never quite managed to pin down every single sculpture but I've covered most of the herd over the last month so I've got to be pleased with that. It's certainly been a lot of fun...

- Sugar Spun Stout -

And talking of fun, we had a beer festival to get to! The revamped Assembly Rooms on Corporation Street had resumed hosting duties for Tamworth's ale and cider extravaganza so we made a beeline for the side entrance and obtained the necessary tokens and glassware. I'd anticipated that several of the beers would have sold out but there was still plenty of quality quaffage to be had on the Saturday lunchtime session, not least Sugar Spun Stout with its candyfloss aroma (Firebrick Brewery) or Green Duck's Cinderman (for hints of burnt toffee).

- The Winner Takes It All -

Jane meanwhile eagerly acquainted herself with the cider corner of the bar, testing out the Broadoak Rum & Raisin followed by Hecks Farmhouse Perry. Alas the 8% Pineapple Cider she'd most been looking forward to had already been drunk dry, but any disappointment was more than offset by the Wilkins Traditional. Tamworth often adopt special themes for their festivals and this year they'd gone with an ABBA anniversary celebrating 50 years since the Swedish supergroup won the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo'. 

- Cider Contemplation in the Kings Ditch -

Our festival visit had gone swimmingly so there was no need to send out an SOS, not with the chance to then try out two of Tamworth's finest establishments. The Kings Ditch micropub has an extensive cider menu so Jane was extremely happy there - we even got chatting to a chap from Chase Terrace who knew all there was to know about anything apple-related. A Star Trek glass from a previous festival was cheekily obtained too before we switched attentions to the Tamworth Tap, winner of CAMRA's National Pub of the Year accolade for both 2022 and 2023. The place was heaving with contented punters availing themselves of the stonking selection of cask ales, but for us a Squealer cider was the perfect finale. Cheers!

WME Flickr Focus - August 2024

If August's activities on the West Midlands Exploration photostream were equated to an episode of Sesame Street then the last few weeks have been brought to you by the letters D, E and F. Alas I haven't got Big Bird, Elmo or Bert and Ernie on standby to bring you the rundown, but let's Count von Count up the recent additions anyway...

Our favourite playmate of late has been WME Staffordshire which has had something to say for each of the letters in focus. This means D has daintily deposited more droppings from Doxey, notably Greensome Crescent and the village's welcome sign, whereas E expertly rustled up a commemorative wreath over at Enville War Memorial. Most of the thrust was however reserved for F, specifically the Potteries town of Fenton. A J Philpott & Sons timber merchants, the Bonaparte Restaurant, the Angel pub and Lordship Lane have all featured amongst the ensuring flurry of Fenton-ness!

If Staffordshire did a fair amount of F legwork, WME Wolverhampton has displayed a total F fixation. This is solely on account of Finchfield contributing its customary swathe of blossom captures, furnishing us with petal pictures from Cranford Road, Wootton Road, Woodland Crescent et al., all accompanied by side dishes of coppice daffodils and bluebells. A snowy supermarket scene showing the Lidl store on Oak Hill rounds off the set for the time being.

Elsewhere, WME Dudley dabbles with its own delivery of several D items, comprising Dudley College's Evolve branding, a truncheon-wielding police station carving and a Trinity Road street sign. The Dudley Fs are fashioned from Hurst Green correspondence with the Fairfield pub, hence a Marstons badge and a 1930s upstairs window. WME Birmingham by contrast gave the Es some emphasis courtesy of Edgbaston cricket happenings although I must pay due reference to a Digbeth street art tiger cub as one of the cuter examples of graffiti.

The remaining scraps were hoovered up between them by WME Sandwell (Dudley Port station orientation snippets), WME Coventry (building on July's resurgence with some Fargo Village scooter action), and finally WME Shropshire (where its hello to Evelith and its liking for painted pooch pebbles). All being well, our journey through the alphabet should continue into September so until then enjoy the photos. Won't you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street...