Perton and Pattingham with Mr D9

Here's a strange little puzzle for you: Mr D9 and Secretary WME have been at this Hub Marketing lark for nearly 15 years now, covering all manner of places around the West Midlands and beyond yet not once had we visited Perton or Pattingham. Somehow this little corner of South Staffordshire had evaded the Board's inspections until one gusty Monday evening at the tail end of 2025...

- Perton is Primed -

The Secretary is no stranger to Perton of course, having taken photos of the still-expanding estate several times over the years; in fact, following a recent house move, Mr WME should be getting to know the area even better in future. That said, it is worth repeating that Perton occupies the site of a former RAF airfield initially set up during the First World War and then re-established with three runways between 1940/41 and 1946. Housing took over from the 1970s onwards and current developments such as that underway at Wrottesley Village mean the local population is set to grow further. Anders Square is at the heart of things with the Civic Centre, the Church at Perton, a Sainsbury's store and other shopping provision based here.

- Oxford Gold in the Wrottesley Arms -

This is a Hub Marketing summary and this means there must be pubs. The Wrottesley Arms takes on the role of our rendezvous location, Mr D9 eagerly getting himself into position circa 4pm ready to be joined by the Secretary once he's finished his shift. Brakspear Oxford Gold is a satisfactory start to drinking dispatches although it's the £2.70 Happy Hour price that really has the Chairman grinning. The bar room is a lively place with groups of chaps watching a replay of Leeds v Aston Villa on the Sky Sports screens while other folks play pool. A huge inflatable Christmas tree is another standout feature while Mr WME approves of the framed promotional covers of hockey club publications.

- Shropshire Sun in the Ale Hub -

After giving the Wrott a big thumbs up we decamp next door where a micropub can be found as part of the Anders Square precinct. Any establishment called the Ale Hub definitely requires our attention and this does not disappoint, proving a relaxing setting for a refreshing pint of Hobson's Shropshire Sun whilst sat on chunky Chesterfield-styled sofas. The Chairman gets himself a new canine chum when stroking the Staffie loitering by the bar, the scent of his own chihuahuas likely causing the surge of interest. We can't stay long because we've got a bus to catch, so we scramble over by Sainsbury's to intercept the 10A beside the petrol garage.

- Totem at Twilight? -

It takes little over ten minutes to reach Pattingham, although negotiating the dark lanes of Nurton and Great Moor isn't much fun in the dark. An attractive and affluent village based around St Chad's Church, Pattingham has had its fair share of previous blog entries although always during daylight hours whenever Mr WME has dropped by before. The bus terminates outside a small run of shops just shy of the Pigot Arms, and by the Chairman's calculations we've got roughly half an hour to do two pubs plus gather any required photographic content. The totem by the village hall is duly snaffled, as is Patshull Road and a Burnhill Green sign.

- The Pigot Arms -

A brace of boozers at rapid pace - no problem! We dash straight into the Crown, tucked away on High Street just down from St Chad's lych gate and my is it busy! Standing room only on a Monday night is impressive going for a pub out in the sticks, but the quality of the ale is a clue as to why it might be so popular - the Plum Porter is outstanding. We seek brief refuge in the back room near the dartboard, noting neat mining lamps as added wall decor, then switch to the Pigot Arms for Timothy Taylor's Landlord and a bus-watching brief from the front window. It's quieter in here, but by no means dead, and the beer is perfectly acceptable too so we can easily envisage paying Pattingham a longer visit in the not-too-distant future.

- Would you let this man loose near your bus shelter? -

Our haste has been necessitated by not wanting to be stranded without a return bus, albeit Mr D9 gets very nervous standing by an oak shelter that was the subject of complaints when a timetable case was erected! Our desired 10A doesn't let us down and the ride is enlivened by two Ronnie Corbett silly songs ('Fanny' and 'Big Man'), not to mention a hedgerow-dodging steering demonstration from the Chairman. Progress has been such that we've enough time for a Pear & Partridge nightcap back in Perton, sampling more Plum Porter as well as Wye Valley Butty Bach; again this proves encouragingly busy with 1970s Wolves programmes providing some of the Molineux-themed decoration. Cheers!