Station Surveillance with Towpath Turpin

Artemis II might have cast glances upon the far side of the moon but if you want edgy exploration what you really need is hardcore Black Country business with our resident royal. News that two local railway stations have reopened after a 60 year gap impelled us to take to the tracks...

These are exciting times for West Midlands transport developments. The Camp Hill Line has been reinstated for passenger services after an 80 year hiatus (we hope to report on Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road happenings in due course) while the Midland Metro tram network is being expanded in both Birmingham and Dudley. This particular trip is however dedicated to another key achievement in that two Walsall area stations are fully operational again. Darlaston and Willenhall lost their provision under the Beeching Cuts in 1965 and so finally in 2026 their rightful spots on the railway system have been resurrected.

- Darlaston Station -

Both of these new Black Country halts are currently being covered by an hourly frequency on the Shrewsbury to Birmingham via Tame Bridge Parkway service (admitting that at this stage there isn't a direct link into Walsall itself). Nick and I board the 10:55 Wolverhampton departure for an 11 minute journey into Darlaston, noting Heath Town, Deans Road and the Noose Lane level crossing along the way. Alighting on time at 11:06, we're immediately impressed by the scale of the facilities that have been built; Darlaston Station is a substantial affair above and beyond the basic halt we might have expected. Two platforms can each handle four carriage sets and a fully accessible liftshaft-cum-footbridge has been installed, plus there is ample car parking. Principal access is via Cemetery Road (off Bentley Mill Way) with a pedestrian gap onto Kendrick Road should you need it. 

- Steelworks Clues -

It is worth stating that the station is positioned at James Bridge, very close to the location of the original Victorian-era halt which functioned from 1837 to 1965. This does mean it is a fair distance from the town centre so a bus ride or a good walk might be required. Nick and I have beer matters in mind as usual, meaning our target is the Chestnut Tree on Axletree Way, part of the Junction 9 retail park complex beside the M6 motorway in Wednesbury. Much of the land hereabouts used to be part of the FH Lloyd steel foundry, the company being a major employer until succumbing to rationalisation of the industry in the 1980s. Two ornamental gates offer a nod to the past while the pub is nothing to write home about, a corporate Marstons carvery affair with a penchant for serving extra crispy roast potatoes.

- Charles Richards Imperial Works -

I have higher hopes for our second port of call although getting there involves seeing more of Darlaston's industrial underbelly. Given that HRH is used to the refined airs of Warwickshire these days, derelict factories and backstreet lock-ups can come as a culture shock with Heath Road entirely lacking in any kind of glamour. That's not to say there aren't items of interest here, most prominently the Imperial Works where Charles Richards & Sons were nut and bolt manufacturers of some renown. The firm was another casualty of the 1980s I'm afraid since when the factory has effectively lain empty, its ominous frontage still dominating this portion of Darlaston Green complete with some rather fine lettering. 

- A Crusty Cob -

 To The Crescent we next trot for the Robin Hood, easily our favourite pub of the day and my 11th stamp towards the 2026 Black Country Ales trail. An archery session is underway on an adjacent field so Nick wonders whether the participants improve their aim once they've had a pint or two - if it's anything like my darts, a calming ale could be a very good thing! Speaking of which, my Mallinsons Taiheke is a rather nice 3.8%er accompanied by a tiger bap cheese and onion cob - I like the burnt crusty cheesy pieces on top of the roll. A minibus tour sweeps in just after us and commandeers the inkpad so I have to slink back afterwards and hope the barmaid remembers my face - thankfully she does and my passport is duly decorated.

- James Bridge Aqueduct -

I've promised Nick a waterways segment so that he can reprise his role as Towpath Turpin, although if he's expecting improving vistas he'll be sorely disappointed. We cover a Walsall Canal segment from Bughole Bridge to James Bridge Aqueduct, passing under ramshackle works bridges that have been declared unsafe to deter would-be climbers. COVID microbe art is still detectable in places before I explain the significance of Forster Bridge as the gateway to the Anson Branch (which sadly looks that little bit more overgrown every time I see it). Both of us approve of the aqueduct's venerable heritage, carrying the canal over road and river, in this case the Tame. The best view is from Bentley Mill Way for a full appreciation of its twin arches and a Roman numeral date inscription for the year 1797. 

- A Willenhall Station Welcome -

Skipping back past James Bridge Cemetery and its pretty cherry blossoms, we linger again at Darlaston Station awaiting the 14:46 train. Willenhall is merely three minutes away so it isn't even worth sitting down, and we can soon survey our second new transport tick of the day. I must say this facility is a delight to visit, what with lock artwork giving it an additional edge aesthetically; Ideas, Growth and Innovation wording promotes positivity with lightbulb motifs very noticeable. Passengers have a choice of steps or a zigzag ramp onto Bilston Street, and again there are substantial liftshafts. Nick meanwhile is very excited by a British Railways-era running in board which might have been salvaged from the original station many moons ago; even if it is a faithful reproduction it certainly looks the part!

- Grinning in Gilbert's -

Willenhall's pub prospects have taken quite a battering in recent years with its Wetherspoons (The Malthouse) shutting and that real ale stalwart the Falcon also falling by the wayside. I'll therefore need to be creative to find us some interesting watering holes, beginning with the wildest of wildcards known as Gilbert's. Positioned on Field Street, it presumably must have been a members club of some description but is nowadays open to all and seems a friendly place. Dartboards are very much part of the attraction - they have at least four - and ITV's Grand National coverage from Aintree has many of the regulars transfixed. We partake of Weston's Vintage Cider and sit by the trophy shelf admiring movie star illustrations and motorbike diagrams. I sense Mr D9 would absolutely love it here...

- Who Wears The Crown? -

Elsewhere in Willenhall are a trio of previous Paul haunts each earning another airing. The Three Crowns is very much in horse racing mode, packed out with punters who aren't shy of having a flutter on the geegees. So full is it inside that we take our respective glasses of New Zealand Pale and Ossett White Rat out onto the rear patio, listening in as 'I Am Maximus' wins the famous old steeplechase. I should mention that the ale here is top drawer as befits entry in the 2026 Good Beer Guide. A trio of regal headpieces is not enough for our Nick so a separate call into the Crown on Cheapside tops up the coronet contingent, albeit much of the apparent draught offer is out of stock. We settle for Guinness and Marstons Smooth for the sake of admiring an unspoiled interior (the less said about the throwback outhouse gents loos the better), and the final say goes to a very busy Royal George for Golden Glow and Backyard Blonde overlooking the 529 bus stop. HRH's carriage home then awaits (a.k.a. the 18:03 to Birmingham New Street), and those two railway arrivals can consider themselves christened!

Willenhall (Twice Weekly)

Strange how things turn out sometimes - you don't visit a place for ages, then suddenly you pitch up there twice within a matter of days. Willenhall has long been categorised under the heading of WME favourite locations, dating right back to childhood Saturday market visits or Geography coursework trips to the Rough Wood nature reserve, so it'll be good to catch up with the town and its pubs once more...

- A Carling Call in the Three Tuns -

My Willenhall reacquaintance quest begins on Tuesday 16th July in the company of Mr D9 Esquire as we stage another of our Hub Marketing evening extras. The Chairman is already waiting for me in the Three Tuns by the time I've caught the 529 over from Wolverhampton; the pub seems improved from when we last saw it (admittedly over ten years ago) although the external cladding remains the kind only Jack and Vera Duckworth could love. A Carling each is suitable refreshment on a warm day when it almost feels like it could be summer!

- Shepwell's Awaits -

Mr D9's insistence on a Willenhall workout was largely inspired by his curiosity to see what had become of the former Shepwell Green Social Club, which used to be a fading flat roofer with a vintage Carling Black Label flag sign. It's recently been subject to a major overhaul and now calls itself Shepwell's, complete with a pronounced liking for the colour orange. Internally it feels like a vast space with raised seating areas and a large performance stage, and there's plenty of room for playing pool or darts should that be your thing. We merely account for more Carling whilst sitting beneath a multitude of European football banners attached to the ceiling.

- Surveying Yale with the Bald Spot -

As ever with a Hub Marketing trip, there are silly songs to share and they don't come much sillier than a Goons-related double header. The 'Ying Tong Song' is an all-time classic (iddle-i-po, iddle-i-po) whereas Spike Milligan's rendition of 'Remember You're A Womble' is a lesser known oddity credited to Eccles and Bluebottle. The daft ditties soften the blow of seeing the ex-Yale Social Club site gradually decaying before our very eyes, but at least the bald spot's sorrow can be mitigated by rapid halves in both the County and the Ring o' Bells, the latter threatening to take Dive of the Day honours with its salt of the earth allure.

- D9 drives the 25 to Bilston -

The Crown is a traditional Banks's house that's very much to our liking (albeit with Marston's Smooth and 1987 MTV tunes in the absence of cask ale), and the Royal George is a lively haunt showing both horse racing and the England Women's football match. The Chairman's app tracking prowess comes in useful for intercepting the 25 into Bilston where we can finish off in the none-too-salubrious surroundings of the Horse & Jockey on Church St. Secretary WME always feels nervous about sampling this one but cheap Carling does earn him a devious discount to offset lurid tales of the Stowlawn Gobbler from D9's youth. Cheers!

- The Robin Hood -

After Tuesday evening's whistlestop wander, a Friday 19th foray with the Chip Foundation is altogether much more sedate. We're meeting up to mark what would have been Mr B Senior's 81st birthday (the day itself fell on Monday 15th July), so the 529 is again pressed into action. Our first port of call on this occasion is the Robin Hood as positioned on The Crescent on the way towards Darlaston. This Black Country Ales offering has been crowned Walsall CAMRA's 2024 Pub of the Year and proves a delightful setting in which to discuss Gunpowder Plot tomes and the apparent rise of Artificial Intelligence technology. The Curious Case of Mr Spock and the Exploding Sticky Toffee Pudding makes for a surreal start to the trip.

- Expired Hardware -

Via Birmingham Street and Doctor's Piece we gradually weave our way into Willenhall Town Centre, pausing on Lower Lichfield Street to recall Roy Birch's DIY and Hardware shop which has been empty since the long-serving proprietor retired. A large Morrisons store is certainly very popular but it is noticeable how the once-thriving street market has dwindled down to a handful of hardy stalls trying to keep tradition alive. A key component of remembering Mr B Senior involves us posing outside the former Willenhall Central School at the top of Stafford Street; John would have been a pupil here back in the 1950s although the premises is now used by Wedge Group Galvanizing Limited as some kind of training academy.

- The Royal George -

JB would have been no stranger to Willenhall's watering holes over the years so it is likely he would have frequented the Three Crowns at some point; we rather liked it as a no nonsense local boozer serving decent cask ale, in my case a solid pint of Pennine's Heartland deep amber. It helps of course that we can watch some of the Trent Bridge test match from the rudimentary comfort of the beer garden, albeit with England struggling to take wickets. The long-term closures of the Falcon (a much missed favourite of ours) and the Malthouse (which used to be Willenhall's Wetherspoons) mean a rapid revisit to the Royal George where I'm sure some of the faces from Tuesday evening are still resident - did they even go home?

- Grinning in the Grapes -

Two more boozers with firm Beardsmore family links will ensure we've paid a suitable homage to our elder statesman, although we can't include the Castle because that too is shut and very much looking like it might have pulled its last pint. A 529 short hop conveys us to Portobello, the area where John spent his formative years after first moving up from Truro. The Grapes on Moseley Road is a typically sizeable suburban roadhouse situated directly opposite the fishing pool of the same name - I'd hesitate to call it a beauty spot even if you do have Stowlawn flats on the horizon! We take occupancy of the bay window in the games area to ponder word puzzles, discuss coach holidays and hope England conjure up more West Indies scalps.

- Something Smooth to remember John by -

Last but not least is the Merry Boys on the corner of Deans Road and the A454 Willenhall Road, a hostelry where John used to regularly meet up with his brothers over drinks and a game of dominoes. It feels highly fitting for me to sample the Marston's Smooth in his honour whilst we consider the various cheeky canine portraits - pugs in sunglasses anyone? Stephen has been wearing his dad's Warwickshire cap as his own personal tribute, and although said headpiece doesn't attempt to drain our halves by a process of osmosis, we're pretty sure John is with us in spirit. Willenhall Twice Weekly = Mission Accomplished!