A Wollaston Afternoon

1877 must have been a very good year indeed for that's when two of my favourite things were founded - Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bathams Brewery. Both organisations would feature to some degree or other during this weekend wiggle around the Stourbridge suburb that is Wollaston...

- Corbett Hospital Gates -

It's Saturday 15th October 2022 and my quest is to track down some of Bathams' special 145th Anniversary Ale, a limited edition elixir that's been available at their tied houses while stocks last. A trip over Stourbridge way has been selected as it gives me a couple of chances to find the beer in question, hence I catch the 16 bus from Wolverhampton at 10am. Alighting just as I near the town centre, I commence photographic action with the blue and white gates outside the old Corbett Hospital, looking in better condition than the adjacent lodge building. The original hospital was operational from 1893 through to 2005 but has then largely been demolished, replaced with a smaller scale outpatients-only facility. 

- Kingsway, Wollaston Farm -

Linking onto the A491, I cross Coalbournbrook Bridge (on the Stourbridge Town Arm Canal) and join High Street Wollaston. Memories of the Barley Mow abound as I spot the Sainsburys store that now occupies the former pub before I venture into the Wollaston Farm estate. Rog first introduced me to the area back in 2004 and the flats along Kingsway don't seem to have changed much since we were riding the 293 circular bus around here; the 8 is the incumbent route these days. Several of the residential roads have county-themed names such as Dorset, Kent and Devon while amenities include a Nisa Local store, a fish bar and St James's Primary School, not forgetting the Wollaston Free Church on Somerset Drive. 

- The Unicorn -

Emerging into Wollaston Village by the Bridgnorth Road roundabout, there are several pub options in the vicinity such as the Kingsbridge micropub, the Princess (Craft Union) and the Gate Hangs Well. I however have only one place in mind, the undeniably excellent Unicorn which Bathams have owned since 1992. Recognised for having a heritage interior with inter-war elements, the layout comprises three main rooms and a lovely suntrap back garden. Alas the Anniversary Ale has already sold out here but I'm hardly going to complain about having a pint of Best Bitter to go with my lunchtime cob. The regulars are the stars of the show though, busy debating the recent merry-go-round of Chancellor appointments and extolling the merits of Jacob Rees Mogg - let's just say I don't share their enthusiasm on the latter point!

- New Inn, Cherry Street -

Some backstreet investigating via Studley Gate, South Road and The Broadway means I spot the Alderman Tye Scout HQ and some shops on the Whittington Road turning. Gigmill Primary School earns itself a picture or two while the New Inn on Cherry Street is a pub I haven't been in for absolutely ages. Some Wye Valley HPA in the smartly-furnished lounge is a nice way to pass an hour or so as the gourmet burger van parked on the side yard tries its best to tempt me with maple-fired meat feasts. Over the road, Gigmill Methodist Church boosts my photo count with hints of 1930s architectural style across the main chapel and associated hall. 

- Mission Accomplished! -

My second shout at obtaining the elusive brew comes at the Royal Exchange on Enville Street and this time my luck is well and truly in. At 9.3% abv the Anniversary Ale is wisely only sold in half pint measures; deep chestnut in colour, it is loaded with the resinous characteristics you'd expect from a barley wine - seriously good stuff! Delighted to be tasting a little piece of local brewing history, my mood is further buoyed by news that Wolves are beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at Molineux. It's therefore a very happy Mr WME who makes Stourbridge's Hop Vault bar his final calling point for a quality glass of Kinver Green Gold in amongst shelves upon shelves of craft offerings - the artwork on some of the cans is a thing of wonder. Cheers!

D9 does... the Black Country Living Museum

I know the pandemic may have warped my sense of time a little, but I can barely believe it's been over six years since I last visited the Black Country Living Museum. I made extensive use of my annual 'Unchained' pass between 2015 and 2016 but after that the heritage attraction had fallen off my exploration radar - that is until the Hub Marketing Board decided to update ourselves as regards the 'Forging Ahead' project...

- West Bromwich Corporation Bus -

Major changes are afoot at the Museum whereby 'Forging Ahead' will see the installation of another 22 historic buildings and structures on-site, including the former Woodside Library and Stanton's Music Shop. One of the flagship additions has recently opened - more of which later - so Mr D9 and I have earmarked Friday 7th October 2022 as our day for seeing what's been happening. My journey across through Dudley enables me to witness Midland Metro works digging up most of Castle Hill before I check out the Museum's new visitor entrance by the Bradburn & Wedge Garage. The Chairman is on his way but I get started with a few initial pictures, concentrating on the vintage GEA 174 ex-West Brom Corporation Daimler bus. 

- Tinkling the ivories in the Bottle & Glass -

Standard adult admission is £19.95 which is good value considering it covers you for the next twelve months, and I certainly intend to make full use of my ticket. Anyway, Mr D9 does arrive and is escorted by Terry, an old driving colleague who volunteers on vehicle maintenance. We wander down into the main village, passing a construction area where the steel houses are being relocated. Cradley Heath's Workers Institute bears testament to Mary MacArthur and the women chainmakers' strike of 1910, then at the far end of Canal Street we pop into the Bottle & Glass Inn, a boozer that used to be based in Brockmoor. Armed with pints of Bostin' Mild, we position ourselves in the refined parlour quarters which were once the preserve of mine owners and nobility, prompting the Chairman to practice his piano-playing technique.

- Purveyor of Wretchedness and Misery? -

Resisting the urge to sing 'Show Me The Way To Go Home' upon exiting the pub - we're far too sober for that! - we check out the Castle Fields Boat Dock where working narrowboats such as President are moored. Anchor Forge and the Rolling Mill recall industrial practices and we narrowly avoid getting admonished by the Gospel Car, although the Chairman is accused of spreading wretchedness and immorality - all in a day's work he says! Veal's Bakery is busy producing edible treats before we inspect the back-to-back cottages, discovering outhouse bathtubs and vegetable patches. There's certainly a lot to see!

- The Elephant & Castle -

Our principal target has to be the Elephant & Castle, an iconic Wolverhampton watering hole that has been lovingly recreated to considerable acclaim and is the inspiration for our visit. The original pub stood on the junction of Stafford Street and Cannock Road for many years and was well-known for its elephant figurine and tiled frontage, prior to being shamefully demolished in 2001. The new version is an absolute masterpiece, set in the 1950s with admirable attention to detail. Downstairs is the Vaults main bar and a Smoke Room while upstairs you have the Dining suite and Club Room. Bottles of Mann's Brown Ale add to the sense of nostalgia as we tour the interior and dry out from a sharp shower. 

- Rivalling Mr B in the Chip Pose Takes -

We thoroughly enjoyed our Elephant & Castle pit-stop but if anything the rain is only getting heavier, and Mr D9 has neglected to bring a coat with him. One positive aspect of the foul weather is that there isn't a queue at Hobbs & Sons fish and chip shop, meaning we can get served straight away and indulge in bags of gorgeous potato goodness, fried in beef dripping and liberally sprinkled with batter bits. The shop used to be located at 41-42 Hall Street in Dudley town centre and is always one of the Museum's most popular exhibits. Ultimately the downpour defeats us and we decide to move on, catching the 74 Daimler bus back up to the entrance but I doubt it'll be too long before we next grace the museum grounds. 

- Coseley, New Inn -

Splashing our way into Dudley town centre, we seek shelter in the Fellows just below the zoo and castle. This was for some years a Holden's boozer but is now separately owned, though it still stocks Golden Glow as a regular ale. A shiny suit of armour adds novelty value alongside framed portraits of stags and tigers in military attire, plus there's an almost Napoleonic panda. Brightening skies convince us to proceed to Coseley where our first port of call is Secretary WME's perennial favourite the New Inn, tucked away just off the Birmingham New Road. Black Country Bitter goes down well here while we listen to poultry-related silly songs, Ray Steven's clucking 'In the Mood' being paired with Leroy Troy's 'Ghost Chickens in the Sky'.

- Coseley, Apple Tree -

Our Coseley conclusion involves three other esteemed establishments in and around the Roseville vicinity. The Apple Tree is a Marston's offering in a dip below the main roundabout; Banks's Amber shall suffice as we admire stencils of local landmarks. Next is the Royal on Castle Street, packed out with a whole ensemble of characters including old boys keenly watching the racing channel. Last but not least is the Old Chainyard opposite Coseley's branch library, another lively haunt with a nice collection of gnomes in its back garden. Oakham Citra is a quality tipple on which to end matters, cheers to a great day out!

WME Flickr Focus - September 2022

I try not to overload you with statistical stuff during these monthly photostream summaries but I do note that there is one big number drawing ever closer on the WME horizon. My overall published photo tally currently stands at 5,952 so it should only be a matter of time before I reach the 6,000 picture milestone. Let's see which September arrivals inched me that little bit nearer...

There have been two clear front-runners in terms of recent additions, one perhaps surprising while the other simply maintains its usual rate of output. The less-expected contributor is WME Sandwell which racks up a healthy dozen fresh items focused around West Bromwich and Wednesbury. Going against the grain of my sporting allegiances, I've included a snapshot or two of railings and turnstiles from The Hawthorns, a stadium that always induces something of a shudder! The Hargate Arms and the Lewisham Hotel (a.k.a. Desi Junction or whatever it now calls itself) provide some pub content, matched in the Wednesbury contingent by references to the Old Blue Ball and the Rosehill Tavern.

No prizes for guessing that our other September heavyweight is WME Wolverhampton where again there is something of a 'W' theme at work, what with Warstones, Wightwick and Wergs all vying for attention. Warstones supplies East Green and yet another look at the local branch library; Wergs busies itself with Keepers Lane and the Crown pub; and Wightwick lands more lock pictures from the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. Nor must I forget further Ws in the form of Wednesfield (the Vine's car park sign) and West Park (the Rhema Church and an extra glimpse of the glasshouse).

Apart from that I haven't actually got much else to tell you. WME Warwickshire collected more Warwick Castle artefacts, most notably piano poses and a pair of impressive towers, before WME Birmingham lamented the loss of Weoley Castle's former Raven public house. Wheaton Aston's Hartley Arms makes a second showing on WME Staffordshire, leaving Much Wenlock to bring up the WME Shropshire rear with some abbey arrows - and that's your lot! There's a decent chance that October will get me to my magical 6,000 milestone so fingers crossed for plentiful updates... 

Bears On Tour: Bristol

It's been a difficult time lately for two of my favourite sports teams. Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a slow start to the 2022/23 Premier League season and have seemingly forgotten how to score goals, while Warwickshire have only won one County Championship cricket match all season and are at risk of relegation. This means that their penultimate game - against bottom-of-the-table Gloucestershire - takes on added significance as the Beardsmores and I brace ourselves for Bristol...

- Royal West of England Academy -

Monday 19th September will go down in history as the day of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, hence the morning for me is spent watching proceedings unfold on television as the main memorial service is held in Westminster Abbey and a gun-carriage procession takes place through the streets of central London. Lunchtime sees me join John and Stephen for the journey to the West Country with the Beardsmobile powering along the M5 and M32 motorways. We check-in at our hotel in Clifton before getting some bearings just outside of Bristol City Centre. There seem to be students and scooters everywhere as we familiarise ourselves with initial landmarks such as the RWA gallery and the Wills Memorial Tower.

-  Chuckling away in the Christmas Steps -

Having confirmed the bus stop location for getting to the cricket ground, we seek refreshment from a couple of notable public houses. The Christmas Steps can be found at the bottom of a narrow steep stone staircase that features several listed buildings, and Mr B Senior's reward for successfully tackling the descent is a nice pint of Arbor in a dimpled glass. Marginally less exertion is required to get us to the Highbury Vaults, a Young's hostelry on St Michael's Hill. Here we discuss the momentous events of the day and admire a variety of curios that include a vintage clocking-in machine and a Thomas the Tank Engine-inspired train set display. 

- Private Gromit -

Tuesday 20th September sees the match commence at the Seat Unique county ground near Bishopston. Despite yesterday's reconnaissance the 72 bus fails to show but we do get to meet 'Private Gromit' outside Bristol Children's Hospital so all is forgiven. Warwickshire have won the toss and elected to bat by the time we take our seats in the Mark Alleyne Stand; the Bears get off to an unspectacular start, Dom Sibley holding firm but wickets are nevertheless falling with some regularity. At 138/6 Stephen is very concerned so we're relieved that Danny Briggs contributes an enterprising 65 and keeps Sibley company for thirty(ish) overs.

- A Sightscreen Snapshot -

255/8 at the close is an improvement of sorts, the standout performers being Sibley (unbeaten on 105*) and home bowler Zafar Gohar with four of the wickets thus far. Our collective mood is further lifted by the presence of an ice cream van - I'm still scarred by a certain Chester-le-Street experience when Mr Whippy disappeared on us - and some interesting artwork, most notably a Legends Walkway that features the likes of Courtney Walsh, Jack Russell and Tom Graveney. The Ashley Fish Bar rates highly for a takeaway treat and my pub of the day award goes to the Drapers Arms, a microbar on the main A38 in Horfield - they even sponsor Glos skipper Graeme van Buuren. Dawkins' Bristol Best is a top pint here as they prepare for a charity quiz night plus there's even the bonus of a free finger buffet, very good!

- OHD prepares to bowl -

Resuming our vigil on Wednesday morning, the immediate question is how many more runs can the Bears yet add? Not many is the answer as we're dismissed for 274, obdurate opener Sibley having carried his bat for a creditable 120* whilst Zafar finished with 5/64. The pitch is clearly taking spin so we hope Briggs and Yadav will be equally as effective once the hosts' innings gets underway. The Warwickshire attack makes promising inroads and at one stage the score is 95 for 5 only for van Buuren (32), Jack Taylor (a big-hitting 71) and Zafar (55) to mount some middle order resistance. 255 all out leaves things very finely balanced, and Yadav indeed was the pick of our bowlers with a haul of 5/90.

- What's another batting crisis? -

The third innings can often be crucial in close contests so we're hoping Warwickshire can take the game by the scruff of the neck. Sadly the exact opposite happens, and one mad hour later the scoreboard resembles a horror scene of single digit dismissals. Tom Price was the chief destroyer as a collapse to 36/5 threatens to have Stephen crying into his 10 ounce gammon tea. Solace is sought at the Sportsman, a Nevil Road suburban boozer that boasts a multitude of pool tables and is popular with Bristol Rovers supporters as well as cricket fans. Mr B Jnr has then recovered his composure by the time we round off the evening at Quinton House on Park Place with its lovely chiselled frontage promoting Georges & Co's Old Mild and Bitter Beers. Can we stage a remarkable fightback tomorrow?

- White Ladies Picture House -

Day three of the allotted four dawns but we rather suspect the game won't be troubling the maximum permitted duration, although I do maintain my daily ritual of getting snaps of White Ladies Picture House before we head off to the ground. From 58/5 Warwickshire manage to inch themselves to 128 all out, mainly thanks to the efforts of Alex Davies (60) and a quick cameo from Henry Brookes. Price took a career-best 8 for 27 - we doubt he'll ever get better figures than those - leaving Gloucestershire chasing 148 for victory. They get off to a rocky start as Hannon-Dalby strikes twice but captain van Buuren and opener Chris Dent get the job done, even allowing for a nervy clatter with the finishing line in sight. Defeat by three wickets means Warwickshire are now staring relegation in the face unless they stage a miraculous escape in the last week of the season - that looks very unlikely but you never know!

- Channing's Chums -

Disappointed but still pleased to have seen a tight encounter, we spend our last Bristolian evening holding court in Kingsdown. Mr B Senior has been suffering from step fatigue all week but stoically copes with another hill-laden climb so as to visit the Kingsdown Vaults, earning a Guinness in the process. Things are far less arduous for getting to the Green Man - it's only around the corner - where we enjoy more drops of Dawkins' finest ales accompanied by a 1986 He-Man annual and twinkling tealights. Perhaps we dropped lucky with the districts of Bristol we visited but it has been very noticeable how vibrant each pub has seemed, helped no doubt by the student population really supporting the traditional wet-led establishments. Channing's ultimately brings the curtain down within range of Clifton Cathedral. 

- Victoria Warehouse -

The early conclusion at the cricket gives us a free day at our disposal so we decide to break the homeward slog by stopping off at Gloucester. The Beardsmobile is duly directed to the city's famous Docks, a historic waterfront area totally transformed from neglected industrial land into an iconic leisure and retail destination. Plotting our way around the basins, we marvel at the numerous restored warehouses with names such as Herbert, Reynolds and Llanthony. A Mariner's Chapel is a prime photographic target and there's a broad lock that connects the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal with the River Severn. 

- College Street to Cathedral -

Heading along Southgate Street into Gloucester's main centre, we're beguiled by St Michael's Tower, Robert Raikes's House and the ornate shopfront of G.A. Baker & Sons Jewellers with its wonderful Old Father Time clock contraption. The traditional glazed facade of the Imperial Inn also makes an impression albeit the pub doesn't have any Draught Bass available so a pint of Robinson's Trooper has to suffice. The pinnacle of our visit however has to be a look inside Gloucester Cathedral, burial place of the Plantagenet King Edward II. We pause by his tomb as well as inspecting the Treasury (a fine collection of parish silverware) and performing a full circuit of the magnificent fan-vaulted cloisters, a sight truly to be seen! The Friday afternoon motorways back to the West Midlands aren't too congested and another tour of cricket-watching duty is complete - cheers!