Feeling Bullish with the Chip Foundation

The second stage of my 'Bulls in the City' summertime campaign is a statuesque contribution in the company of Messrs May, Walker and Beardsmore. Here comes Episode 88 of the Chip Foundation Chronicles...

- Mr B with Birmingham Explorer -

The usual evening instructions apply for us to meet beneath Ozzy's gruff Grand Central gaze, hence we all assemble just before 5pm. The cattle crawl can commence immediately thanks to ‘Birmingham Explorer’ as sited on the shopping centre's mezzanine level. Up and down the escalators we go in order to inspect a Philippa and Rachael Corcutt design complete with sunshine head and pale blue body. Smaller details include a bus stop, a playtime scene and a girl in a yellow mac laden with shopping bags, while the familiar locations depicted cover Kings Heath Market, the Bull Ring and Birmingham’s Museum & Art Gallery. 

- JC Beef -

Across the New Street concourse past the station's own Wetherspoons we go, descending the Southside Steps to reveal ‘JC Beef' as a bright yellow excavator-esque bull. This is an imaginative take on the iconic JCB digger featuring orange warning indicator horns plus all kinds of mechanical coils, springs and pistons. Over the road, the former Crown pub has become an impromptu Black Sabbath shrine with the faces of band members emblazoned over the window panels, then we proceed via Hurst Street to meet 'Bull in a China Shop' with its oriental red, yellow and blue patternings in the sunken Arcadian courtyard. The first drinks stop of the day is our old friend the Craven Arms, sampling cider, coke or Cappuccino Stout amidst green leather seating with mirrored backdrops - I always love its vintage Holder's tiles.

- Deliverabull -

Two bulls are to be found somewhere in the vicinity of the Mailbox. ‘Deliverabull’ is a playful postal inspired Royal Mail tribute - think River Rea maps, envelopes, stamps and a postman's cap. We then head down the Inhale Exhale AstroTurf steps to reach ‘Bill Bull Barge’ which carries the feel of old-fashioned narrowboat paintwork on the little pontoon outside the malls. Displaying a nominal barge name of Sweet William plus a neat chocolate box rendition of Dudley Castle, his body is mostly green with a blackened hull and the quintessential floral effects you can see daily out on the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

- Pravha in the Gas Street Social -

 Thoughts now turn to our second watering hole of the evening so I suggest taking a trendy punt on a bar that’s part of the wider Mailbox complex. First impressions are that the Gas Street Social seems very refined but we’re okay to come in just for drinks, in which case make mine a half of Pravha. Nick follows suit and soon declares himself surprisingly partial to this Czech keg Pilsner, although we do note Guinness and Aspalls are on tap dispense from the back wall. Sitting on swivelly high chairs near a curtained-off restaurant section, I supply Ken with my footballing predictions for the fates of the various West Midlands teams during the upcoming season; let's just say I'm not optimistic about Wolves's chances but I reluctantly resist the urge to tip West Bromwich Albion for relegation!

- Canalside Bar -

Two more Gas Street establishments await, starting with the Tap & Spile as a basin mainstay with much to admire. We’ve done this once before, back in 2012 when the narrow depth of the building stood out, but it retains its waterside appeal and general sense of towpath charm. Of the cask contingent, Holden’s Special drinks well (and needs to at £5.50 a pint!) aided by a nourishing cheese and onion cob. Following that, we pitch into the Canalside Cafe when a blackboard mention of real ales provides all the inducement Nick and I require. They don't have many - Proper Job versus Davenports XPA - so we go with the latter as poured (I think) straight from the barrel. Like with the Tap & Spile, we’re in a thin slither of an interior with only just enough space for a hotchpotch of seating while lightbulbs of different colours sparkle in the window. The original waterways cottages were never very big so they cram in what they can here, and the fact it functions as a cafe as much as a bar is apparent from the All Day Breakfast menus. We'd do this one again, maybe in conjunction with the Botanist and the Waterside Tap, a newly-purchased Joules concern which doesn't open on Mondays.

- Bulls-Eye of the Tiger -

Drinking done, we haven't finished with our bullish brief quite yet. Via Black Sabbath Bridge and Brindley Place we gravitate towards Centenary Square to meet a tiger themed bull by the International Convention Centre. ‘Bulls-Eye of the Tiger’ has the classic black and orange stripes and fearsome glare you might expect of a powerful cat, allied to the bulls muscular frame for a very striking, instantly recognisable creation. Darkness is descending and our resident royal is mindful of train connections, so we'll squeeze in one more sculpture...

- Moo-seley -

Beckoning across the square outside the library is ‘Moo-seley’, a sporting sight dedicated to Moseley Rugby Club in red and black kit. Studded boots and a stitched rugby ball for its head augment the effect, and the 1873 date is a nod to the club’s year of formation. Ken can recall Moseley's heyday in the 1970s as one of the leading amateur rugby union sides in the country and although they've fallen away a little in the professional era, consolidation has come from a new home at Billesley Common. Nick duly scurries to Snow Hill, meaning the rest of us can meander back to New Street for our train home. Cheers!

The Great British Beer Festival

I love going to beer festivals - especially those local to me in the West Midlands region - so when I heard that CAMRA's countrywide ale extravaganza was making its way to the National Exhibition Centre I'd cleared the date in my calendar months in advance. This my friends is the big one, the Great British Beer Festival 2025...

Nick and I have previously attended CAMRA's National Winter Ales event a fair few times - at Derby’s Roundhouse, Birmingham’s Bingley Hall and Burton Town Hall - but this is something else altogether, on a completely different larger scale. Unsurprisingly given its significance as the campaign's festival flagship , this sprawling showcase mainly used to be held in London (with host venues historically having included Covent Garden, Alexandra Palace and Olympia) but now it's got itself a new home right here in the West Midlands.

Catching the 10:45 Euston train from Wolverhampton, we arrive at Birmingham International circa 11:30. Traversing steps, corridors and weapon detectors, we follow helpful arrows to the allocated exhibition space and quickly get in with our pre-booked tickets. Festival programmes are £2 extra as we scope out the likely layout, most importantly identifying that Stand B11 is the cider stall in Hall 2. The beers are arranged across two vast rooms with food wings, game zones and a central shopping space for all your memorabilia needs. Some of the bars are named after rescued boozers (the Roscoe Head, the Woodman and the Drewe Arms being among them) while the dedicated brewery stands cover Harvey's, Green Duck, Thornbridge and many others. Expectant crowds are gradually massing in the initial foyer area by the Carlton Arms dispenses; hazard tape ropes things off until exactly midday and then the hordes are unleashed, whereby we make a beeline straight for the far corner to grab a table closest to the ciders. Let the drinking commence!

- Poised for Beer -

My first tipple is Egyptian Cream a.k.a. "the beer the pharaohs wish they had invented" - cue much lovely lactose, flaked oats and a velvety mouthfeel. This is a sumptuous Nene Valley Milk Stout as plucked from the Roscoe Head section, served using the purpose-built bank of handpulls installed at each station. Jane and Nick are both adopting a cider and perry remit, availing themselves of Beardspoon Ciderfect and Hogan's Perry respectively. We also have our collective eye on the scratching, crisp and brownie stalls so I doubt we'll be going hungry during our stay. Sweet treats, salty treats and luscious libations - what a combination!

- The Cider and Perry Bar -

Having raided the breweriana boxes for vintage beermats and a 1986 Good Beer Guide back copy, I next seek out Wilde Childe's Brownie Hunter for a satisfying dose of liquid cake; if the tasting notes insist on stating "dessert in a glass" there's no way I'm missing out on that. Nick partakes of the Tutts Clump Rum Cask (very definite hints of rum there) and locates the 22-person table football whereas Miss Woolf goes sweetly Welsh courtesy of the Llanblethian Orchards May Day cider, the programme sparking our curiosity as to what 'chaptalised' might mean. Answer = it's a technical process for adding sugar to increase alcohol yield during the fermentation stages, an act frowned upon in the making of truly traditional real cider and perry which relies on unadulterated natural pressings instead.

- Biddenden Strong -

His Majesty Nick busily scouts out the gourmet crisp stand without buying anything just yet - his amiable technique of circling for free samples is a case study in regal cheekiness - while Appletreewick's Traditional Medium Dry Cider keeps him mostly out of mischief. As if one royal presence isn't enough, I make the acquaintance of the Prince of Denmark courtesy of Harvey's own perch - seriously powerful, this is deep resinous stuff that's intensely dark at a mere 7.5%. That percentage is however dwarfed by the mighty 8.4% of Biddenden's Strong, a cider that both Nick and Jane can't resist from investigating with appropriately appreciative noises as a result. The Woolf is particularly taken with this one!

- Something mildly plummy? -

Eventually Nick does relent and purchase some Wild Duck plummy flavoured snackage to devour, just what you need after the Biddenden's intake. I steadily work my way through an Extra Special Marble (getting the clear tones of marmalade if less of the promised toffee and biscuity elements) and a slurp of Alright Treacle, a sweet stout produced by Ben's Brewery of Lancashire - I'll look out for their concoctions again I think, especially as this one does hit the heights of dark chewy toffee and molasses very nicely. A band performing Status Quo covers is on the main stage, hence Caroline, Paper Plane and Pictures of Matchstick Men are in their pounding set list. The halls are filling up markedly as the afternoon progresses.

- Pig Meets Woolf -

What next? Well it's no humorous matter when Jane deigns to try the Laughing Juice, a Three Saints full-flavoured perry hailing all the way from Monmouthshire - mark that down as another Welsh discovery!! After raiding yet more 12-for-a-quid beermats, I helplessly succumb to the lure of a comedy piggy hat when collecting my half of Iron Pier's Cast Iron Stout; beerwise this tastes very roasted and coallike, my tongue tantalised with acridness. The porky headwear is met with fearful astonishment by my two accomplices who probably dread having to wear it themselves. Nick deliberates profusely before committing to the Ayrshire Riviera Egremont Russet 8.5% cider with its Victorian variety origins. As per his usual festival custom, HRH is intent on concluding his personal haul with an absolute big hitter! 

- The Table Football Maestro -

Despite that powerhouse finale, Nick is still able to show off his table football prowess when beating the combined talents of Jane and myself 6-4. Miss Woolf finishes with Ross on Wye's Suzie's Catch - apparently named after a much loved farm cat - whereas I land on that old favourite Beartown Creme Bearlee for another slice of pudding-ish perfection. We bump into some of the Heart of Warwickshire CAMRA crew (branch leader Julie is a hugging force to be reckoned with), then Beer Festival law always dictates that we must have a go on the tombola before leaving. The Every 1's A Winner approach therefore sees Nick pocketing a t shirt and a pint glass, hence much rearranging of his carrier bag receptacles. Bearing in mind I'm already adorned with pink felt headwear, the volunteer sounds most apologetic in presenting me with another silly hat, this time a St George football cap with dragon tail. This all makes for a most eclectic haul coming back to Wolverhampton, and for festival fun GBBF can't be beat. Cheers!

Bulls In The City

The Wild in Art team are up to their antics again by collaborating on yet another Second City sculptural spectacular. We've had owls, we've had sleuth bears, we've had various Christmas creations (snowmen, snowdogs, nutcracker soldiers, reindeer, penguins) but for Summer 2025 the theme is... Bulls! There are several - large and small - to find around the City Centre, not to mention further herds in Harborne and Boldmere...

I'm hoping that over the course of the next couple of months, I'll be able to get around most of the trail but my first attempt at rounding up some cattle came during an evening with Emily in the heart of town. Aside from the artistic fun, Birmingham was in mourning for the loss of Ozzy Osbourne with the Black Sabbath frontman having passed away merely days after the band's farewell concert at Villa Park. Victoria Square was already hosting a display of album covers which seems all the more poignant now. Anyway, to the bulls...

We're underway with 'Bosco the Bull' which comprises a nifty monochrome shiny effort in Church Street Square, within sight of the Old Royal pub. Bosco's freehand form is intended to showcase natural shapes and patterns through black and white contrast. Trail maps can be picked up from a variety of city centre locations, with the main Herd HQ being on the Great Western Arcade. There's also a downloadable app so that you can pose with each bull when you find it.

Snow Hill Station beckons for 'Parkers Goals' as positioned on the station's Colmore Row forecourt. This one has blocks of colour as if wearing a sports jersey - quite effective as well - and was produced by Megan Heather Smith-Evans. The goals theme is intended to reflect West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker’s endeavours to create jobs, homes and regional growth by bringing businesses, government and communities together. Whatever your political persuasion, the region does need such investment.

Great Western Arcade often lends itself to the siting of statues and this time around is playing host to 'Bronco Bully'. He's a lot of fun, representing a cowboy design complete with lasso, spurs, pistols and a rodeo hat, all whilst attracting plenty of admiring Good Intent onlookers. The aforementioned Herd HQ meanwhile features 'Astro the Memorabull' in its main shop window; aside from the punning name, this is a thoughtful design because members of the public can arrange for the names of loved ones to be written on in memory of friends and family.

Chamberlain Square is the location of two bull statues, starting with 'Rainbow' with its Brum loveheart. 'Found in Paradise' is then perched below Dishoom; Emily loves its floral theme, incorporating a pale blue acorn leaf head followed by stems and pretty petals along the main flanks. Birmingham’s green spaces are in focus here, with an underlying environmental message echoing previous trail creations.

Over on New Street is a contender for - in my opinion - the best Wild in Art design ever! 'Cadbully' is an all-time classic, themed like a bar of Dairy Milk chocolate (or Dairy Moo, judging by the lettering). Hands down this is my favourite so far - even ahead of Bronco Bully - because of its purple wrapper, textured gold foil effect and general sense of humour. The signature Cadbury’s packaging is captured so perfectly I’m half expecting Emily to try to take a bite out of it!

Talking of my bull-spotting accomplice, we take a break from the arty action by calling into Flight Club for a bash at Social Darts. There are six different games so we work our way through them all over 90 minutes, with Emily proving especially adept at the Demolition and Shangai options - it's not for nothing we rechristen her as Bullseye Bygrave! Despite my best duck-shooting efforts at Quackshot and a nice win at Snakes & Ladders, it is Miss B who takes the overall victory and doesn't she look pleased!

After that, one more sculpture should prove a fitting finale in which case we can bid good evening to 'Bull Brum Lines' outside the Cathedral on the way to Snow Hill. The overall effect utilises a graphic design motif of circles, triangles, crosses, stripes and arrows to appear very impactful. With twelve bulls accounted for in total, that means there are 28 of the big ones still to track down, not to mention some of the smaller ones designed in partnership with local schools. The quest continues...

WME Flickr Focus - July 2025

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! So goes the plaintive wail of the newspaper seller - do you even see those anymore? - but the phrase applies equally well to my latest precis of photostream progress. As in June, it's Exploration Extra which has been ploughing the loneliest of furrows to keep the content coming...

Last month I brought you batches from Castle Douglas, Burnham-on-Sea, the Bristol district of Clifton and lovely Chester, so what has July been busying itself with? Our answer starts in the Cheshire town of Congleton where I have developed a mild obsession over Warrington Anglers Association day ticket warnings on canal bridges. The Prince of Wales pub on Lawton Street lends its Joule's Brewery lettering while there's limited headroom on a listed aqueduct.

I've recently reported on visits to Aberystwyth and Rhyl so the Welsh thread holds on Flickr too with a Fishguard flourish from my 2018 archives. Harbourside glimpses of stacked boats and fishing creels mix with unspoiled pub memories of the Fishguard Arms and the Globe, then we have religious ruminations courtesy of St Mary's Church Institute. Nearby Goodwick gets in on the act courtesy of the Methodistiaid Adeiladwyd detailing on the Berachah Calvinist Chapel.

Next up I give you Gloucester through a combination of dock warehouses (Llanthony, Albert and Alexandra), cathedral carvings - or cloisters, should that be of more interest - and pubs. The Imperial Inn's Bass allegiance was always likely to catch my eye but Robert Raikes's House is a Samuel Smiths affair in a handsome timbered property, and the Gloucester Brewery has its beer garden right on the quay. 

That's almost everything I need to tell you about, apart from another cheeky Clifton candidate (Cotham Hill's fruit and veg shop), followed by a dash of Dumfries in the form of the romantic Robert Burns mural 'A Merry Squeeze'. There's just time to call in a couple of components from the Crewe Rail Ale beer festival, namely a bus registration plate plus a set of signalling levers (with not a pint in sight I might add), and it's over to August to continue the saga...