WME Flickr Focus - January 2020

Greetings everyone and welcome to the first of my potted photostream summaries for 2020. January has been a steady if unspectacular month so let's see which pictures and places presented themselves by way of a curtain raiser...

Stridently stealing a march on the competition is the lesser-spotted WME Worcestershire thanks to several giraffe-related arrivals. Worcester Stands Tall was a public art trail that took place in the summer of 2018 so sculptures including A Tall Order, Kneck-er Bocker Glory and Bones all amble into contention. Worcester's Fort Royal Park is also quick to declare its historical significance as the site of a Civil War battle while Droitwich quietly supplies another snap of the Raven Hotel.

Of the regular contributors within the West Midlands county, WME Birmingham has been the most active thus far. Comic book cricketers at Edgbaston therefore accompany some helpings from Harborne (the Hop Garden, the Vine and an old railway line now used as a walkway), not forgetting Gopsal Street in Eastside and Heeley Road in Selly Oak (the obligatory couple of street signs for you).

Staying close-ish to home, WME Dudley collects two Coseley Station bus stops and stakes a claim for Stone Street in Dudley town centre. WME Sandwell clocks in by catching a train at Smethwick Galton Bridge - one of the old Class 150 DMU fleet no longer used on the Stourbridge lines - whereas WME Wolverhampton admires some springtime blossom at East Park before taking a Grand Prix-related spin around the Goodyears estate play area.

Slightly further afield, WME Telford drops in on Doseley whilst WME Shropshire makes the acquaintance of a miniature gardener in Much Wenlock (in the Gaskell Arms's beer garden to be precise). The final word then goes to WME Staffordshire which garners some Gnosall action (a Shropshire Union mileage marker) and happens upon Hinksford for more waterways contemplation, this time involving the Staffs & Worcs Canal. That's about it for January although I'll try to rustle up some February additions in due course - until then, enjoy the pictures!

Lost Pubs from the WME Archives: Part 9

2020's first raid on the West Midlands Exploration back catalogue unearths bygone boozers from Willenhall, Bournbrook, Hanley and Hartlebury...

- The Acorn -

I'll start off the new year of archive extractions with the Acorn at Willenhall, a Walsall Road free house with a hint of red Bass triangle. Situated on the junction with Fisher Street, the building was partially demolished and then scruffily rebuilt after closure - the result is a bit of an eyesore if I'm honest. The Old Oak directly opposite is still trading as far as I know. 

- The Gun Barrels -

A favourite with students at the University of Birmingham due to its proximity to the main Edgbaston campus, the Gun Barrels could be found on Bristol Road and hosted many a lively party night. The 1970s version of the pub replaced an earlier M&B roadhouse that had its own bowling green; the later incarnation then got demolished circa 2013 to make way for the university's Sports & Fitness Club, a £55 million facility that includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

- Jovial Foresters -

How's about this for a fascinating frontage? Lettering for Ind Coope's Burton Ales was still proudly on show at the Jovial Foresters when this picture was taken in June 2015, and how I'd have loved the chance to set foot inside. Alas this historic Hanley inn escaped my clutches and the last I heard it was still standing disused on Marsh Street awaiting whatever its fate might be. 

- The Talbot -

Another pub I'd have relished a proper rummage around was the Talbot in Hartlebury, a Grade II listed landmark on the Old Worcester Road just across from the village post office. Architecturally it boasted a 17th century timber frame structure but had already shut by the time of this May 2014 photo - the building has since been converted for residential use. 

Larking about Leamington with Nick Turpin

Isn't it about time we caught up with our favourite Warwickshire highwayman? This January jaunt places Royal Leamington Spa squarely in our sights where none other than Nick Turpin is poised and primed for further pub plunderings...

- Looking out over the River Leam -

Saturday 11th January and my Chiltern carriage awaits, conveying me from Moor Street towards Oxford; engineering works mean no through service to Marylebone this weekend. Nick intercepts the train at Warwick Parkway and plots our initial walk around Leamington, his chosen riverside route allowing for a photographic raid upon 'Clubland' (so called because the Irish Centre, Sea Cadet and Canoe Club facilities are all located together). The River Leam looks muddy and swollen after recent rainfall but hasn't yet reached a height where it would burst its banks - the colour of the water makes us wonder whether a swamp monster might suddenly emerge out of the primordial soup.

- Grand Union Canal, Bridge 44 -

Spared any encounters with a creature from the deep, we cross Princes Drive and follow a trackway to reach the Grand Union Canal. I've never covered this precise section before so I pay close attention as Bridge 44 carries Myton Road over the cut. A Lidl supermarket and the wharfish modern apartments of Aragon Drive then accompany us to Bridge 43 near the Leamington Shopping Park. There are two fairly corporate canalside pubs here although the Moorings is more upmarket than the Waterside Inn; our highwayman hero is not best impressed with a sour half of Hobgoblin but the Purity UBU is happily more to his liking.

- Cushioned characters in the Pig & Fiddle -

Recommencing canal coverage, our next stretch of Grand Union gallivanting brings us into Old Town where we exit the towpath at Clemens Street (Bridge 40). There are a number of proper boozers in the vicinity so we try a couple, namely the Hope Tavern and the Pig & Fiddle. The former is a no frills establishment showing racing from Fairyhouse whereas the latter boasts a secluded walled garden populated by porcine-themed cushions. We're pleased to report that both pubs serve local cask ales, hence we contentedly quaff halves of Purity Pure Gold followed by Slaughterhouse Saddleback Bitter. 

- Mission Musings in Old Town -

The site of Leamington's original settlement, Old Town is positioned south of the river and has an earthier feel compared to the Georgian spa town expansion further north. There are still plenty of architectural gems to enjoy this side of the Leam, one such example being the former Mission on George Street. Now in use as a Seventh Day Adventist Church, the building really stands out with Ionic columns in Greek Revival style. Less striking but nonetheless noteworthy are the Town House (hosting a kiddies birthday party) and the Bowling Green, two more watering holes that might tickle our fancy.

- 'Mauled' by Candlelight -

As our sports correspondent Stephen checks in with news from Molineux (Wolves 1 Newcastle 1 final score), Nick's expert navigation has us bisecting the Jephson Gardens and pitching promptly along the Parade. The Cellar Club has caught his eye as a subterranean drinking den that showcases craft beer - you can even purchase a tab card and serve yourself should you wish. The vegan-friendly Dark Maule Oatmeal Stout really hits the spot while candlelight flickers around this new found lair - a perfect highwayman's hideaway!

- White Horse Hotel -

We now proceed to the only Good Beer Guide entrant we'll be doing today, the White Horse Hotel on Clarendon Avenue (Leamington does have other GBG haunts which we've sampled on previous occasions). As befits a historic coaching inn, this has an air of refinement to match the Little Critters Blonde Bear ale - Nick even finds a new steed on the courtyard although the quirky equine sculpture probably wouldn't be much use in a getaway situation. 

- Purity personified in the Star & Garter -

We therefore have to continue on foot to our final raid of the day, Warwick Street supplying the Star & Garter to complete our haul of hostelries. Staking a claim to be one of Leamington's longest-running licensed premises, this gastropub is situated close to the brook which divides the town from the neighbouring community of Milverton. We partake of Purity's Bunny Hop by way of a very fresh closing tipple then commandeer our homeward Chiltern connection and disappear into the night. Such larks!

The First Hubs of 2020

The new year is merely a couple of days old and already the Hub Marketing Board are back in action. This trip has been specially convened following news that the Eagle & Tun in Birmingham's Eastside is due to close its doors forever, hence Chairman D9 wants to administer the last rites...

- Bilston, St Mary's -

The Christmas festivities are barely over when Friday 3rd January heralds the opening outing of 2020. As it's a lovely sunny morning, Secretary WME breaks his photographic duck for the year courtesy of a look around Loxdale near Bilston. Oxford Street offers side-by-side churches (St Mary's and Holy Trinity) with a hint of a former social club, then Chapel Street supplies snapshots of the local primary school, an educational establishment that originally opened in 1929.

- HS2 coming to Curzon Street -

At Bradley Lane, Chairman D9 maintains his custom for belated arrivals before we eventually get Birmingham-bound aboard the Midland Metro. Once in Brum we head straight into Eastside to catch up on the latest progress as regards the HS2 project, for which a new Curzon Street station is projected to be operational from 2026 onwards. Promotional hoardings surround the site at the moment, foretelling of fast journey times and the wider benefits that transforming the area will bring. 

- Goodbye to the Eagle & Tun -

The HS2 scheme is however the reason why the Eagle & Tun is being consigned to history, the pub having been subject to a compulsory purchase order that will result in imminent demolition. The last day of trading will be Saturday 4th January so we're 24 hours early with our goodbyes, but at least we can see the heritage interior (which famously appeared in UB40's 'Red Red Wine' video) one last time. We can't resist a mournful game of darts - WME Whirlwind winning 3-0 in subdued circumstances - while the Chairman rivals some Evening Mail journalists in trying to get as many pictures of the premises as possible. 

- The White Tower -

The Eagle & Tun's demise is such a shame but you can't stop the march of progress it seems. Needing to cheer ourselves up, we seek out one of Digbeth's newer bastions of beer by finding Kilder among the railway arches of Shaw's Passage. We're literally beneath Moor Street station here as we partake of 'Mint Choc-Chip Dairyfreak', a 5.2% Milk Ice Porter from Magic Rock - it's tarmac but not as we know it! The Chairman is however itching for some inner-city investigations so we take a punt on the White Tower (a.k.a. Moriarty's) as perched beside Lawley Middleway overlooking Curzon Circus. 

- Baldness beneath the arches -

The White Tower actually exceeds expectations with a friendly welcome and some lingering Christmas decorations to accompany our Carling, while Mr D9 can revel in getting his fix of Heartlands 'scenery' - Viaduct Street is particularly daunting with fly-tipping and shadowy recesses, not the kind of place an innocent bald spot should be seen parading around that's for sure. Garrison Lane Park puts us within a defensive hoof of St Andrews, giving us chance to boost our Bluenose boozer collection care of Bainsy's Bar. 

- Dead Wax in Digbeth -

Bainsy's must presumably get very busy on matchdays but on a quiet Friday mid-afternoon in January there's not a lot happening unless you're a fan of the tv quiz show 'Tenable'. Having failed abysmally to name London tube stations beginning with T, we lick our wounds in Digbeth where the Wagon & Horses has undergone a startling makeover and now calls itself Dead Wax. The change is quite dramatic - craft beer, distressed woodwork, creepy mannequins, subversive art - so it takes a bit of getting used to. Britain Beermat recently wrote about his Dead Wax visit and probably liked it more than we did. 

- D9 drives home -

Still recovering from that additional shock, we have to fall back on the Fountain for our desired dosage of old-fashioned Digbeth - this Alcester Street local does us nicely for a drop of Guinness among the Irish old boys. A quick check of the clock tells us we've time yet for some Highgate haunts, the upshot being a half apiece in both the Town Crier (about as basic as you can get) and the Charles Napier (surprisingly presentable). Sadly that really is all we have time for but we've certainly started 2020 in style - cheers!