29/10/26 - Angela Marsons - Evil Games

Completing the Amblecote Triangle - It's Murder

Book 2 in the West Midlands Based Kim Stone detective book series providing the inspiration for exploration.

A significant literary improvement on book 1, and a nice cat and mouse mystery between Kim and a worthy adversary. A psycho-analyst convincing her patients to commit crimes. An amusing and entertaining villain and the reader is provided with an interesting back story for Kim. A 4.5/5 review.

The main crime sees a rape victim taking unexpected revenge, following her therapy session. 

"And even that frail facade had been destroyed three months earlier when she'd passed a pub on the Thorns Road and seen her attacker leaving with a dog by his side"

"A dark gulley ran along the side of an end terrace that stretched up towards Amblecote, one of the finer parts of Brierley Hill"

There is only one pub left on the Thorns Road.

Leaving Lye Station

Victims last drink - the Thorns

I've no idea what the pub is trying to be at the moment. It's listed on Pubs Galore as The Koyla Kitchen - a Thai restaurant. Yet it still runs an afternoon carvery. I checked in case I could experiment with something different to a pad thai, but all I found were Yorkshire puddings.

Sometimes, all you need is a first impression to make up your own mind as to the type of venue it really is.

You go out for a half with a pair of shoes...

The scene of crime alley running adjacent.

Suitably grim

The text describes how the alley leads to Amblecote - the jewel of Brierly Hill. I can plot a walk that is more interesting on the 1890s map than the current OS Map. Where once there were foundries and pits they is now an endless housing estate, sometimes hiding footpaths that will get me to Amblecote.

A worthy destination for the beer enthusiast. A little triangle of roads contains four regular Good Beer Guide Pubs, all with keen pricing. A chance for me to tick off the Swan and who could ignore the Robin Hood. One of the Telegraphs Top 500 pubs in the land.

The Swan

An unnecessary roaring fire on entry - after my walk, I need to position myself on some smart leather benching as far away as possible. A standard selection of cask - with a couple from Hobsons, including a never before seen Town Crier Green Hop.

And onwards to the Robin Hood - a showcase for the best beer in the Black Country. There aren't many places where you can have both Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby and Bathams Bitter. It's always worth stopping for two.

A Mappiman Top 10 Pub

Walk Details

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - The locations in Evil Games, by Angela Marsons.

27/10/26 - Westminster to Mayfair Pub Crawl

Coffee and Halves only

My morning in Westminster finishes bang on ten. Now for a pub crawl. Yes, in London, it's possible to start this early - and without visiting Timbo. Although your wallet will have wished that you had.

Joolz is my guide - and I have to say, the pubs seem secondary to a fine Mayfair walk, which brings to my attention various locations that my recent walk failed to highlight. Scanning the QR code in the guidebooks redirects you to an entertaining video, which hardly mentions the pubs at all. Odd for a London Pub Walks book.

The 10am opener is the Westminster Arms. A strange Shepherds Neame pub that seems oddly devoid of furniture. Just a handful of high stools around the window frames. The Campaign for Comfy Sofa restarts here. 

Bill Clinton and Angelina Jolie former patris

There is a little clue as to the reason for this - one of three pubs in the area with a division bell. I've never heard it ring - giving politicians eight minutes to get back to their place of work - but I have seen it go from empty to a scrummage in moments, as our elected elite flood the place. I imagine this doesn't happen so often now, with heavily subsidised bars in their place of work more appealing in a cost of living crisis.

Token Halloween decorations

Having the place to myself, allowed for a good photo of the one feature of this pub worth seeing - the gorgeous bar back. The rest of the visit, the worst of hospitality. I asked if they did coffee and I could tell from the barman's face they did but he couldn't be arsed. He then went on to talk loudly to the other staff member, slagging off last night's customers.

Fair-do's if they were politicians.

Almost worth the entry fee.

Around the corner to the Two Chairmen. An C18th pub, with comfy seats and a working coffee machine. Greene King - named after sedan carriers, rather than stalwarts of business and plushly unmemorable. 

Two Chairmen

Decent range for a GK - Jaipur ignored for arabica

Into Mayfair, via the Waterloo Steps. The Red Lion, a fine recommendation, not quite open. One of Len Deighton's London Dossier recommendations, it's a real beauty inside.

Fullers Finest

The Chequers takes some finding, with its very narrow frontage. For the area, very working class, right from its 1717 origins. The local coachmen used to while away the time playing chequers on the doorstep, forcing its name change from the Masons Arms. In 2026, these working class roots run to a fine sausage and onion baguette. Other toasted sandwiches are available. And bang average London Pride.

Orderly queue for the Chequers

I'd noticed Ye Grapes, in Shepherd's Market on my previous walk and vowed to come back. Alas, the beauty is mainly limited to the outside. The Ghost Ship, near undrinkable.

Disappointment

Joolz points out 48 Upper Grosvenor Street - the location of a piece of particularly racy London folklore. Home of the Duchess of Argyll and location of the infamous "headless man" photo. The Duchess was also in it. In the nip, apart from a pearl necklace, and performing a service. The jewellery apt, as it is how this particular story ended.

Things that happen beyond closed doors

Across Grosvenor Square, via The Barley Mow and down a little mews back street is a lovely sculpture of Terence Donovan taking a photo of Twiggy. The statue providing more memories than the Barley Mow. A pub that doesn't do nuts but does olives tells you everything you need to know.

Bourdon Street - if you are looking for it

A last bit of art - possibly the oldest outdoor statue in London graces the door of Sothebys. Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of healing dating from 1300BC. Cleopatra's Needle might be able but is it an artefact, rather than a statue?

Future Quiz Question

And the final pub - The Mason's Arms - a classic of the 1930s Mock Tudor style. A decent line up of Yorkshire Cask and a 25% discount for card carrying CAMRA members.

Probably pub of the day for the half of Old Peculiar.

Mock Tudor in Mayfair

Half pint jug

Walk Details

Distance - 3.75 miles

Walk Inspiration - Joolz Splendid Pub Walks, Walk 13

Previous Joolz Pub Walks - Bayswater, Hackney

27/10/26 - Westminster

Corridors of Power

No map this time - The City of Westminster is about 6 km north to south and 5 km east to west. Today's walk concentrates on a thin strip along the river - from Westminster Bridge down to Vauxhall Bridge and no more than a couple of streets back.

As usual, the guidebook commentary runs to pages. The area is packed with history going back centuries and into recent times. 

My blog will concentrate on the items that tickled my interest.

First - obtain a GPS Signal - among the statues of Parliament Square, where I notice a glitch in the matix.

Waiting for the next civil disturbance 

Zooming in, shows it's haunted

The Jewel Tower is easy to miss but provides fascinating history;

The Jewel Tower, built in 1365–66 for Edward III, is one of the few surviving remnants of the medieval Palace of Westminster. Designed by master mason Henry Yevele, it originally stored royal valuables and stood beside the king’s private garden, protected by a moat. It survived the fire of 1834 that destroyed much of the old Palace of Westminster

Jewel Tower

I've never investigated Millbank before - a small public park leading to the river. Plenty of public artwork, including a pagoda to keep dope smoking workies out the rain. The Burgher's of Calais are the most impressive. Celebrating an episode of the Hundred Years' War, the sculpture was created by Auguste Rodin.

Flag waving, King of the North must be home

Tate Britain shielded by fencing as it is worked on and no photos of MI5, should I cause a security breach. A pretty view of Vauxhall Bridge emerges from the riverside.

A metropolis within a metropolis

Too early for pubs, but the Morpeth Arms has interest. Built for the warders of the nearby prison, it is rumoured to have tunnels direct to the Thames for the transfer of prisoners. Nice to think they got sent off to Australia with a final pint of cask before suffering a life of Castlemaine.

Not too shabby for lowly wardens

Onto the backstreets - where I can play the game of spotting who lived at a house with blue plaque. Plenty of options but the two most interesting (to me) lived around the corner from each other. 

Who lived in a (beautiful) house like this?

I'd live there for over 30 years too

And again?

A narcissist who demanding a whole area be named after him. See also, Scott of the Antartic

And finally (yes, I know I have largely ignored the obvious Abbeys and Palaces), a faded sign from WWII, just about visible at Number 8 Lord North Street.

Battle of Britain

Walk Details

Previous Hidden London Walks;

Mayfair, 

Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury,

Soho

Distance - 3.5 miles

Geocaches - 50

Walk Inspiration - London's Hidden Walks - Book 1 - Walk 4

24/10/26 - Coventry Good Beer Guide Ticking

Pubs of All Types

8 years since my last visit to the the town where the planners finished what the Luftwaffe started. A ring-road to replace the medieval walled city.

After this length of time - there have been changes. My favourite - The Town Wall Tavern - is no longer a going concern. Which is a crying shame. Several new entries and a bit of a smorgasbord of pub types.

Starting with the obvious - The Flying Standard - a Wetherspoons. 

Mock Tudor

Absolutely packed at 2:15pm on a Saturday afternoon, with the most obvious tribe of drinkers Fulham fans. They either do not realise how far the ground is out the centre or have faith in Uber. Not a single seat to be had downstairs, I try my luck with my less than £3 pint of Exmoor Red upstairs. A single stool and shelf (happily marked with a number for app ordering) on the way to the ladies loos found. Easy to get into a conversation but not recommended. You feel like you should be on a register. 

Hops D'amour is a converted shop micro pub. If I was forced to bet on what the shop was, I would say sowing machines. There has to be a reason for the huge singer signs and the tables fashioned out of ex-machines. 

Micro Ahoy

What always amazes me about this country of ours is that you can travel 40 miles and no-one will understand you. In the first of two "lost in translation" moments today, I ask for a serviette to wipe the rain from my navigation aiding mobile phone. The barman, who bore an amazing likeness to Paul Calf, had genuinely never heard the word before. Napkin didn't work either but tissue produced the required item.

The beer was excellent, doing what micros should, by offering the unusual and/or international.

Out of the City Centre and I am thankful to the Good Beer Guide for pointing out The Broomfield Tavern. I would never have found this back street gem on my own.

What's behind the red door?

My hat manages to set one of the resident dogs off, who provided a sustained verbal assault against my sartorial choices. Which was unexpected when the majority of other punters were dressed as Morris Dancers. Zoom in to the bar and you will see how their performance is paid for.

All lined up

Hat removed, Fido silenced, this place will be memorable for two things. Drinks-wise - and I may have missed it but I don't think I did - this has no keg fonts at all. The choice is glorious cask or a bewildering choice of boxed cider. I cannot say I have ever seen this before, but with bottled Madri in the fridge, I am sure my eyes were not deceiving me.

A gloriously unusual Top Rat was taken to the real fire. A plum place to sup, as two elderly gentlemen waited to jump in my grave when I buckled up to face the elements. A phrase that has never travelled to Coventry, in my second conversational confusion today. I had to repeat three times before he understand what I was trying to say.

I ummed and arred about the Hearsall Tavern - it's away from the railway station but taking inspiration from the other pub tickers sharing their Storm Austen travel woes on this grim day - I decide to plod on.

Doesn't convey the internal mayhem

I never knew Coventry had an Irish Quarter but it's not the only authentic Irish Pub in the area. Mid terrace and like the Flying Standard (but for different reasons) absolutely packed on a Saturday afternoon. Full of blokes enjoying the sport in the main room. 

A spot at the bar secured to admire their famous Guinness - best in Coventry according to the reviews.

The Bass - whilst you can still get it - not too shabby either.

Bar hanging

   

22/10/26 - A Bristol Ring - Stage 2

Nothing much in East Bristol

The great thing about following a planned walk - such as A Bristol Ring - is you have no idea what you might discover en route. The problem comes when the answer, is not very much.

This is an OK walk - avoiding the suburbs by following woodland trails through Crew's Hole, the Brislington Brook and across The Coots to end on the Wells Road at Hengrove.

There is a pretty stretch along and over the Avon and lots of climbing through woodland on the cusp of turning into a mud-bath. I am pleased to have completed before Storm Austen.

The Start of Stage 2 - in case you wondered how far Briftol is

Over the River Avon

Bricked up tree in Brislington Woods

I knew there was nothing on route thanks to a fine example of Internet enshitification. To help the thirsty traveller find good beer, CAMRA used to have a free app that displayed recommended pubs on a map. A couple of years ago, this was discontinued and replaced with a web page offering the same functionality. Now that web page requires an explorer pass for 99p a month.

Those failed beer festivals are not going to pay for themselves.

Of course, I have the book - so prior to the walk, I was forced to spend half an hour working out whether I would be passing through Bristol locales, such as Bedminster, Kingsland or Redland.

My post-walk refreshment had to wait until I got back to the City Centre, for a couple of new-to-me pubs near Temple Meads.

The King's Head is a gorgeous, ancient city centre boozer which the guide says has the second oldest Victorian back bar known to the beards. Someone who has read the book cover to cover may be able to tell me which pub has the oldest.

Everything's gone green

Honours - including the first Telegraph top 500 pub found through advertising

A superb beer collection. In honour of the death of Bass, I went for a brewed in the Burton Union Thornbridge Old Badequella. An Old Ale that could have only been improved by a couple of extra ABV percentage. 

This, along with the full range of Tayto crisps, means I am sure to go again.

An honour that I could also bestow to the Jimi Hendrix adorned Bridge. 

Unmissable

Zoom in for the cheapest snacks in the Western Hemisphere

The decor was old concert posters of better bands than were playing a touch too loudly in the bar. This isn't the Gryphon, you know. More excellent Thornbridge on cask.

A pleasant day - until you are awakened by a very loud GWR guard to give you the bad news that the train you have been on for the last 50 minutes is cancelled.

Delay / Repay meaning that Stage 3 could be free. 

Walk Details

Distance - 5.5 miles

Geocaches - 5

Previous "A Bristol Way" Walks;

Stage 1

21/09/26 - On the Trail of...... Peter Collins

The End of the Programme

The final instalment of Travels with Pevsner sees Jonathan Meades in a melancholy mood. He starts to reminisce about his fallen heroes - first Duncan Edwards (Dudley used to be in Worcestershire) and then Peter Collins. 

Son of Kidderminster and previously unheard of.

Peter Collins (1931–1958) was a British motor-racing driver born in Mustow Green, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire. One of the leading drivers of the 1950s, he raced for Ferrari in Formula One, winning three World Championship Grands Prix, including the 1958 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He also competed at Le Mans and was admired for his talent and sportsmanship. His career was cut short on 3 August 1958 when he suffered fatal head injuries in a crash during the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, aged just 26.

Kidderminster's Sporting Hero

His burial location is no more than a couple of miles from where my son works. With nothing else to do, and in appalling weather, I head off to explore Stone Church. Alas, the hastily plotted walk meets with disaster - the only footpath curtailed mid-way along because of Taylor Wimpey building new houses. Yes, there was a sign. Yes, I ignored it, expecting the closure to be down to an easily overcome fallen bridge. Even when the farmer chased me to reiterate the bad news, I refused to believe that I couldn't get through. But no, Taylor Wimpey is locked up tighter than Fort Knox.

Still, I achieved my aim. The grave hidden around the rear of a doors locked church.

Stone Church

Still remembered by Petrolheads

End of the line - End of the world weather

Reopens in 2029 - according to better signage at the opposite end

Can Jonathan Meades provide further walking inspirations? 

I've found on YouTube three episodes of Travels in Birmingham.

Walk Details

Distance - 6 miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Travels with Pevsner, Worcestershire

19/10/26 - On the Trail of...... Joseph Chamberlain

Hit The City

To complete the Wyre Valley Line Railway Stations Walk, I need to plot a short walk between the Jewellery Quarter and Moor Street, via Snow Hill Station. A short city walk, with plentiful distractions. To avoid turning it to a lengthy pub crawl, I'll combine my investigations with the latest History West Midlands Podcast.  The political dynasty of the Chamberlains is the topic, with my walk concentrating on Joseph.

The Chamberlains were one of Birmingham’s most influential political dynasties, built on industrial wealth rather than inherited aristocratic privilege. Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914) made his fortune in the screw-manufacturing business before entering politics, becoming Birmingham’s reforming mayor in the 1870s and later a national politician. His sons followed him into public life: Austen Chamberlain became Chancellor of the Exchequer and won the Nobel Peace Prize, while Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister. Their story is unusual because their political influence grew out of the wealth and status created by Victorian industry, rather than an established landed family inheritance. Joseph’s municipal reforms transformed Birmingham through improvements to housing, sanitation and public services, helping establish the modern civic identity of the city. The family’s legacy illustrates how Birmingham’s industrial success created a new kind of political elite, capable of shaping both local government and national affairs.

Meet the gang

In an unusual turn of events for a politician, the Birmingham's population appeared to adore Joseph. There are no end of monuments and squares dedicated to him. As I am at the Jewellery Quarter - I start at the end of the story. Like all the Birmingham greats, he is buried at Key Hill Cemetery. 

Joseph Chamberlain’s funeral in July 1914 was a remarkable demonstration of his standing in Birmingham. Although he had been a major national politician, his family declined the offer of a burial at Westminster Abbey. Chamberlain had expressed a wish to be laid to rest among his 

own people, and the family chose a relatively modest Unitarian burial at Key Hill Cemetery in Hockley.

The grave takes a little hunting, even with the information boards.  Section K, plot 610. Next to an obelisk, but a simple stone marker.

Understated

Off to the Civic celebrations - the Chamberlain Clock outside the Rose Villa Tavern. No point stopping for a drink. The windows are gorgeous, the cask ale - if there at all - awful during recent visits.

All the details

Wharstone Lane meets Frederick Street

Dedication

Drinks stop - the 1000 trades is not open on a Monday Lunch, so I am all the way to Summer Row before I make a stop. It's rare to walk past The Shakespeare, so I feel a revisit is in order. My wallet winces as I spot the Nicholson's brass plate on the entrance.

Lime Bike Central

To be fair, if you are after lunch, a bargain can be had. A club sandwich - with chips and a pint - for a tenner. Makes the £6.30 for a Proper Job look like this week's biggest mistake - even if it was in absolutely perfect condition.

Onwards, to Chamberlain Square for more Joseph Joy. When you see those "Birmingham is not all crap" social media posts, the photos are invariably from here.

Chamberlain Square

Chamberlain Fountain

Chamberlain Fountain

I'm right in the City now. Our newest bar, the Boiler Room, had to be checked out. I thought craft beer was so last decade, but this cocktail bar is all craft keg. 10 on, admittedly from interesting breweries but when a Cloudwater 5%'er is £8 a pint, I refuse to do their marketing for them. Good luck competing with the far better Colmore around the corner - where excellent cask is half the price.

One of Chamberlain's biggest successes was the slum clearance and development of Corporation Street - as a boulevard of modernity. Alas, things have gone full circle and in another 10 years it will be back to slum status. I find it terrible that the current Birmingham Council cannot look after nice things. Photos too ugly - unless you like urban decay and trees growing out of the upper floors of beautiful buildings with boarded up windows.

Moor Street Station marking the logical end of this section of the Rail Trail. I'm about to enter Bandit County, as I make my way down the Shakespeare Line.

Selfridges, behind Moor Street

Walk Details

Distance - 3.25 miles

Geocaches - 2

Previous Stages on the Wyre Valley Line - Worcester to Droitwich, Droitwich to Hartlebury, Hartlebury to Kidderminster, Kidderminster to Hagley, Hagley to Stourbridge, Stourbridge to Cradley Heath, Cradley Heath to Old Hill, Old Hill to Langley Green, Langley Green to Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Galton Bridge to The Hawthorns, The Hawthorns to Jewellery Quarter