This is the way the world ends…

…not with a bang, but with a whimper.

The first pub on this long journey was the Red Lion, Stretham, Cambs. The 2677th (and last one on this blog) was the Red Lion, Wolverhampton, West Mids.

If we know each other and you want to keep up with things from this point forward, let me know; there is a slight transition occurring — so slight that you may not even notice the difference — to de-universalize this effort to make it more effortless on my part. If we know each other and I make other efforts to keep in touch, you’ll receive directions whether you want them or not. The rest of you will have to search for it (it isn’t hidden, but I’m trusting, nay, hoping that any effort will be too much).

Toodaloo, motherfuckers!

Bus Runs Route 79 West Brom to Wolverhampton

I’m tellin’ ya, folks, this bus run don’t get no respect.

I went out Saturday intending to finish the 79 route (see Bus Route Runs for details on the project) but an extra, new road on a roundabout and my general dearth wrt sense of direction left me with a little more to pick up on Sunday (18 Feb 2024) so there you have it.

The 79 is Jimi’s most hated AND favourite route as it is the only one he’s been on (he seems to like the bus) but it takes him to the vet. We might try a tram ride together sometime, though, just for the journey.

For me, the 79 is the easiest way to get back to the buurt when laden with groceries in Wednesbury, hardware in Hilltop, or when the weather is shit in central West Brom. So, I’ve never really seen a lot of the sites along the route above Darlaston.

The architecture — industrial, commercial, and residential — changes rapidly all along the path and winter makes it easier to inspect a lot of it. It may be worth revisiting some of it in the summer for comparison.

The map shows the first 9 runs to cover new segments of the route although 2 of the early ones would have been covered by the other 7 easily.

The Red Lion, Wolverhampton

Pub #2677:

Last week I finally made some time to stop in the Red Lion in Wolverhampton, mid run whilst working on a segment of the 79 (and others) bus route. I took my Carling into the room with a pool table and two teles but the teles were out of synch by a tenth of a second or so (fucking digital tv) causing a disturbing echo effect. Nonetheless, a couple of brave souls came in and shot a few racks and chatted a bit.

This was the first pub I’ve been in since around Christmas although I’ve passed a bunch of new candidates on the bus route runs. The novelty is wearing off. Or, a part of me is dying, I’m not sure.

Bus Runs Routes 41A and 64 Finished

The day I lit out to finish the 64 bus route on the Bus Runs Project I planned to catch the tram to Wednesbury, cover a few other bus route segments, then pick up my targeted route segment on the run home. My timing was impeccable as I arrived 2 minutes early to the tram stop only to find that the tram arrived 2 minutes and 15 seconds early. Rather than wait it out, I decided to reverse the plan and headed up the bike path along the tramway. There was a little bit of new graffiti out including the tag by the WTAS Crew, above, under a bridge between Dudley Street/Guns Village and Black Lake.

Whilst adding the 11 February run to the various maps I realised I also completed the 41A:

Being Sunday lunchtime, there wasn’t much foot traffic — nor, in fact, traffic — in Wednesbury. It was kind of a breakthrough run, though, the kind that comes a few weeks after returning to heavier activity following a long period of injury and illness. Still not fast (nor ever expecting to be again), this was the first run that felt…pleasurable. 

Route 41A was completed with runs on January 6, 7, and 14 plus February 4 and 11. Route 64 was covered using all of those dates plus bits of January 20 and 28 plus February 10. 

Sphinx Kitchen, Selly Oak

Kebab 143:

The signage for Sphinx went up about a year and a half ago and it appeared to be open, briefly, last spring then closed for the Summer break (and, as it turned out, all fall and the Christmas break). But, scanning the storefronts for a quick tasty bite for lunch I noticed it was open and dashed in to get a quick meal.

Okay, there was nothing quick about it (these guys don’t seem to be in a hurry about anything) but I got a skewer each of lamb cubes and lamb kofta on some spiced rice with a bit of salad and freshly made Egyptian flat bread and all of it was outstanding. If I get lucky and they are open when I pass by again, I will have the much more reasonably priced shawarma which, hopefully, sits as lightly as this feast did.

Bus Runs Route 30 West Brom to Stone Cross via Great Bridge and Hill Top

Went out Sunday specifically to finish up Route 30 which has promiscuously overlapped other route runs around West Brom since starting this project at the New Year. Looking back over the 30, I only found two photos along the way with the first this now closed but formerly Halal abattoir in Harvill’s Hawthorn near Great Bridge.

One of the motivations for the Bus Run project has been to force exploration of the realm. I actually hit some road segments I have never been on before on the 4th of Feb and one of those passed the Bromwich Manor great hall built sometime in the late 13th-century (roughly 1270 ad). It’s now a museum run by the council from April till October every year so now I’ve got a new bit of historical tourism to do this Spring or Summer.

Commute #161, but first one in ages

In early and working through lunch all week afforded me an hour of daylight at end of workday so I planned to do a bit of bus running to tidy up the county-wide bus run map then catch a bus the rest of the way home when I flagged (I’m still woefully far from my best condition).

But, at the turnoff for the 48 toward Warley Wood in Bearwood I still felt light of foot and decided to keep on going to Smethwick. At the Old Talbot (the last pub before the first lockdown was announced during another commute run), I felt that I could make it the rest of the way and continued on. Wanting to pick up some rarely run streets to fluff out the annual map, I chose a more-or-less direct path to the Altun Towers (a Turkish supermarket near the house) but was confronted by that worst of obstacles: children leaving a school. Shit. 

By now, I was starting to reach the limits but opted to go around a bit padding this effort out to 9 miles. This pitifully weak effort is actually pretty good for me having contracted one or another strain of The Dreaded Lurgy to be continuously ill since August 2023. I’ll try another time this month, perhaps to work if I can get out early enough to avoid the kids (or during half term, if there is one in February).

Bus Runs Route 44 Hill Top Loop and West Bromwich

The photo of the lions at the gates to the mental hospital behind the West Bromwich Central Library isn’t on any bus route but it did feature as I jogged down to tie up some loose ends on several bus routes including a wee bit of the 44 at the nearby bus station. The eyes on the lions look demented and I’m a bit troubled by the goo coating the walls beneath that big, round vent.

Nonetheless, the 44 route was finished this afternoon with the last of the runs overlapping it:

Bus Runs Route 47 West Bromwich to Wednesbury

The first completed bus run is now in the bank. I’ve inadvertantly ridden the 47 before but don’t have any emotional connection or baggage with it. True to the spirit of the project, this route is covered by fewer runs than are listed or partially shown, but the first to lick the tarmac of the route makes the claim. I

I’ve been taking photos along the runs but none overlap the bus path. This route has two pubs still to be done on it so I may be linking this run to those write ups. (updated 02 April 2024) –> Such as this map link to the Coach and Horses, across from this park area on Kesteven Road:

Fifteen years to Life

Fifteen years ago today we landed at Heathrow with two cats and started this Great British adventure. Since then both cats have died, we’ve lived in 7 houses then bought the 8th one, I’ve had jobs at 3 universities (Cambridge, Oxford, Birmingham), Jackie has become a medical librarian, we’ve got another cat, and I’ve run a little over 25,000 miles in this country stopping at 2676 pubs along the way. It can’t go on forever, but 15 more would be nice.