On Saturday 5th June 2021 we remained at our mooring by Deepfields Footbridge at Coseley in the Black Country. Far from Bandit Country, we found the locals to be friendly and sociable.
Our friends here, Lloyd and Joolz invited us to Witz End, their house and kindly allowed us to use their laundry and bathroom facilities. Showered and lovely, Hilary was driven by Joolz to LIDL to get some shopping while Steve and Lloyd took the 2 greyhounds and Vera for a walk. We walked around the local park and through the historic old church graveyard. We could just see The Duke when we looked down from the top of Coseley Tunnel.
We walked passed a house with a blue plaque and Lloyd explained that it had been the house where Kelly Groucutt lived. He was born in Coseley as Michael William Groucutt who lived from 8th September 1945 to 19th February 2009 and was an English musician, and bassist and occasional vocalist for the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), between 1974 and 1983.
After a splendid buffet lunch in the garden Joolz drove Lloyd and Steve to the Beacon Hotel in Sedgley. The Bilston Street Victorian public house, which is home to Sarah Hughes brewery and is one the oldest licence breweries in the country, has been in operation since the eponymous Sarah Hughes began brewing at the site in 1850.
What Pub? says “it is a unique destination brewery tap for Sarah Hughes, also offering progressive guest beers. It is a popular Grade II listed pub brimming with character - queues have been known to assemble ahead of opening time. The biggest selling beer by some margin is the award-winning Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild, which packs a punch at 6% alcohol by volume.
On the walk back we passed Coseley Station where Joolz, a very talented artist, had done some artwork to make the station look more attractive.
She painted this mural on a shed.
And painted the letters of Coseley with a floral design.
Joolz cooked us a splendid meal and we returned to The Duke at bedtime.
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