#365daysofbiking Great Scott:
September 11th – The former Scott Arms pub in Kings Hill, on the Darlaston-Wednesbury border has been derelict for many years now, but at the beginning of the year, I spotted signs of life here. I assumed it was to be converted into a house of multiple occupation – a building divided into tiny bedsits for the really down on their luck – but no, it’s actually being renovated and is becoming a Chinese restaurant.
It’ll be handy for when I’m stuck working late I guess….
Good to see this building saved from the usual derelict fate of these place. I wish the new business well.
September 6th – I popped into Lichfield on a grey afternoon for a bit of shopping, and noticed that the Panache Restaurant, which had garnered appalling food safety ratings in recent months had closed and seems to have the builders in.
This was one the Three Tuns pub, and one of three pubs in close proximity on Pipe Hill, the other two long since gone.
This is clearly quite an old building that has undergone much change over the years, and I would hate to see it lost.
I hope the next phase of this venerable pub’s life is kind to it.
December 19th – I see the Italian restaurant the the former Shoulder of Mutton had brome on the outskirts of Lichfield has closed. I noted this with some surprise, as I thought this was a popular, decent place to eat. I seem to recall the signs outside proclaiming awards for quality. It always smelled delicious when I passed, too.
Sadly, now it’s just another empty, boarded up pub. Hope someone can rescue it. Tragic.
May 14th – It’s been eight months now since I recorded the closure of the Mango Tree restaurant on the Chester Road in Aldridge. Soon after that, it was reported the building had been bought, and a new venue was to open there. Well, when I cycled past at 4pm today, it seemed that Voujon is now ready to reopen, if it hasn’t done so already. Looking smart, and totally refurbished, it’s nice to see the building back in use again. There’s a long history of eating establishments of this site – from transport cafes to a Little Chef. I wish the new proprietors well in their venture.
December 4th – A wet, miserable day. I had planned to go up on the Chase, but the weather was so bad, I settled for a circuit of the town in the early evening. Up on the A5, I admired the lights of The Terrace restaurant. This popular venue has been going for years and has a good reputation locally, and even at 5pm on a Sunday it was clearly very busy. Hard to believe this was once nothing more than a petrol station and transport cafe.
December 27th – I returned via Aldershawe and Wall, for no other reason than to avoid the grind of Pipe Hill. As I was coming through Wall I noticed how warm and cosy looking the Trooper pub/restaurant looked.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 