retiredmartin

July 2025. Blackheath. Rowley Regis.

Birmingham was celebrating Ozzy and the Sabbath that Monday; I was there to hand deliver some post-probate documents to Wesleyan Assurance, an astonishing edifice resembling the Kremlin Department of Health HQ in Leeds.

Dealing with Mum’s estate has been a frustrating and wearying task but at least today I get to tag on a trip to the Black Country, with the train from Snow Hill across from Wesleyan departing to Rowley Regis.

Never mind “Bap” or “Cob” ? Or does the Black Country include Walsall ? For the Beer Guide ticker the big question is what is Rowley Regis ?

The map suggests that Rowley is part of Blackheath, but I’ll shortly be told it’s the other way round.

Which is confusing, as Wiki tells me;

“Blackheath (pop. 12,292) was part of the borough of Rowley Regis until 1966, when it became part of the county borough of Warley. Since 1974 it has formed part of the metropolitan borough of Sandwell.

It was historically part of Staffordshire until 1966, when the boundaries were altered to incorporate the new borough of Warley into Worcestershire. Since 1974, it has been part of the West Midlands metropolitan county.“

Anyway, let’s explore Blackheath Market while we wait for our pub to open at noon.

It’s not as quaint as Halifax or Newcastle, but it sells all your essentials. Beetroot, ,samosas, Wagon Wheels,

electric fans (in demand that day),

and Banksey Big Bag Black Country scratchings (£1.80 for two) from the same street as the Vine in West Brom. A fine bit of alliteration there, though it tails off at the end.

This really is a joy of a culinary town.

Shall I wait till my pub opens for a bostin’ lunch, or will I be tempted by the cob puns ?

Excitingly, Les Hewitt appears to be running Cobalicious as a pop-up inside Philip Eley butchers !

Could YOU resist ?