Walsall

Cast your minds back to a pre-heatwave April. Cloudy skies, drizzly rain and low moods called for one thing, relentless drinking on a Pub Sessions away weekend. This year we chose Walsall, booking the occasion in January when the Saddlers were flying high, top of the league with points clear and what felt like an almost certain promotion on the cards. Fast forward 3 months and they'd absolutely shit the bed with the second worst form in the league.

Nevertheless we travelled to the leather obsessed town to sample its delicacies and cheer the saddlers over the line at the end of their season.

We travelled down Friday night, confusing our partners by taking the cars, who up until that point had believed we were flying to Warsaw, Poland.

Night one was focused on Wednesbury a market town just south of Walsall, heaped in black country tradition with more varieties of pork scratchings than one could ever need, some delivered in plain unlabelled bags, freshly scratched in a factory just streets away.

We visited an array of pubs, the best being The Old Blue Ball, with walls covered in plates and pictures of yesteryear Wednesbury and haunting porcelain dolls learing down on us as we drank. A West Brom pub with darts and fruit machines and mass of different shots and trinkets behind the bar.

Delicous pints of Banks Ales in the Royal Oak, where we were accosted by a couple of Indian/Fijian gents who demanded we did shots together.

We eventually taxi'd back to Walsall to end the night in the Pretty Bricks. Offering cheese and onion with black pudding cobs and more pork scratchings. The barmaid unfortunately rejected our offer of staying for a lock in and we were eventually sent packing back to our Travelodge. A good nights sleep before a big day Saturday exploring more of Walsalls offerings.

Pubs visited
The Leathern Bottle
The Old Blue Ball
The Old Royal Oak
The William Archer
The Golden Cross
The Pretty Bricks

Day 2, a delicious full english breakfast at @jackandadas_cafe and taking in the sights and sounds of the Walsall Bus Station including the Boss Man Shop which has more flavours of Monster than anywhere else in the UK. Alas we had no time for the Leather Museum or Walsall Arboretum (means big park i think), we had a date with the LMRCA Railway Club, a must visit members club for pre Saddlers drinks. With The Specials blaring out as we arrived, ice cold pints of Coors were devoured whilst studying the hall and locals. It was a sight to behold, flags a plenty, and the hall very quickly filled to the brim. A local newspaper took photos of four locals who'd raised money for a local school, borrowing Kenzies half n half Walsall scarf he got off ebay for the shoot.

We were at one with the people of Walsall after 3 pints here and could have stayed forever but the Charles Napier was calling. Decked out with gear that looked like it belonged in the 70s, two indian gents served pints of Brew XI for £2.50. A group of about 15 young saddlers arrived and were served with ease, even passing the Police walk through of the pub unscathed. Cracking place.

We marched on to the Bescot or Poundland Stadium as otherwise known, to enjoy a pint of Swift, the Saddlers own beer in The Locker, a warehouse next to the ground for pre game drinks - set up like an industrial estate brewery with big screens showing Doncaster see off Bradford to cheers from the Walsall crowd.

What followed was quite an abysmal game with Walsall having a man sent off and losing 1-0 to Accrington Stanley. We enjoyed the simplicity of the stadium, Troy Deeney pictures and burger van, though the football left something to be desired.

To drown our sorrows we got a cab to The New Inn, a desi pub on the side of a ring road and saw Palace see off Villa in the fa cup semi final. Locals joined outside for the pub photo and Ed had some scampi. Further pitstops at The Oak Inn (rock bar), the Victoria (Samosas), Flan O Briens (Irish), Watering Trough (rock bar), Tap and Tanner (generic bar) and ended in the Registry (club). I've ran out of characters and instagram has told me to wrap it up so thanks for readin