The McClean and Beacon Way
On a dull frosty January morning, 14 of us gathered for a seven mile walk led by Robert, starting from Church Street Brownhills. Before long, on Miner Island we came to the impressive “Tin Man”, the 12 metre high metal sculpture designed by artist and sculptor John McKenna, both in celebration of the industry that built the town and as a memorial to Jack “Jigger” Taylor who was killed in a mining disaster at Walsall Wood pit in 1951, to serve as a reminder of the toll it often took on its workers.
Shortly afterwards, we came to the entry to the McClean Way, a walkway based on the former South Staffs Railway which went from Walsall to Lichfield from 1858 until the tracks were pulled up in 1984. It is named after John Robinson McClean, a 19 th century engineer who operated many of the local coal mines and built various railway lines to connect to some of those pits.
The track is of course very flat, being an old railway, so the walking was easy and pleasant through a lot of woodland. It was nice to see some of the old railway memorabilia as well.
Appropriately, as we approached Ryder’s Mere, we saw some riders; we met them later and it turned out that they were from Stevie Ansell’s Riding Centre. 
After just over a mile, we turned off the McClean way and on the outskirts of Pelsall we turned onto a footpath by the Wyrley & Essington Canal.
We continued our walk through woodland until we reached Chasewater, where we had lunch, and did some casual birdwatching.
Continuing after lunch through Brownhills Common, we went by the side of an apparently redundant canal to reach
a definitely redundant stretch of railway, which we thought might be part of the old Anglesey Sidings.
As a contrast, we then crossed the M6 Toll by a modern footbridge and reclaimed the McClean Way for about half a mile back to where we started.
Golden Anniversary
Founded in 1972, the Tamworth and Lichfield Ramblers Group recently celebrated their 50th anniversary with a short walk around Hints, followed by a buffet and get-together of 40 members past and present at the Red Lion in Hopwas. The event included a display of photographs and other memorabilia. John Walters who joined the group in 1988 cut the cake
Two day trip to Cirencester
In October Eight of the group went to the Cirencester area and walked from Painswick on Sunday and from Winchcombe on the Monday. Each walk was around 8 miles in length and undulating.
The undulations on the Sunday walk from Painswick
Sudeley Castle from Salters Hill
Hailes twelth Century Church 
Winchcombe.
The group on Salters Hill
Page 3 of 15