This worker life has repurposed my weekends, giving me the motivation to have some 'get up and go!' Revisiting West Bromwich had to be the one, getting those 'Recipes With... Miss West Bromwich' planned out and executed! The West Midlands Metro had me back on the move, that Eastern European nature was welcomed warmly! Back to West Brom! Dzień dobry, chodźmy, B!
Leaving the house for something other than my new job, I found my way back to Bilston to catch the West Midlands Metro to Dartmouth Street in West Bromwich. That form of public transportation had been out of action during an earlier visit to West Brom, with it back in service once again I ditched the bus without any hesitation whatsoever. My shopping list had been finessed, unlike that earlier Polish food shopping outing in 2021, I knew what I wanted with absolute certainty. Only taking a matter of fifteen minutes from Bilston Central to Dartmouth Street on the metro, I was able to cut out all of those extra bus stops with ease. Why Dartmouth Street? Carters Green was where I needed to reach, my chosen Polish food stores and bakery were just around the corner from that Metro Stop. The previous visit had me passing by a sign for that Metro Stop, making that reference work for once, second time round it worked out! Go!
Exiting the metro only a few stops away from Bilston Central had me saving some serious time, with direct access I was afforded the chance to find the stations namesake with ease. Walking along Dartmouth Street allowed me to find 'High Street' without any issues. Finding my bearings, I headed for Carters Green along the quieter than usual high street in West Bromwich. With a mental list in mind, I headed for 'Olawa Bakery' to purchase the same doughnuts I had been dreaming about since that 2021 visit. I made the best choice, the fresh loaves of bread needed to find its way into my life because they looked delicious! Both doughnuts and bread left the bakery in my shopping bag, of course I paid for those items! It felt good to know where I was going, to have a definite knowledge of my path helped save time on that Saturday morning. Where to next? Did I need to get anything boozy? West Brom had a plan for me! Wódka? Tak!
Bread? Check! Doughnuts? Check! 'Super Polo International Supermarket' had me covered, I found a bottle of 'Soplica' walnut vodka and a smaller bottle of 'Krupnik' Polish vodka. Enough vodka? Yes, I had a special lunch planned, the Krupnik added the perfect shot of life as it perfectly accompanied by 'Winiary' Barszcz 'beetroot' soup. The Soplica would be used to spice up my Sunday hot chocolate, damn right it tasted amazed! Anyway, back to that Saturday in question! With half of my purchases bought, before I headed into Lidl I spent a moment or two to take in the contrasting 'Register Office'. During the previous Autumn I per chance saw a wedding party outside the venue, during that February 2022 moment I didn't see much going on but the view impressed me much. Not known for an abundance of scenic beauty, the Register Office redeemed West Bromwich's High Street! Yes, West Brom's Register Office looked fancy!
Definitely not the most exciting place but West Bromwich served the same 'down to earth' nature with everyday people who were going about their business. The 'Register Office' had me looking at something more scenic, serving a 'hidden charm' by the bucket load it certainly did. Straying away from my independent spending, I popped into Lidl for some vegetables but next time I will be supporting another local business instead. With my bags laden with Polish goodies for my 'Recipes With... Miss West Bromwich' cooking, I had one more Polish inspired supermarket to visit. Returning to West Bromwich was never a question, it was more about 'money' due to not having worked for sometime, those international purchases had to be prioritised when my finances allowed. For sure, I found myself looking at West Brom from a different angle. I'm learning not to judge things at face value, changing my approach felt good.
Dino Supermarket' had treated me before, returning for more 'Pierogi' and 'Barszcz' with the addition of 'Kielbasa' sausage. Buying less than before, I definitely saved my money because I only needed one type of Pierogi. Getting back to West Bromwich allowed me to inject a healthy measure of culture and international nature, that weekend off would be a tasty one for sure! Stepping back into that Eastern European inspired supermarket had me feeling part of life, I already have a complex about British food. Lessening that 'complex' was only possible believe I was able to see the labels and designs of the imported foods. My morning in West Bromwich didn't lead me to any wrong turns, knowing the path that I took before had me winning that Saturday! After 'Dino' I headed into one final shop, thankfully I was able to find some Cadbury's drinking chocolate. With everything sourced for my Polish cooking experience, I headed home.
Will I be going 'Back, Back, Back Again' to West Bromwich in the near future for a third time? I don't think that I'll be returning in a hurry, with much planned over the next couple of months, I feel that my efforts will be focussed towards places that are further away from home. Not to take away from that Saturday, all of my items went to the best of use to create four courses of Polish loveliness over that weekend. Supporting those local businesses felt great, only allowing a small portion of my funds to be spent in a 'well-known' discount supermarket ensured the character of my 'Polish' character was honoured. Heading back to Bilston Central from West Bromwich's most central Metro Stop allowed me to naturally walk into the town center without wasting any time! Here's to many more Saturdays out and about, that newfound earlier than early weekend wake up time won't be wasted! Dzięki za wszystko! Thanks for everything! Kiełbasa jest pyszna!
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Joseph Harrison
