For those who have little knowledge of The Black Country, Tipton is a town about quarter of an hours bus ride from Dudley.
The tour starts from Owen St. the very possible “town centre” of Tipton. Owen St. is run down high street that caters for the ***** ideally with 3 chip shops, and a cheap pizza place (Poppa Piccolo’s). At day time the street is usually quite empty, but from 5 o’clock onwards the ***** are back from school and possibly college and ready for a “busy night out” also known as standing outside the chippy drinking cheap cider and hoping that Rangit from the newsagents won’t ID them when they ask for 10 Sovereigns.
Next we walk down towards the train station, possibly the best part of Tipton as it is only a short train ride to slightly less ****** areas of Birmingham and the Black Country.
As you walk under the underpass you can see up to the platform where a small horde of ***** will have decided to sit on the bench drinking and swearing at passers by.
Past the station you can walk down Locarno road and have insults hurled at you from bedroom windows. The corner house is home to Tipton’s most ********* family. The lady with the red hair in long plaits you see talking to about six other ***** is mother to about 50 Mini *****, and uses the benefits money to fuel her drink and cigarette habits.
Half way down Locarno road there is Alex High School, and if you are lucky enough to pass at about 3:30pm you will see a swarm of identically dressed ***** migrating across the area.
Next we come to a crossroads (fun for all you Blazin’ Squad fans) where Locarno Roads meets Upper Church Lane. You can glance up from the dog ****, empty *** box and co-op bag covered streets up to see the giant monstrosity that is Sigma Cast Iron Works.
This foundry is what gives this part of Tipton its most unique smell.
Now its up to you, will you catch the 311 to Dudley or walk back up to the station and go to Wolverhampton?
Advice: Don’t go to Tipton dressed in anything but “normal clothes” if you are annoyed by the word “Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeb” as every one under the age of 43 will shout this at you for as long as you are in sight.
A little about the area.
Tipton is a sprawling mass with no real heart, it merges with Sandwell (an area of the Black Country that doesn’t really exist but has plenty of signs to make you think you are in Sandwell), Dudley and many other small areas that have names just because one street hates the other and want their own area name.
You will find that nearby there is Oldbury, White Heath, West Brom, Black Heath, Great Bridge, Langley, Old Hill and Smethwick (all part of Sandwell)but none of these areas really has an actual boundary, and a person living in White Heath can have a freind next door who lives in Oldbury.
Tipton station leads to “Dudley Port” station which is neither near Dudley nor has a port. The next station is “Sandwell and Dudley” which is even father away from Dudley and takes you to the none existent heart of “Sandwell”.
Face is the Black Country is a mess and home to a very high **** population.
