THE WELLINGTON: 2pm and the race was on to get to Birmingham, Stephen and Nick by train whilst I had the Metro from Bilston. A fair wind and a good connection saw me get to Brum first, so I could dart straight into the Welly for a precious pint of Penny's Porter from the Derby Brewery. My esteemed Chip Foundation colleagues were not too far behind though, so with our party complete we can enjoy our opening drink in relaxed fashion. The Wellington was the perfect place to meet, the beer choice as ever being wide-ranging with several tempting options so pick yourself a pump number from the big screen.
The 50: unfurling Birmingham CAMRA's 107-strong guide to local real ale outlets, we decided to aim for the furthest point and then work back towards the City, hence the 50 was needed to whisk us off to Kings Heath. The route is apparently one of the busiest in Europe and we have buses in convoy all getting snarled up in the traffic through Balsall Heath, Moseley Village and the stop-start nature of Kings Heath High Street.
- At Kings Heath Cricket Club -KINGS HEATH CRICKET CLUB: just as the congestion relented it was time to alight, the bus stop being immediately outside our next target, the Kings Heath Cricket and Sports Club on Alcester Road South. As the name suggests, this is a social club rather than a pub but we have no problem getting in unannounced as visitors. The lounge provides a very comfortable setting as we discuss the 100th anniversary of the Titanic, Nick and I partaking of a half of Slipway from the ship's namesake brewery. With drinks quaffed we had a little peek at the cricket ground itself, the thwack of leather on willow will not be far away now.
THE STATION: we sneak back on the 50 for a few stops and then venture into the Station. I remember trying to visit this place with Roger a few years ago but it was closed, so today it was second time lucky. The pub has clearly been modernised and opened out a little but retains some character, with the main highlight for us being the suntrap beer garden. Shut your eyes and it could almost pass for March, open them and the weather was definitely more like August with the sun beating down yet once more. A half of Purity's Mad Goose was rather refreshing in such balmy conditions.
- The Station, Kings Heath -HIGHBURY PARK: proving once again that we are the Chip Foundation by nature as well as by name, everything stops for food. We seek out a chip shop amongst a plethora of Kings Heath takeways and then find a shaded spot in nearby Highbury Park in which to eat. The shock news here is that Nick actually finished his meal first, with Stephen being so surprised he indignantly threw his roe onto the floor from where the remains were hoovered up by a passing dog called Tigger.
PRINCE OF WALES: anytime a pub named after Nick's lookalike crops up we feel obliged to test it out, so the Prince of Wales in Moseley just had to be done. They must have known we were coming too, for what should we see at the bar but a beer called Sad Bastards - now there's a photographic caption too good to turn down! Stephen gallantly dosed himself up on lemonade and black as we sat in the front bar, although the heated beer garden tent looked inviting (and crowded). Sadly the two smaller snug rooms were booked for private functions as I would like to have explored their old-fashioned character.
- A couple of 'Sad Bastards' -OLD MOSELEY ARMS: all this lemonade and blackcurrant had clearly got to Stephen, thus resulting in a manoeuvre now known as the 'Balsall Heath Bounce' where essentially you find a miscreant kerb and land spreadeagled on the nearest pavement - for once I didn't have my camera ready to record such a priceless moment. Dusting himself off, we made it safely to the Old Mo without any further injury thank goodness. Some Salopian Icon gives Nick just the encouragement he needs to dissect another menu, with pride of place seemingly going to dishes involving the recently-installed tandoori clay oven. Tucked away in the backstreets of Balsall Heath, the pub itself has a nice traditional feel with hints of dark panelling.
- The Old Moseley Arms -POST OFFICE VAULTS: The evening, and indeed our winter season, concludes with a call at one of Birmingham's newest real ale venues, accessed via an unprepossessing door down from New Street - blink and you almost miss it. The Post Office Vaults occupies the cellar of the former Royal Mail buildings, the underground atmosphere adding to the sense of intrigue as the bar boasts a proud array of continental and bottled ales. Nothing quite so European for me and Nick though - our All Rye Paddy hailed from Nottingham, the Milestone Brewery to be precise, and it ran the Penny's Porter close in the Beer of the Day debates. With that, it's time to catch our train home and the Chip Foundation signs off another successful winter agenda. Fear not though, I'm sure there will be plenty of cricket-themed adventures ahead!
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