- Secretary with a Snowman -
Friday 10th December 2021 commences with a bit of Birmingham business as members are keen to sample some of the 'Walking with the Snowman' trail . Based on the Raymond Briggs character, twelve seasonal sculptures have sprung up across the city centre with each one referencing a different gift from the Twelve Days of Christmas. Weaving our way through the German-themed market stalls, we locate Nine Ladies Dancing on Victoria Square outside the Town Hall. Chairman D9 then manages to tear himself away from some elf poses in order to track down Three French Hens by the Mailbox.
- Spotted at Coventry Station -
We don't want to delay getting to Coventry too long though so the 10:50 London Euston train is requisitioned as a suitable connection. Coventry railway station is currently undergoing a major overhaul with a state-of-the-art modern facility taking shape off Warwick Road, complete with bright red cladding. Mr D9 naturally is still a big fan of the existing station's brutalist 1960s architecture so we'll be intrigued to see how much of it is retained alongside the new build. 2021 City of Culture promotional hoardings are then very apparent as we stroll along the improved boulevard through to Warwick Row and Smithford Way.
- A Coventry Market Cuppa -
Any full day Hub Marketing bash requires a good breakfast so we fuel up at the cafe inside Coventry's famous in-the-round retail market. Bacon, egg, sausages, tinned tomatoes and beans are thus duly devoured, all accompanied by two thick slices of bread and butter - yum! We now feel ready for the task ahead and press on with some central Coventry exploration, noting the emerging glamour of the Telegraph Hotel as based in the city's repurposed former newspaper offices. I'm not sure whether this blog qualifies as journalistic endeavour though!
- Musical Mosaic at Pool Meadow -
An important component of our itinerary is to call in at Pool Meadow Bus Station to see some of the artwork that has been installed there this year. One mural pays homage to the bicycle pioneer James Starley while the wonderful 'Ska'd For Life' 2 Tone mosaic celebrates the city's rich musical heritage, including the likes of Vince Holliday, the Specials and the mysterious-sounding Roddy Radiation & the Skabilly Rebels. Artworks admired, we set about catching a bus to Earlsdon by intercepting the number 1 from the BS7 stop near Burges.
- The 2021 Quiff is revealed! -
No Coventry adventure is fully underway until the Chairman has premiered his latest quiff creation, and we think you'll agree that the 2021 version is suitably festive with sideburns and a kiss curl crafted out of wrapping paper. The headpiece is paraded around the streets of Earlsdon while we pick out our first pubs of the day, starting with the Cottage on Warwick Street. Pints of Charlie Wells DNA amber ale power us to some respectable Popmaster scores before we visit the craft emporium that is Beer Gonzo, a highly-regarded bottle shop with a taproom to the rear. From the dizzying array of options available, Secretary WME is immediately drawn towards the Finlandia Coffee Porter (Twisted Barrel) and we're rewarded with a powerful slurp of roasted goodness - even Mr D9 warms to this tarmac tipple.
- Broomfield Tavern at dusk -
We've covered some classic Coventry watering holes over the years and two more to vie for our affections are the Albany Hotel and the Broomfield Tavern. The former did cease trading back in 2017 but has thankfully been resurrected; saying hello to a yapping chihuahua, we settle the 2021 Pub Games Championship (WME Whirlwind retakes the title with some darting decisiveness) and hand over the latest Hub calendar. The Broomfield Tavern meanwhile is an utter gem, hiding away on Broomfield Place not far from the Rugby Club. Ted the resident St Bernard bustles about as we sup an excellent pint of Pitchfork's Yuletarn and just enjoy a relaxing natter in the most traditional of pub surroundings.
- Sky Blue Striker -
Chapelfields is next in our sights and that simply must mean dropping in on Craven Street, an otherwise ordinary residential thoroughfare around which several tempting taverns are located - it's remarkable how many pubs are to be found in such a small area. We've frequented some of them before so we concentrate on the ones we hadn't yet done, namely the Four Provinces (a neon-lit Irish haunt notable for mounted Celtic shirts plus good quality Guinness) and the Craven Arms (a swift Carling does the trick here). The Craven Street Club looks promising too but sadly the Coombe Abbey seems to have fallen by the wayside.
- And that's a wrap! -
Our Coventry Christmas Crawl concludes with a couple more pit stops intermingled with Rock & Roll singalong action (with apologies to Chubby Checker, the Chairman insists on renaming many of the tunes hence renditions of 'Let's Hub Again' and 'At The Hub'). Neither of us had heard of the Sky Blue Tavern previously but there it is as large as life by the Butts gyratory flyover; Dhillons Brewery seem to be involved here and the interior presents mock stadium seating, sports screens and pictures of legendary goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic. The curtain comes down courtesy of Hops D'Amour, billed as Coventry's first micropub and housed in an ex-Singer sewing machine shop. Lost Industry's Nightswim Stout is top notch for another dark indulgence and that's Coventry all wrapped up until we return in 2022 - cheers!
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