Maintaining my recent liking for 'buy one get one free' trip reports, this latest blogpost recounts back-to-back meetings of the Hub Marketing Board. Firstly the Chairman and the Secretary enjoyed an early evening sampling of Chapel Ash hostelries, then came a more in-depth raid upon Kingstanding and Streetly. Here is the tale of both outings...
- Cruzcampo in the Lupo Lounge -
Ever a slave to logic, let's start at the beginning which in this instance involves a Tuesday 15th May rendezvous in Wolverhampton. Chairman D9 has specifically requested we investigate Chapel Ash as it's been several years since we last ventured that way together, but he is not averse to having an opening drink somewhere in the centre of town - provided the Secretary is paying for it that is! Cue the Lupo Lounge, a bar/eaterie on pedestrianised Dudley Street where the Cruzcampo lager stings poor Mr WME to the tune of £5.30 a pint - ouch indeed. Admittedly the setting is a nice one with masses of portraiture and mirrors, not to mention a long speckled brown sofa that reminds me of the settee my Nan used to have in the 1980s.
- Crazy in the Clarendon? -
Chapel Ash is a busy little area just outside the city centre where the A41 (Tettenhall Road), A454 (Compton Road) and Merridale Road all fan out like spokes radiating away from the main Ring Road. Banks's Brewery is a major feature here so we're contractually obliged to visit their nominal brewery tap - the Clarendon Hotel - although we do go slightly rebellious when opting for the Brooklyn Lager rather than any Amber, Wainwright or Sunbeam. In some quarters this might be enough to warrant disciplinary proceedings so the Chairman tries to disguise himself with glasses, a hi-vis 'skirt' and some very strange facial expressions!!
- 'Spotted' by the former Eye Infirmary -
Besides the brewery, another important Chapel Ash landmark has to be the old Eye Infirmary. Opened in 1888, the building has seemingly been rotting for far too long after services were transferred to New Cross Hospital in 2006; there have been signs of progress in more recent months so hopefully the blight is merely temporary. A certain bald spot digests the scene then we complete our Chapel Ash crawl at three absolutely cracking boozers. The Combermere Arms is a gem of cottagey proportions, serving up a perfect glass of Twickenham Spring Ale while an elderly cat prowls around behind the bar; the Royal Oak on Compton Road is a red brick treat with a real community focus, unsurprisingly full even though it's just an ordinary Tuesday evening; and the Chindit is one of Secretary WME's all-time favourites, supplying Fixed Wheel's Top Ganna amongst a selection of blonde, pale and golden ales. Excellent!
- D9 drives the 5 through Scott Arms -
Whether we'll encounter quite the same quality come Friday 17th May remains to be seen but we'll give Kingstanding and Streetly a whirl regardless. A malfunctioning phone makes for a very stressful WME morning but the Secretary parks himself in the Wheatsheaf at West Brom hoping that the Chairman will have seen his scrambled messages; luckily Mr D9 is eventually present and correct having earlier attended the funeral of a bus driving colleague, so once the necessary Golden Glows are consumed we're all clear to proceed with our afternoon agenda. The number 5 towards Sutton Coldfield is the route we require, grunting up near Sandwell Valley Park and Hamstead to negotiate the notorious Scott Arms bottleneck crossroads.
- Mascot Moments in the (second) Kingstanding -
We alight just beyond Kingstanding Circle and intercept a helping hand 33 down to Warren Farm Road. Things have the potential to get confusing now because two of our target pubs have very similar names but we locate the Kingstanding Inn easily enough, overlooking the Conker Island play area amidst an oval of local amenities (a medical centre, primary school, Christ the King Catholic Church and so forth). The pub in this case used to be Kingstanding's Ex-Servicemen's Club so it still has the unmistakable air of a social club setting with its lobby area - it even seems to offer accommodation upstairs. M&B Mild is a Brummie throwback that seems suitable for the occasion, then we set off via Hurlingham Road so as to find our second Kingstanding-named watering hole in swift succession...
- Kingstanding Precinct -
Whereas Tuesday evening's silly songs were very safety conscious (Beverley Bunt telling us how to cross the road correctly on 'The Queen's Highway' for example), our Friday selection is more religious in tone with various Hallelujahs and Praise the Lords thrown in. Kingstanding Pub #2 is based in a function suite next to what used to be the local police station (but is now a Dominos Pizza outlet); from what we can gather, this bar effectively replaces the derelict boozer which burnt down on the other side of the Circle roundabout. Anyway, it's a very lively haunt with Aston Villa flags aplenty and sepia photos of the old Odeon cinema-turned-Mecca Bingo. A Carling each helps us blend in, mascot George makes the acquaintance of a rocking unicorn, and we can survey what's left of the boarded-up 1960s shopping precinct which is hopefully due to be replaced by a Lidl supermarket in the not-too-distant future. The sooner this happens the better really because the current mess doesn't do the area any favours.
- Elephant Riders in the Brew House -
Satisfied with our Kingstanding endeavours, we'll now switch our attentions towards Streetly whereby the 935 bus can give us a handy link onto the Hundred Acre Estate (crossing from Birmingham territory into Walsall in the process). The block of shops on Boundary Road is home to the Brew House, a popular one-roomed micropub which has deservedly won the CAMRA 2024 Pub of the Year title for Lichfield, Sutton & Tamworth Branch's portion of the West Midlands (the exact geography of these things always confuses me). Anyway, up to four rotating cask ales are usually available, complemented by ciders and craft beers too; judging by the array of previous pumpclips on show, they've stocked a lot of ales the Secretary is very partial to which must bode well. Today's tipple is Elephant Riders by Fown'd, perched on a high stool munching cobs while one of the regulars receives some birthday gifts. Well worth seeking out, isn't it surprising what treasures you can find on an average housing estate?!
- Farmer Johns, Aldridge Road -
Part of the reason for the Brew House's popularity might be that the other alternatives nearby aren't especially exciting, although our commitment to the ale cause means we're going to try them just for the sake of completion. Saying that, the Foley Arms and Farmer Johns (both Marston's) plus the Queslett (Ember Inns) must all be doing something correctly because they're certainly pulling in the punters this evening - presumably the good folk who live along the Aldridge Road corridor enjoy going out for Friday meals. The Foley is probably the more down-to-earth of the three while Farmer Johns has more of a refined dining emphasis, and the Queslett is exactly what you'd expect of an Ember with a decent drop of Adnam's Ghost Ship.
- A Cat & Fiddle Nightcap -
Hitching a lift on an incoming 997 back through to Pheasey, we've just enough wriggle room for a box boozer nightcap. The Cat & Fiddle is a presentable enough Greene King effort which faces up Collingwood Drive from its position on Beacon Road, not far from the Barr Beacon nature reserve in fact. In keeping with several of today's establishments, this one is very full (the presence of black-tied mourners might explain the busyness here) but we can squeeze in for the briefest of Carlings near a Staff Champions noticeboard. With that, we make sure we're aboard the next 5 onwards to West Bromwich and for once the Chairman is home in line with his permitted curfew time. Two for the price of one? I think we got a pretty good deal there!
No comments:
Post a Comment