Our meeting hour was set for about 12:30pm so I was able to indulge in an explorational aperitif around Wordsley. The local library has been reconfigured a bit since I last saw it, and although Wordsley Green precinct is still the same old place, the Red Lion pub has been converted into a Sainsbury's Local convenience store.
- Wordsley Library -
I continue out towards Lawnswood, passing King George Park which was busy with the rough and tumble of Saturday morning parks football. Balmoral Road leads me into the Ashwood Park estate, where Sandringham Place is home to the local pub (The Ashwood) and a row of shops that mostly look closed down. I can then take a brief look at the Stourbridge Canal, pausing at Bells Mill Bridge to admire some leafy towpath views.
- View from Bells Mill -
Roger is waiting on Wollaston Farm ready to introduce me to his reconstructed ear - I have to say the medics have done a great job in fashioning a new lobe to replace the one that got ripped off in a freak accident last year. With all ears present and correct it is time to commence the crawl, so a swift shuttle on the X96 brings us to Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston ready for our opening gambit.
- The Foresters Arms -
The Foresters Arms is a lovely cottage pub nestled among trees on the country boundary where the West Midlands meets Staffordshire. Starting here means we can walk downhill into Stourbridge so there is method in the madness! The place seemed to be doing a roaring trade with lunchtime meals so we had to squeeze our way over to the bar to collect some Young's Bitter. Pet portraits complete the scene as we couldn't have wished for a better start.
Our second stop is The Plough, another pub that seemed to be popular with diners given that the restaurant area looked full. We opted for the bar area around the back, eyeing up ales that included temptation from Enville and Wye Valley although it was the Everard's Tiger that got our vote, mine being accompanied by a very enjoyable slice of black pudding pork pie.
- Ear ear, it's Rog in the Plough -
Rog thought it best to avoid the Gate Hangs Well due to undisclosed previous events there, so our next port of call is The Unicorn, a no nonsense Batham's boozer that epitomises great Black Country hospitality. Batham's Bitter is truly a beer to behold and it was certainly on top form here, the perfect way to soak up the atmosphere. Another quality local ale awaits a few doors down where the Holden's Golden Glow in The Princess helps me cope with having to watch the dreaded West Bromwich Albion. The pub was formerly known as the Alexandra but was renamed as a tribute following the death of Princess Diana.
- The Unicorn -
Wollaston Junction sees us leaving Bridgnorth Road behind to descend Enville Street proper. Sadly the Waterloo as was is no longer an option, this former Simpkiss house having been converted into a Bangladeshi restaurant a couple of years ago. The Cottage Spring is still trading though in its current guise as the very smart Graham's Place, and it is here that I make the acquaintance of Keith Lemon over a pint of Angel Ale.
- A right lemon! -
With many exclamations of "Ooosh!" and "Bang Tidy!" we continue down the hill to Katie Fitzgerald's, a pub with an Irish vibe that is known for hosting live music. Having now got well into character, 'Keith' orders the drinks here and I sample something from Shropshire in the form of Wood's Wonderful. Mr Lemon Esq tried the Tribute as we chatted with a regular about Mario Lanza beermats.
- Katie Fitzgerald's -
Two neighbouring pubs next as we encounter the Somerset House swiftly followed by the Queen's Head. The Somerset saw Rog and I resuming darts hostilities, and despite my attempts at deep concentration Mr Chance prevailed by two legs to one. I had my revenge in the Queens though by claiming the cheapest round of the day by a distance - Joule's Pale Ale adding another different brewery to the mix as consolation for the news that Wolves had lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest.
- Darting Demon: a study in concentration -
An afternoon of superb yet responsible drinking had now seen us reach the confines of the Stourbridge Ring Road but we had one final treat in store courtesy of the Royal Exchange. Keith Lemon again came to the fore and provoked much debate among the other customers as we sampled both Batham's Mild and Bitter. This was the perfect place to round things off, enjoying the banter in the bustling bar before heading home. We certainly did the crawl justice and Rog's ear can consider itself well and truly christened!
- Ears to a great trip! -
No comments:
Post a Comment