Sunshine and Cider

Friday 5th July and you always know that summer has well and truly arrived when the calendar clicks over onto the weekend of the Bromsgrove Beer Festival. The large marquee at the rugby ground is always a great setting if the weather behaves and this year it looked set to be scorching. However, there's work to be done before I can think of slaking my thirst...

- Class 350 at Marston Green -

Yes there is just the small matter of a bit of exploring to take care of first, so the morning sees me arriving in Marston Green for a few photos of a station that served me well during my early photographic adventures. All the familiar features remain present and correct, including the zigzag footbridge and the bus stops on the car park.

- Bickenhill Parish Centenary Clock -

A walk around Marston Green Village will do nicely, picking up again on some of the landmarks I first came to know almost ten years ago. There's an initial glimpse of Sheldon Country Park as a path heads off beyond the airport, but I loop back round past Marston Green Library for photos of the parish clock and the Marston Green Tavern.

- Tile Cross Terminus -

Crossing the boundary from Solihull into Birmingham, I arrive into Tile Cross where the old Bell M&B pub has become the Ginger Tree restaurant. Tile Cross Road is home to a bus turning circle that serves as the current terminus of the 17 route, although I wouldn't describe the location as one of my favourite photo spots.

- Poolway Shopping Centre Sign -

From Mackadown Lane I do battle with the Meadway, which in turn brings me to the Poolway Shopping Centre, another place that would never score highly in aesthetic assessments. The precinct isn't as grim as I feared though, and in amongst the stores is the Kents Moat Library, a Co-op and a Greggs.

- A scene from Old Yardley -

A flirtation with Garretts Green sees me passing the Rising Sun (formerly the Dovecote) and Cockshutt Hill College as I make tracks for Yardley. The Ring of Bells pub on Church Road looks a right mess with most of its roof missing, a desperate situation for what was once a handsome building. My spirits are lifted though when investigating Yardley's old village centre, a conservation area that features the medieval St Edburgha's Church and the Old Grammar School along with some pretty cottages.

- Blakesley Hall -

Further history awaits not far away in the form of Blakesley Hall, a timber-framed Tudor house built in 1590. Birmingham City Council operate the building as a museum with attractions including the Great Hall, a herb garden and a traditional orchard. 

- Bedders Fish and Chips (with onions!!) -

From Blakesley Road I flank the River Cole as I make my way towards Small Heath, branching off for a daytime photo of the Monica before settling down to a rather special lunch. I have Mr D9 to thank for introducing me to Bedders chip shop on the Coventry Road (near Heybarnes Circus). The place is an institution and my takeaway fish and chips comes complete with the wonderful chopped onions that are a Bedders speciality.

- The festival beckons -

Lunch munched I hotfoot it to Tyseley Station in readiness for meeting up with Nick in Birmingham, at the Wellington to be precise. The pub has recently been extended by the opening of an upstairs bar and rooftop terrace, allowing for some much-appreciated extra space at peak times. Nick has already made himself at home on the first floor when I arrive to partake of some Oakham Citra. We then negotiate the concourses of  a New Street Station very much in the processes of redevelopment before catching an extremely crowded Bromsgrove train. Perhaps the heat had something to do with it, but a fight broke out at Bromsgrove Station as we alighted and we had to dodge the fisticuffs to secure safe passage to the festival. Thankfully the familiar marquee was there to greet us and sanity was restored!

- Sampling the Cider -

Given that it was such a warm day, I felt in need of refreshment and decided to sample the ciders and perries rather than the ales. Among my selections were Hogan's Pickers Passion, some Impaired Vision, Roger's Jolly dry cider and the Broadoak Perry. My tokens were well spent ensuring I'd tasted dry, medium and sweet examples with the sweeter end of the scale ultimately proving more to my liking.

- Is that a bit of goat? -

As for Nick, he clung steadfastly to the dark side with tasters of Executioner's Porter, St Pirin's Porter and the stonking Betjeman Imperial Stout (a mere trifle at only 10%). To be fair he did get stuck into some lighter ales too, notably the Enville Kasitra, the tropical fruit flavours of which perhaps persuaded Nick into trying some Caribbean goat curry - very adventurous!

- Things going slightly to pot -

I finished my festival samplings by trying some Wobbly Munk, a Welsh cider that apparently is CAMRA's Cider of the Year 2013. That went down well enough but I was less enamoured with the miniature vase item I won on the tombola. Despite the dubious appeal of that particular ceramic, we considered the festival as a whole to have been a most enjoyable way to pass three hours or so.

- Thundering Molly I do believe -

Our evening was not yet over though as we rounded off with a few halves back in Birmingham. The Post Office Vaults got the ball rolling with some Hogan's Vintage Perry and a chance to witness the lesser-spotted bar billiards, whilst the Craven Arms backed up the initial excellent impression it made a few months ago by once again delivering a cracking atmosphere. However, an unexpected bonus came courtesy of the Victoria on John Bright Street where we unwittingly gatecrashed the in-house cider festival and could not resist the charms of a Hairy Ferret followed by a Thundering Molly. Do summer's days get better than this?