- Queens Park & The Carillon -
Friday 7th March saw us getting to grips with Loughborough, a place I'd only previously been aware of for its university connections so it was good to get further beneath the market town skin. Loughborough Station is notable for the large adjacent Brush works while the town centre has a nice market square with a prominent town hall. We particularly enjoyed taking a stroll through Queens Park where 'Great Paul' refers not to yours truly but rather the casing used to cast the bell for St Paul's Cathedral. Add in the carillon tower with war memorial and there was plenty to catch our collective eye.
- Savouring Stilton -
Loughborough Beer Festival was held in the town's Polish Club, a compact venue situated off the poetically-named True Lovers Walk (sadly the alleyway doesn't feel very romantic when you actually walk along it). Space was at a premium so we ended up sitting on soft seats in the foyer, acting almost as unofficial bouncers. The ales accosted included Baltic Black, Umbel Magna, Bateman's Oatmeal Biscuit and a Colonial IPA although it was the Leatherbritches Island Rum Runner that tickled the fancy most of all. Special mention too for the stilton cobs, tasty delicacies that we would seek out again just a few days later.
- The Organ Grinder -
After a brief look at Loughborough Wharf and the Grand Union Canal, we rounded off the evening with a little tour of the town's pubs. The student population is well catered for but not at the expense of the discerning drinker, with places like the Swan In The Rushes making an excellent impression. The Organ Grinder is the Blue Monkey tap where we wrestled with some Guerrilla Stout, while the mere mention of Three Nuns had Nick giddy with ecclesiastical excitement. The Tap & Mallet had the final say as we headed back to the station - the less said about our darting exploits here the better, although we did at least liven things up for an otherwise bored barmaid!
- Posing with Porter! -
Saturday 15th March saw us eagerly retrieving the Leicestershire baton as the county's main city became the focus of our attention. If we thought Loughborough's venue wasn't the most enticing of prospects then Leicester seemed intent on rivalling its neighbour thanks to a temple crowned with coils of barbed wire. Luckily external appearances can be deceptive so the inside was more to our liking. My trusty notebook reveals that the beers braved this time around included Goat Sanctuary, Radical Red (the name seemed appropriate given the recent passing of Tony Benn), Pretorian Porter and Liquid Mistress. I also made sure to try an example from the Golden Duck Brewery (Wristy Fitzy) purely because one of the brewers is named Andy Lunn - could there really be another D9 on the planet? Ultimately however it was the combination of Stilton cobs and Church End's Chindit Jungle Juice (heavily flavoured with pineapple) that proved the most memorable. A beer festival is always a good place to encounter a Porter or two and in this case we got chatting to Phil, an instantly recognisable fellow member of Wolverhampton CAMRA.
- Ceremonial Flags at Leicester Cathedral -
Call it the explorer's instinct but I always enjoy having a good look around a place besides getting to know its pubs. Leicester seems to be focusing much marketing on the discovery of King Richard III's remains, hence there are regular references to the notorious monarch. I have to say I really enjoyed taking a look inside Leicester Cathedral, admiring the stained glass windows and carved stalls.
- The Pub -
Our post-festival Leicester lookabout comprised a variety of pubs, starting with the Salmon (recommended by Phil, busy with rugby fans) and taking in the King Richard III (we couldn't resist the royal name even though this was standard Everard's), the Globe (by the cathedral) and the Ale Wagon (Hoskins Brothers' brewhouse with 1930's detail). The New Walk quarter features two pubs almost back-to-back: the Kings Head is a definite Black Country Ales outpost where we accidentally find ourselves among a Leicester City supporters singalong, while The Pub does what it says on the tin. We just have time to say hello to Thomas Cook and Angus (the Parcel Yard stag) before catching our train home, and I have to say that the East Midlands has been well worth exploring!
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