Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2019

Friday 29th November is one of those very rare occasions when Mr D9 and Nick Turpin join forces, brought together by the unmissable event that is the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre - and I was there too of course!

- Mander Centre Merriment -

As is so often the case, my tale begins in Wolverhampton where the Mander Centre is getting nicely into the festive spirit. The annual kiddies grotto has been installed with Santa on hand for a morning photocall, aided and abetted by some rotating reindeer and various teddy bears. Christmas really is just a few weeks away so I'd better get organised with all my shopping and wrapping.

- Hub duties in Dudley Town Centre -

I digress so back to the Dudley matter in hand. Andy, Nick and I converge upon the Griffin as our eventual rendezvous point, meeting up over some perfectly decent Banks's Bitter so that Nick can contemplate a Caribbean-themed menu comprising fry fish and johnny cakes. Further down Stone Street, Mr D9 is pressed into Hub Marketing service when we spot a community hub facility near the old trolleybus terminus. 

- Let the festival frolics begin! -

And now for the main business of the day with the beer festival once again being held in Dudley Town Hall on St James's Road. Stocking up on tokens, we pitch straight into ale action courtesy of Holden's Toffee Porter (nice and treacly) and Cerne Abbas Rum and Coconut Stout. Andy is then determined to work his way up to the absolute whoppers whereas Nick is a man with a stout and porter fixation. I try a few fruity flavours - Church End Apricot among them - and seek out some silly names, Electile Dysfunction seeming very apt in these times of political uncertainty. 

- A Winter Welcome -

Toll End's Old Cockstrangler has a title also likely to raise a chuckle or two; at 7% it needs to be treated with care, as does Andy's superstrength choices of Branscombe Vale Harbinger (9%) followed by Kinver Full Centurion (a mere 10% tempter). Nick is slightly more restrained in settling for some Sarah Hughes Snowflake (clocking in at 8% only), but our unanimous vote for favourite tipple goes to New Bristol's Irish Cream Stout - Bailey's in beer form, simply superb!

- Barge & Barrelled -

Our post-festival entertainment initially involves pricey Peroni in the Glass House, an establishment situated in Dudley's former fire station building off Stone Square. Next up we make a bus 11a beeline to Tipton where the Barge & Barrel keeps guard over the Birmingham Main Line Canal's Factory Junction. Previously known as the Old Bush Inn, we pause here for a Brakspear interlude so that Mr D9 can recreate some pop hits from 1988. 

- Making new friends in Tipton -

Last and possibly least comes the Legends Bar on Owen Street, a keg outlet that is part of Tipton's main shopping precinct. We've missed the switching-on of the local Christmas lights but there is still very much a party atmosphere in town as we partake of some Carling and meet the resident cuddly toys - Andy seems particularly enchanted with the fluffy orange character seen above (no, Nick hadn't morphed into a woolly llama). After that we say our farewells, Mr D9 thwarted in his quest for an English Oak nightcap. Dudley Winter Ales Fayre never lets us down so cheers to a wonderful afternoon!