- Railway Station Rugby Ball -
Trip Log: 5th March 2022 sees Nick and I joining forces aboard the 10:45 train from Coventry, arriving unsuspectingly into Rugby ten minutes later to a cacophonous din of 'Dancing Queen' as the station forecourt hosts some kind of open air disco. The town's status as the birthplace of the oval-balled game is also immediately apparent thanks to a sizeable sculpture that was created to mark the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup, the tournament having been held in Japan that year. Sightings of the Stagecoach depot and Wheeltapper along Railway Terrace seem almost mundane by comparison!
- A Webb Ellis Wonder -
Minus any rucks or mauls, we make our way into the main town centre for further sporting symbolism. The traffic gyratory outside Rugby School has been graced with a Webb Ellis Cup creation that dramatically guards the northernmost tip of Dunchurch Road, while pavement markers form a 'Hall of Fame' trail celebrating notable players and achievements throughout the game's history. Pub-wise we get underway with two fairly ordinary market town taverns - both the Black Swan and the Bull are already busy with the Saturday morning Carling crowd so a half of Doom Bar in each whets our appetite for the more exciting tipples to follow.
- Nick models the Beer Menu -
To that end, we proceed to The Arnold House which has resumed hosting duties for the Rugby & District Beer Festival (apparently the 37th edition of the event in total). Grade II listed and with a masonic heritage, the building looks the part as we admire gleaming chandeliers and peruse the varied ale menu. Ever keen to dabble in the darker side of the spectrum, we start on Big Bog's Peat Bog Porter (infused with real liquorice root) and also respectively account for Bristol Milk Stout, Neptune Brewery's Holy Diver (quite ticklish due to an underlying tweak of chilli or pepper) and Flagship's Strobe, an appetising chocolate orange milk stout.
- Bass Breweriana in the Merchants Inn -
One of the festival-attending aspects I most missed during lockdown was the chance to meet some true characters so it's great to be able to catch up with a couple of Nick's Warwickshire contacts. We are thus duly brought up to speed on Norwegian fjord cruises and Regimental Museum happenings whilst confirming that Wild Beer's Millionaire is the standout selection today - we couldn't possibly ignore tasting notes that state "this beer wraps you in a velvety cocoon, dresses you in a smart suit and takes you out for a special night on the tiles"?! We don't quite descend into all out party mode thereafter although a visit to the Merchants Inn is essential for breweriana galore and an excellent half of Acorn's Gorlovka Stout, lovely!
- Asteroid Assistance in the Windmill -
The warming log fire and comfy Chesterfield thrones of the Merchants threaten to be a total crawlwrecker but we have other establishments to assess before the fat lady starts singing. Options include the Prince of Wales (a down-to-earth drinkers' haunt on Drury Lane) and the Courthouse (a beige-beamed Brewers Tudor affair which seems surprisingly quiet), however it's the Black Country Ales appeal of the Windmill that tempts us into an Asteroid encounter. Our finale comes on Castle Street care of London Calling!, a modern bar with an avowed liking for The Clash (hence the name). Church End's Goats Milk becomes our nightcap half while we watch some of the Liverpool v West Ham evening football fixture. Cheers!
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