March = Spring = Longer Days = Brighter Weather (we can but hope). The seasons change as they always must, and the first day of the new month is put to good use with a Birmingham-based adventure. Nick and Jane are willing accomplices as we sample Bartons Arms opulence and the delights of Digbeth...
- Birmingham Cathedral -
Trip Log: Saturday 1st March 2025 and there are bright West Midlands skies to cheer us all the way to the Second City. A brief snoop around by St Philip's Cathedral cranks the camera into gear, noting the statue dedicated to Charles Gore who was the first Anglican Bishop of Birmingham (serving between 1905 and 1911). Colmore Row's architecture shimmers in the sunshine whereby the Chatwin Building carries medallions of Benvenuto Cellini and Lorenzo Ghiberti, two noted Italian sculptors. Pictures pocketed, we declare it close enough to 11am for it to be Pub O'Clock...
- A Wellington Appetiser -
Our designated meeting point will be the Wellington, with Jane and I arriving first and then keeping watch for our resident royal to appear along Bennetts Hill. A longstanding purveyor of excellent ales, the Welly is doing a roaring morning trade no doubt boosted by the early kick off at St Andrews later. We find a free table among the Bluenoses and peruse the pub's many CAMRA certificates, recognition of the esteem in which the place is held. Black Country Ales are the operators here and are launching their annual Ale Trail, requiring participants to visit 25 of their 53 pubs for the chance to win a polo shirt and case of beer. Rowton's Meteorite or Rooster's London Thunder ensures we get our passports stamped, just 24 more to go!
- Bartons Arms Tiling -
Finding the correct Moor Street bus stop among a mass of tram-related roadworks is no mean achievement but eventually we board the number 51 north into Newtown. The Bartons Arms is no stranger to the WME blog so we were concerned to hear that it had suddenly closed last year. Thankfully this turned out to be a temporary issue and normal service resumed in August with all the late Victorian splendour we know and love intact. I could wax lyrical about Minton tiles and wooden snob screens but you really have to see it for yourself to appreciate just how magnificent the interior truly is. Green Duck's Babylon and Black Sheep Bitter were the ales on show this time around, and we even snuck up the grand carpeted staircase for a cheeky peek inside the Palace of Varieties function suite. Spectacular doesn't do it justice!
- Yo Birmingham! -
From the Bartons Arms we head back across town so as to spend the afternoon in Digbeth, that melting pot district just beyond the Bull Ring which seems to set Birmingham's cultural heartbeat. You're never short of pub options - or street art - in this neck of the woods so we land in the Rainbow on the corner with Adderley Street, enticed by a lively Beavertown mural featuring a series of skeleton-like characters. Inch's Cider slips down nicely in a velvety back room noted for embossed gilded wallpaper, all rather refined. Sports screens show the football match with promotion-seeking Blues closing out a narrow victory over Wycombe Wanderers.
- The Spotted Dog -
Knowing that hordes of fans will be descending imminently eager to celebrate said 1-0 result, we hotfoot it over to Alcester Street and the Irish mainstay that is the Spotted Dog. Our timing is impeccable, for no sooner have we armed ourselves with Holden's Mild and Aspalls than the place goes from virtually empty to packed out within the space of five minutes. Musician portraits and bottle candleholders caked in layers of wax are part of the charm, sitting in the side snug munching tasty salad cobs. I could literally have stayed in here all day but switch we must to the Old Crown on Deritend, reputedly one of Brum's most historic buildings. The timber frame is worthy of note, even if the 1368 date might be dubious; either way, this is equally as busy so it's standing room only joining the throng by the back yard cocktail van.
- Beware Woolfs with Big Balls -
Much of Digbeth's artistic sparkle centres around the Custard Factory, which probably feels a far cry from the days when Alfred Bird & Sons were manufacturing their prized yellow powder. Independent cafes, bars and workshops are to the fore, including Chance & Counters wherein you can sample craft beers and ciders whilst picking from an extensive range of board games; it's too full for us to get a table indoors but we can sit outside and partake of appley goodness. Birdies is similarly lively - we encounter Sharp's Cold River cider here in what appears to be a portakabin setting - before the fun and games go up a notch at the Roxy Lanes bowling alley. Let's just say Jane knows her way around a bowling ball!
- HRH shows how it's done -
Making ourselves at home on Lane 8 (with guardrail bumpers up due to our novice status), we progress through two competitive games of ten pin bowling. The first one sees The Woolf all triumphant, beating His Majesty and 'Ano Paul' with relatively ease having scored a strike with her very first attempt. The second game is a Paul versus Jane grudge match which Mr WME takes on the final frame, suddenly finding unerring accuracy that had otherwise been absent! Somersby Cider is selected from the bank of craft taps in ensuring we won't go thirsty, and besides the bowling they also offer shuffleboard, American Pool or 'Beer Pong' activities.
- Ruined in The Ruin? Not Quite! -
Darting beneath viaduct arches, we make the Ruin on Floodgate Street our final port of call for an apparent taste of European dive bar sensibilities. I can't comment on whether it replicates accurately the type of haunts you might find in Budapest or Prague but there's a mysterious shabbiness at play which makes for a nice contrast. Orchard Pig cider is detected, winning our vote ahead of the Purity UBU and Gold offerings, while scuffed furniture and courtyard murals add to the overall effect. All in all it's been a memorable day mixing old favourites with newer discoveries, dodging football fans and generally enjoying the Second City sunshine. Cheers!
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