Glugging Around Gornal: A January Jaunt

Foundation Assemble! Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to raid the pubs and taverns of deepest Gornal in search of ale, cobs and merriment. Will you be up to the task? There's only one way to find out...

- The Jolly Crispin -

The first Chip Foundation outing of 2026 stands to be a wet one. His Majesty has requested an extended Glugging Around Gornal session as a follow up to December's calendar unveiling affair, during which we spotted a Stripey Oss among other things. Several of our old favourites are in line to be revisited in the rain, starting with the Jolly Crispin on Clarence Street. Indeed, Nick has forged ahead to claim a prime table in the rustic old bar and is happily clutching his Ossett White Rat by the time Stephen, Ken and I pitch up off the number 1 bus. Promising a festival of beer everyday, this used to be the Fownes Brewery tap but now functions as a free house that - if the date on the paintwork is to be believed - first got going circa 1820.

- Britannia Buddies -

Conversation about Eastbourne holidays, Beardsmore tenants and the recent snowy weather prepares us for a stroll down the road to collect that other Upper Gornal mainstay, namely the Britannia. Some of us were only here last month but it's always a joy to return, especially if there is Batham's Best Bitter in the offing. HRH goes rogue by sampling the Mild - which he rates very highly - and we find ourselves budging in amongst the regulars in the main bar due to Sally's Parlour room being used for interviews. One of the barmaids is working wonders in getting a roaring fire fully stoked up, just what you need on a chilly grey day in January. We mostly gloss over our Ashes cricket reflections (probably too traumatic for poor Stephen to contemplate) and instead debate Greenland developments plus the general rate of inflation.

- Cheers from the Chapel House -

Gornal can be a hilly challenge so we're wisely going down into Lower Gornal rather than attempting any mountaineering in the other direction. Holloway Street and Ruiton Street thus bring us safely to the Chapel House, an establishment we last frequented together way back in December 2010. It was called the Miners Arms at that point but has reverted to an earlier name as well as having its external render removed to showcase the underlying sandstone; Holden's have owned the place since around 1949 hence their range of Bitter, Special and Golden Glow is on hand to tempt us. The locals are playing darts (complete with electronic voiceover) at the front of the pub so we sit near the back, Ken being quizmaster in finding us various BBC football questions to answer based on rounds in Richard Osman's House of Games, Only Connect and Mastermind. Getting 'Trent Alexander Arnoldham' as an Answer Smash might be my finest moment of the day!

- The Fountain Inn -

The next couple of watering holes shouldn't require too much of an introduction, both having been recorded in the annals of my blogdom several times over the years. Passing the edges of St James's Churchyard - where most of the graves look very well cared for - we reach the Fountain as positioned in a sloping formation halfway along Temple Street. For many editions this was a Good Beer Guide shoo-in and we're pleased to report that the quality and breadth of the ale range is hitting the heights still. His Majesty considers himself to be a Fallen Angel (no comment) whereas I simply can't resist the Abbeydale Irish Cream Stout which tastes like a heavenly mixture of Baileys and Guinness. Stephen by this stage is so replete with Pepsi that he can't face another half and prefers to concentrate on munching a much appreciated sausage roll. A comfortable lounge table beckons for Bridge of Lies as the daytime diet of endless quiz shows gets into full swing.

- The Old Bull's Head -

Leaving Ross Kemp to his brooding hosting duties, we switch straight across the road into the Old Bull's Head which also happens to be the Black Country Ales flagship. The company has gone from strength to strength since being founded in 1999 and now owns over 50 taphouses with more being added to the estate each year. Gornal however is their spiritual home so it's always a pleasure to pop by and pick from whichever beers they have on show, which today includes their standard BFG, Fireside and Pig on the Wall plus several guests. I personally partake of Oakham's Hell Bent Coffee Porter which has a pronounced roasted bitterness to match well with some bargain vegetable samosas. The front two rooms have been knocked into one but its an inviting space, decorated in the company's house style and lending itself to deep conversation with a background hint of Smooth Radio. 

- Bush Brethren -

From the Old Bull's Head, we continue our descent past Gornal Wood Bus Station to reach the third of the Gornal communities (Upper, Lower and Wood). The Woodman doesn't look open and has a planning notice sellotaped up by the front door so we hope this isn't terminal; thankfully the Bush Inn on Summit Place is very much alive and kicking. This is a cottagey number that can go under the radar a little compared to the cask ale heavyweights nearby although it's definitely worth seeking out. A tight cask range gives us a choice between St Austell Proper Job or Exmoor Gold - South West beers in the heart of the Black Country - before we park ourselves in the little front snug surrounded by heavily blackened beams. Having settled in, Ken gives us the back story to his new coat purchase and we deliberate over what might become of Wolverhampton Wanderers once relegation is confirmed.

- Milk Stout Moments in PACK -

I make that six Gornal stopping points duly accounted for, a glorious half dozen that covered three local breweries and some excellent independent houses. The 27A bus collects us from Gornal Wood Bus Station at 17:13 for a ride via The Straits (the Longfellow Road variation), Sedgley, the Northway estate and Goldthorn Park. Back in Wolverhampton by 6pm, we finish off at PACK to see what the chaps make of the city centre's latest bar arrival. As with Mr D9 last week, impressions are very favourable with Nick's eyes predictably lighting up at the sight of the table football machine upstairs. Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout is the perfect smooth finale to a day of high class beer, and the first floor soft sofa area also scores highly. Cheers!

The Chip Foundation Calendar Crawl

The festive season is all about traditions - Christmas trees, crackers, roast turkey, sprouts - and one of my personal favourite customs is the annual presentation of Chip Foundation calendars at the Great Western, my way of saying thank you to Stephen and Nick for putting up with my photo requests over the preceding twelve months. As has been the case in the last few years, we make a little trip out of the occasion so here's a quick summary of what we got up to...

Mr B and I meet at midday for the number 1 bus across to Sedgley where Nick is already warmly ensconced within the bosom of the Beacon Hotel having maintained his preferred trick of being there bang on opening time. A couple of things have changed since we last came in April, namely that the conservatory has been refitted into more of a drinking zone, and a small room off the main corridor has likewise been brought into public use having previously always been a staff quarters - I guess the pub has become so popular now they need all the space they can muster. The famed Dark Ruby Mild is as good as ever, washed down with an essential and highly drinkable 8% Sarah Hughes half of Snowflake which definitely warms the back of one’s throat! His Majesty meanwhile gallantly does battle with a huge cheese and onion cob so big it takes him ages to eat until it succumbs to inevitable consumption eventually. Stephen is still traumatised by the latest Ashes and Wolves defeats so we avoid sporting topics in favour of more cheerful discussions about political ineptitude and the prospects of war.

- Beacon Hotel Sign -

Onwards and we’ve business in mind in Upper Gornal where a new micropub (the Stripey Oss) has recently opened on Kent Street precinct, just across the road from the Spills Meadow. A willing 1 gets us there easily enough and we locate the arcade unit which used to be a painting and decorating supplies store. The name alone is a novelty - referencing the Black Country dialect's description for a zebra - so some of the incumbent artwork references said animal, as do posters seeking to set up darts and poker teams. They’ve not been going all that long (I think it first launched in mid-October) so there’s a whiff of fresh paint and DIY to contend with. Cask ales mainly get delivered in readiness for the weekend so although they have an Ickle Brewery clip on show we have to make do with the craft keg stuff this time around, Salt’s Alpacalypse being an amusing take on a sessionable pale ale.

- The Stripey Oss -

A few doors up the road is our old friend the Britannia, purveyor of Bathams beers which means Nick and I might get chance to sample the special XXX beer that eluded us at the Lamp Tavern recently. The longed-for dark bull pumpclip is indeed on display so we linger for a relaxed half, recalling fond memories of our first joint Christmas trip back in 2010 when we took up station in the Games Room. Fifteen whole years on, we’re back once more only this time around we prefer to sit in Sally’s Parlour, a classic unspoiled realm of mottled green leather, framed family portraits and antique cash registers. A sprinkling of festive decorations - an elf on a shelf, a toy workshop, tinsel around the carriage clock - gives a yuletide flavour to make the setting seem even more special.

- Pork Crunch in the Parlour -

Catching the bus back to Wolverhampton, I’m keen to pay an inaugural visit to PACK on Queen Square but it isn't open (their trading hours will apparently settle down once more staff are recruited). The Lych Gate Tavern thus gets summoned from the substitutes bench to fill the void. It’s never a hardship coming here regardless, Nick being eager to give it a whirl especially when we realise the dark ales have Saltaire’s Montezuma Triple Choc Stout among their number. A downstairs seat among the tartan upholstery over on the left works well, it not being overly busy although there are a few folks about. Mr Beardsmore leads us on a Review of the Year, reflecting back on notable events and happenings, including his season-long commitment to watching Warwickshire here there and everywhere.

- Holden's Old Ale -

And finally to the Great Western main event, once I’ve snuck into work to retrieve the all-important calendars from my locker. Ken has been in touch and is joining us after playing whist in Harborne - he certainly gets around does our Mr May - so we find him at the kitchen hatch table just inside the conservatory extension. Following on from Snowflake and the Bathams XXX, I complete the Holy Trinity of local heavy hitters by procuring a pint of treacly deep Holden’s Old Ale (£4.95 a pint and worth every penny) - we’re so lucky to have such notable yuletide brews produced on our doorstep. Various Christmas cards are exchanged and now comes the big moment itself. Stephen first had one of my calendars in 2010 with Nick getting one the year after, so the handover has been a seminal gathering for well over a decade. The 2026 editions feature Mr B flanked by Hove deckchairs, red-nosed Rudolphs and recreating his Friar Tuck role at White Ladies Priory whereas His Highness has Jane frickles, Kenilworth sword poses and bits of bellringing to adorn his wall next year. Cheers!