Beartown Bearskinful at the Golden Cross Hotel, Bromsgrove

It’s great to see that a modern pub chain has taken on one of Bromsgrove’s historic buildings. It’s a shame that they haven’t done a better job inside. As soon as you walk in, it’s dark and gloomy. There’s a few circular tables near the entrance and there’s some private booths on the right. There’s also a bookcase with some interesting titles near the tables by the access ramp. Then you’ve got a long bar with a pillar in the middle that does a great job of dividing up the bar so that you can’t see all the beers in one go. This means that service is often slow and usually there’s only two people serving at any time. There’s also some high tables for those who just want to sit and drink. Beyond this is a raised area which is ideal for dining. There’s also a rear courtyard which functions as a beer garden.

Social Shunning #dreamdiary84

I’m sitting in someone’s flat. It turns to be one of my old room mates. She’s sitting on the windowsill in a plain T-shirt and pyjamas asking what I’ve been up to. I’m aware that not much has changed in these last fifteen years and I think that she’s left her husband but I’m not entirely sure. I’m just about to update her when her house mates come in. They take one look at me and totally ignore me and take over the entire conversation; talking about going into town for the evening. I’m not involved or asked about once; and I’m not even offered a cup of tea when one of them puts the kettle on for her. I think about leaving them to it, but my friend seems so downtrodden and depressed. She’s barely spoken a word and I wait to see what she would like to do.

Woodcote Manor Half Cut at the Little Ale House, Bromsgrove

This micropub is tucked away on a side-street alongside a row of takeaways. It’s not the most glamorous place in town to put a pub, but then again it’s not the most glamorous of pubs. Its décor is simple yet functional. At the front are some traditional tables and a sofa for those who wish private conversations. Alongside the wall is a long raised pew with tables to match. Above this are various awards that the pub has won on a chipboard. The bar itself is a simple wooden counter with six casks directly behind it. It used to be nine but the top shelf is now dedicated to a gin bar. Three ales are usually available while three more settle; if you’re lucky you might see a fourth while you’re there. Beers tend to be from the Midlands area and are displayed on a chalk board alongside ciders and perry. There’s no electric fonts dispensing drinks here.

JDW pub limits parents to two drinks

The nanny state has arrived at the pubs. There’s nannying over the nannying. A lot of people are probably unaware that it’s illegal to be drunk while in charge of children. A lot of the time you just don’t think about it, especially if someone in the party is a driver as that person is deemed to the sensible person as well as the responsible one. But trouble begins when people start to lose control. If the children start to act up then someone needs to take responsibility for them but in a calm and humane manner. Pubs shouldn’t have to do this for them but it’s important that someone does. But it’s going to be difficult to enforce; especially during busy periods. Someone’s got to mentally log who’s drinking what and it gets more complicated when people start to buy rounds. And then you’ve got the fun of dealing with these lovely customers…

Delay but no Repay

I’m off on the train back home.  It’s not crowded and it’s only a few minutes late. On board, I’m lucky to get a row to myself near the back. We leave the station, turn the corner and come to a halt. The driver reports that the British Transport Police have ordered all trains using this line to stop because there’s trespassers on the line. We’re not going anywhere. My friend rings and suggest that we meet for a pint later. I tell him that I’d love to but I’ve got no idea when I’m going to be back because of the delay. Forty-five minutes later, we get moving again. I jump off the train to make my connection home, but I get stuck behind an old lady on the stairs. As I get to the top, my next train has departed and it’s a half-hour wait till the next one. Defeated, I call my friend and tell him that I’m unable to meet him. But the worst of it was that the train company wouldn’t pay out for the delay. They claim that it was a circumstance that was out of their control. But surely the trespassers should cough up? Maybe the police couldn’t prosecute in this case. But I feel that someone should have footed the compensation.

"No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.

If you’ve got nothing left in the world, how can you change yourself into a new person? If you’ve had to commit crime to survive, you need to put it behind you. However far you’ve travelled or how low you’ve sunk, there’s always the opportunity to explore somewhere new and rise again. Mourning your regrets will achieve nothing. Forgiveness is the key to moving forward, whether it’s forgetting the past or ignoring what others have done is up to you. You’ve just got to find a way that works for you and convince everyone that it’s the right thing to do. Find a new philosophy and stick to it. It’s a bit like re-installing new software. But you’ve got to convince others that you want to change. And that’s a big step. Only through tolerance and working together can we make change happen. The problem is how. Dedicate yourself to it!

Burns and Beer

I wonder what others think

When I come out alone to have a drink.

Just because my breath may stink

Doesn’t mean that I’m on the brink.

It’s just a way of killing time

Like writing down things that rhyme.

Altogether I’m feeling fine

And there’s not really any depressive signs.

You may think that I’m slightly mad

To be alone with the beer that I’ve had

Or you may feel a little bit sad

To find that I’m not out with the lads.

The truth is that I’m on a trail

To find the country’s very best ale.

From the Southern Coast to the Yorkshire Dales,

I’ve travelled around by bus, foot and by rail.

For every beer I give a score

And the ones that I’ve never tried before

Are recorded so that I don’t drink more

And make my poor old liver sore.

It would be an amazing dream

If I was able and keen

To visit all the pubs I’ve seen

In all these magazines.

Little Nick

He’s a small chap with a big heart and a phone to match. He enjoys his sports and never goes anywhere without his Chelsea beanie. His usual apparel is a pair of thinly wired glasses over a sweatshirt that’s usually brewery-related followed by a pair of baggy trousers over a pair of white trainers. With a classic moustache and stubble to match his stubbornness; you wouldn’t want to be on the losing side of him or you’ll never hear the end of it. He’s got a loud, confident voice but he only speaks when he’s sure of something and often repeats the end of his sentences. He’s eager to share his knowledge but he’s never ready to learn. If he needs help, he’ll let everyone know. The strangest moment that I witnessed with him was when we ere on the bus home and an old school friend of his was trying to have a conversation with him about the olden days and he was trying to ignore him. Perhaps there were some unpleasant memories that he was trying to avoid.

Conwy Yakima Grande at Montgomery's Tower, Shrewsbury

I’m on the hunt to scan a last Cask Marque certificate on an ad-hoc pub crawl in Shrewsbury. I’m standing in a car park looking for a Wetherspoons but all I can see is the back of shops, a library, and a gym situated in a new building with modern cladding. Suddenly I spot it on the ground floor. Inside is a large bar full of people waving menus around. I wander around the pub hoping to spot the certificate and consider doing a cheeky scan and disappearing to another pub up the road, but then a second smaller bar appears. I settle in for a pint; mainly so that I can save 50p with a voucher. I find a high table and stool in the centre of the pub and perch up and watch the world go by. There’s quite a few skimpy ladies about; and I realise that this town is probably the party capital of the mid-west. It’s where the hen parties and farmer’s daughters go to let their hair down.

What's something you can't believe you had to explain to another adult?

There was a bit of a language barrier when I served this lady, and at first I thought she was looking for assistance with a computer keyboard rather than a music keyboard. It turned out that she had damaged her power cable and wanted to seek a repair. I said that we could put her in touch with a manufacturer to see what service they offered but she was unwilling to pay an extra charge. My next effort was to sell her a multi-volt adapter, but she was scared that the same situation would repeat itself; and that she wouldn’t know what setting to use. I then wondered if it would work on batteries. She did think it would run on batteries, but she was unsure of the model number or which batteries to use or where they should go. I ended up bringing one out of the storeroom and demonstrating how they should fit; and she bought the batteries regardless without us knowing if they were the correct size. She hasn’t been back (at least while I’ve been in store) so hopefully all is well…

A Stumble Around Shrewsbury

The first pub that I visited was called the Wheatsheaf. This was a corner pub at the top of a hill opposite a church, and it was the first pub I came across as I crossed the river. There was a patio with narrow streets abound but there were still people attempting to drive through them. I got a half from an unenthusiastic barman then set myself up in a corner on a wooden square table with a man reading a newspaper at the other end. Records then showed that I entered the Nag’s Head and had a half of Moorhouse, though my memory doesn’t recall the interior or exterior of the pub at all. I even found the Cask Marque certificate. Next stop was the Hole in the Wall. I entered this little pub through a side entrance and at first I thought it was a Wetherspoon’s because of the signage. Sadly it was not to be, as the only beer available was Greene King’s IPA. But what I did enjoy was the Hole in the Wall; a large bricked cavern-like tunnel built inside of the hill. In olden times the pub used to be the town’s jail, and it currently hosts music events in the evening.  

An Ordnance Oddity

In this day and age with GPS abound; you might not think that you need a map. But when you’re out on open ground; you can’t always guarantee the reliability of that little blue dot; especially when it comes to following public footpaths. Even with the luxury of being able to download a digital map doesn’t convince me. I prefer a paper map any day as you’re not standing there holding a screen waiting for the update to update and sometimes it’s fun to figure things out for yourself. But there’s a conspiracy afoot. It seems that every time I purchase an Ordnance Survey map; there’s always a section which the map doesn’t cover. This particular section; however interesting it may be; will always be found on the next map which means that I must make another purchase. My interest is never in the centre; it’s always on the edges. And it might take a while to get the complete set.

The Giant's Pillow

As we’re jumping around on this giant’s pillow, I’m wondering what the giant thinks about all this. Where has he gone while we’re playing on his headrest? Is he in hiding? Does he even know that dozens of people are bouncing on his berth? And where is the rest of his bed? Maybe he wears a cloak which doubles as a blanket in the evening. Perhaps he’s the owner of the farm and rents it out to earn income for his extravagant upkeep. Or maybe he never changes his routine and we can get away with it providing that we’re out by sundown. But what happens if he did? Would the staff arrive to find that they can’t open the park because he’s still asleep? And how would the giant react if he came home early after an exhausting day to find his humble abode crawling with kids? I hope foe his sake that it’s left clean and tidy.

The Goes Wrong Show

I was looking forward to seeing a show where everything goes wrong. As it was televised there were probably a lot more technical things that could have gone wrong, but that would miss the point of it being a play. It was great that the character tried to persevere regardless (especially the elves) but the lack of a plot meant that most of the comedy seemed to appear from the set falling apart rather than the actors. Some of the acting itself was just too overdone and under convincing; especially when we’re supposed to believe that a woman in her late twenties is supposed to be a little girl. But I did enjoy the lack of preparation in some respects, like asking what noise does a reindeer make? The extra props to make the special effects work brought on some giggles too. And Santa addressing the fourth wall while having a few nips made for some interesting results too. There’s no morale to the play; just an attempt at comedy. But it would be great to see more of this sort of thing.

Room for Improvement

We decided to treat my older niece to a present as she couldn’t join us today, so we headed into the farm shop. I expected to see some toys and snacks for the kids and maybe sone souvenirs but the cupboard was bare. All we saw were a couple of fridges containing a few farm-made ready meals and some animal medicine alongside some bales of hay. As we left, a man came in and told us of his plans for expansion; that they were hoping to build a soft play area for the colder months and an indoor petting zoo. They were just waiting for planning permission. The girls have since been back with their cousins and told us that they’ve done this as well as increased their range of animals; though it’s not clear whether these are to play with or to sell at the farm shop or a bit of both.

A Disastrous Dessert #nuclearmermaid7

The tank seemed brighter than usual. Jenny couldn’t think what it was. Maybe it was the sun perhaps? She started to shield her eyes; then thought it might be better to get a little bit closer. Would she really be able to breathe fresh air and bask her hair in its warmth? She reached up and the white cover fell off easily with a clatter to the ground. It immediately got colder and some of the light began to fade. Then a smaller series of white lights began to focus on her chest. She got a bit concerned at this and tried to see over them. She just about got a glimpse of a crowd of bipeds pointing small rectangular boxes in her direction. As she stood on her tail, the lights continued to follow her, so she decided to collapse herself back into the safety of the tank. As she dropped, her tail fin caught the edge of the glass. It splintered, then cracked, then smashed into a thousand pieces, sending water everywhere. The bipeds fled in terror.

Prancing Ponies

There was no doubt that our favourite part of the park was a giant inflatable pillow. This was an enormous bouncy cushion that was pumped up to the max that let us bounce as high as we dared. Millie especially bouncing in between my bounces as they inevitably sent her higher. Next to that was a small adventure playground which had a couple of towers and a swing and slide, and Millie enjoyed that we pretended to live there as husband and wife. There was also a huge Shetland pony that was often led around the park on a rope, but because of its size, Millie was terrified of approaching it. Just around the corner was a race-car track complete with electric vehicles, but the building looked very dark inside and Millie didn’t want to hang about inside there for too long as she couldn’t see some of the animals in the pens very well.

Pub on Fire #dreamdiary 83

There’s been a fire at my local pub. It’s not my preferred local; that’s in the other direction from my house. This is the one for hard knocks that you’d only pop in for a desperate pint if there was nowhere else to go. The police have closed the road and street off to allow the emergency services to finish clearing up. I race upstairs a people’s home complex opposite for a better view; and one of the flats is vacant and open. I venture into the unfurnished home to find a reporter taking pictures of the remains of the pub. It’s been completely covered with smoke. Men are walking in and out with furniture and are dumping it on the roadside. What caused the fire isn’t clear. Was it an insurance job to convert the land into houses? Was it the pub company’s usual tactic when things don’t go their way? Or did a true tragedy occur here?

Down at the Farm

It was a nice sunny day in July and, faced with the task of babysitting, we decided to take the girls out to a local petting farm. Unfortunately, one of then had to go into hospital for an operation, so that was one less to worry about. We pulled into a working farm in front of a row of small outhouse buildings and proceeded to an office outside a large barn. We paid our admission fee and bought some animal feed too. We then had to walk through a huge barn of pigs which was quite imitating to our two-year-old, and I ended up picking her up and carrying her through. On the other side was a large square fence which you could walk alongside to feed the animals. I showed Millie how to do it but she was still nervous. Occasionally she would tap the animal on the head.

From One Offence to Another

The brewery that I love to hate is in the news again, and all for the wrong reasons. This time they’ve been using partial swear words on billboards to advertise a new non-alcoholic beer. I tried one of their earlier attempts a few years ago; it was named Nanny State and it was just awful; which is probably what this relates to. Is a motherfucker sober when he’s in action? He could be quite inebriated when performing the act. What’s even worse is the fact that the company who owned the billboards allowed this to happen as well. Apparently, they found a second definition of “motherfu” which somehow places the person in a remarkable context. I’d like to see the context of that. Should they be fined too? Or perhaps Brewdog have already negotiated a higher fee with them to cover this eventuality. Is it in fact one giant publicity stunt? If so, they’re certainly pushing the boundaries of what they’re allowed to do. Or are they as blind as they are tasteless and think that people are incapable of filling in the blanks?

The Water Lily

Mum’s had a water lily in the pond for quite a while, but ever since we’ve decided to clear the fish out of the pond, it’s had trouble flowering in its new home in a pot. We don’t know if it’s the pond water or the marine life that’s kept it alive, but last year she finally gave up on it and threw it away. As Christmas was approaching, I thought what would make a nicer gift than a new one for next year? We’d been into a shop that was recommended to us to get some pond cleaner; and we had a browse while we were there. She did like the look of their water lilies but thought that they were a bit on the expensive side, so I decided to treat her. The only problem that I’ve got now is taking her back to the shop so that she can pick something that she likes.

If you want to succeed in life, remember this phrase:

‘That past does not equal the future. Because you failed yesterday, or all day today, or a moment ago, or for the last six months, the last 16 years, or the last 50 years of your life, doesn’t mean anything…’ -Tony Robbins.

It’s always good to succeed at something, however small. It gives you confidence to take the next step, however big it may be. You need to remember your roots and where you’ve come from, but you can’t let it get it in the way of where you want to be. Success is a recognition of every action, but to get to it you need to apply the method. You need to start afresh with every action. Failure is a learning process, and if you can identify what went wrong then you’re less likely to fail next time. Don’t dwell on the past because you can’t change that. Focus on what you can change. Even when you failed a moment ago, there is still an opportunity to turn the tables in your favour. Just bear in mind that the past can be meaningless sometimes so keep trying and never give up.

Supporter's Garage

I’ve been told that we should show our supporter’s colours this tournament. It’s a little bit like decorating your house over Christmas. So I rigged a flag to drape over the garage door. It was quite difficult to do, but eventually I managed to tie some string from the top side of the flag through each hoop and onto the supporting struts on the other side of the door. The best bit was that it fluttered when the wind picked up. However, it did move from its position a bit which meant that it looked a bit tepid at times. Oddly, we were the only house in our street to do it. Perhaps it’s a bit like advertising how friendly your house is to visitors; and that other people who share the same cause are welcome to visit. I took it down as soon as we were knocked out of the tournament.

The Gym Instructor

There’s an oldish guy in his late 40’s who’s a gym instructor. He’s on the small side, but he’s not underconfident. Neither does he have a swagger. What he does seem to have is some kind of military background. When he speaks, he doesn’t shout, but he is loud. He always says hello or gives you a recognisable smile; but he never chats unless he has to; unless it’s about something he has in common with a customer. His inductions are quite detailed as he tells you how each exercise affects your body and what happens if you don’t use the correct method. He’s a man of discipline, and he’s probably someone that you don’t want to cross. After all, he does run the boot camps. There used to be an instructor with a similar background, but he had an artificial leg. He also had an attitude, which may explain why he’s not around any more.

Hook Norton Four Point Blanc at the Rising Sun, Redditch

It’s nice to have an idea of what you’re drinking but there’s so much advertised on this pump clip that I haven’t got a clue. The first line sounds like it’s come from France, and it might share the same ingredients as that of a white wine. It’s certainly a hop that I’ve never heard of, and that could put a lot of people off. Could the four points refer to how many times they’ve added hops to the beer? Or have they drawn a blank as to how to brew it or what to name it? Is it brewed by a TV chef and they’ve got his name wrong? They’ve certainly pulled their own backbone up while coming up with all this. Why not just have one strong selling point? If people like the beer then they’ll try to find out more about it, though I suppose they want to get people trying this for themselves before it goes.

Those Crazy Crowds

We all hate them but sometimes they can’t be avoided. The world’s population is getting bigger; so it’s a fact of life that you’re going to end up in one at some point. And they should never put you off what you want to do. Otherwise you’ll never get anything done. The best thing is to do what everyone else done; plan for them by allowing extra time. And you’ll be pleasantly surprised if one doesn’t develop at all. Be prepared for a little invasion of personal space and remember that everyone’s in the same boat as you. Of course, there might be some undesirables in there. You may have to mix with the unwashed; the ignorant and the intolerant. You’ll have to turn a blind ear and eye while keeping your wits about you. But you never know, you might make a new friend or two along the way.

Game of Thrones by Geroge R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This tale is amazing. In simple terms, it’s Lord of the Rings for adults. There’s so much graphic detail that Tolkien wouldn’t even dare to touch. Martin isn’t afraid to portray the lowest form of human cruelty. And the layout of the book is interesting too. Rather than simple chapters, he flicks through the eyes of each principal character. There are also tons of backstories to each character and his family, but Martin fills us in gradually with each chapter rather than take us through pages of prologues. I loved the character of Tyrion. He doesn’t let his physique get the better of him; and he’s quite noble compared to the rest of his family. The main problem that I have now is deciding who is the protagonist. And of course, there’s many mysteries and fates that are yet to be resolved. The only disadvantage I had of reading this book was that I watched the show before reading it, but I think that the show was faithful enough. Only three more books and six TV series to go.

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Adopt, Adapt and Improve

We’d been wondering what sort of adapter that we’d need for our trip to China. We’d asked our travel agent through an online chat forum; who told us it was the same as the UK but then it turned out they were looking up Japan as our query had been passed from someone else. The web gave conflicting advice as different people stayed at different hotels. No doubt these people had come unprepared and had to think about buying adapters while they were over there; but why waste time and money when you can do it at home? I’d have just been happy if we’d been told that USB charging was available; but my travelling companion had appliances with a UK plug. In the end I asked my boss who’d already been; who sent a picture of a three-slit plug with the lower two connecters at forty-five degree angles. The first hotel that we stopped in seemed to have adapters for British appliances and we started to worry. But from the second hotel onwards, we used them every time.

Wear Sunscreen!

It’s a hot day. We’ve gotten prepared by putting on sunscreen alongside shorts and we’ve sorted out some shelter for the day. We’re in the garden underneath an awning and we can duck inside at any time to cool off. But nothing compares to the preparations that this lady has made. She may be in the thick of the heat as she mans the barbecue, and it might help to keep her clothes clean as she cooks, but this outfit is definitely an extremity. It’s as if she believes that she’s cooking in a futuristic radioactive atmosphere, or that she’s been sent from the future to cook for us. She’ll certainly be shielded, but it looks as if she’s climbed into a giant condom. I wonder if she’s cool inside. It looks as if she’s wearing several layers. Is that a smirk on her face as she tries to remain as cool as possible despite her attire? Or is she just allergic to sunscreen and this is the next best thing?

Office Christmas Party

I enjoyed this movie. There are few major stars which shows as there’s many sub-plots within the main one and you get to see each character have their moment. It’s a perfect demonstration of all the antics that comes out at a company’s Christmas party; though they could have included a few comedy build-up moments rather than making it happen instantly all the time. It leaves you with a very feel-good feeling; especially when the other colleagues rally round to save the spirit of the protagonist; even the stern boss. It’s a shame that the miracle ending was a bit far-fetched; perhaps another method to save the company could have been sought or even new employment fund which could have concluded in a happy-ever-after scenario. I was a bit disappointed that one of the stunts that they talked about failed to occur; they could have completed the stunt and have had their accident scene afterwards. Perhaps it was a budgetary issue. Be prepared for some very adult themes to be thrust into your face.

Daily Mail Attempts to dress Nation in suitable attire for sports event

It’s quarter final day, and such the country rallies round to watch eleven fellow countrymen represent us on a field in Russia. The morning papers are promising us victories and are asking us to show our support. It really is football fever. Everything will come to a halt just before kick-off; apart from those who are unlucky enough to work. One such newspaper is even providing a hat for the event. It’s like they don’t want us wearing face paint or any other branded clothing apart from their own. Only this hat will suffice. You may as walk starkers into your local pub, but if you’re wearing the hat, you’re covered. I was lucky enough not to be working on the day, and was invited to a barbecue to watch the event. We opted to take public transport to consume a few beverages and were collected at the station; though we would have to plan our own return.