Railway Rouges

Last night I made a resolution to go to the pub more. So I started by visiting the Railway in Studley; mainly to get rid of my last batch of the Worcestershire Pint Taken magazine. I arrived just before seven, which I thought would be a fairly quiet time as the drinking crowds would still be at home tanking themselves up for their big night. I ordered a pint and duly distributed the magazines then the question was where to park myself. There was a large screen TV showing a match, and all of the nearby tables were full apart from the one underneath it. So I decided to prop up the bar with the intention of chatting up one of the lovely barmaids. Unfortunately, this stood directly in the way of some locals who wanted the best of both worlds. My only option was therefore was to retire to a corner on my own, until a bunch of chavs decided to sit at the adjacent table to order a meal. Not a great place to visit if you’re new in town.  

Time out (a new start)

Last night I attended a masquerade ball as part of an old school friend’s wedding. It was a bit of a fiasco as I didn’t arrange to get the time off work. So my first black mark was for arriving fashionably late. I also failed to obtain a mask; having dashed into the local bargain shop only that morning to find that most of their Halloween props were off the shelves as it was the last day and everything was going out of fashion. I still had no gift but decided to make the journey to work to save time and shop there; only a traffic jam put paid to my plans to wander into town. Instead I dashed into the superstore where crying kids were tearing things off the shelves in amongst zombies stacking shelves and inflatable giant pumpkins. I then chose a bottle of champagne only to find it was overly priced at the checkout; but I didn’t have time to complain and forgot what the proper price should be. I really need to find more time for these things.  

The Soggy Seven (Part 2)

Having broken the RambAle’s sunshine satisfaction guarantee, our next pub was just a stone’s throw away at the other end of the village The Victoria Inn is a Vintage Inns pub with three beers available, including Adnams Mosaic and Great Yorkshire Top of the Hops, a golden ale brewed with a record-breaking 2014 varieties of UK hops. After enjoying this complex flavoured beer, it was time to carry on with some hopping of our own.

We continued south out of Barnt Green village then followed a footpath by the Scout hut up to Coopers Hill, which offers fantastic views of the surrounding area. A handy footbridge took us over the M42, then after following the road ahead there was a steady descent into Withybed Green, and into the Crown.

The Soggy Seven (Part 1)

Seven brave walkers met on a fresh spring Sunday morning to brave the elements and to take on the seventh Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA RambAle! Even though it was March, the sun was out shining over the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

As we started our cruise at a steady 3mph, we weren’t the only ones out that morning. The Hopwood Heron was up and hunting and we spotted him several times circling the canal looking for something to eat. As we approached Bridge 66 it was time to change our route and headed west to our first pub. After passing over Lower Bittell Reservoir we followed a footpath over farmland to reach the Barnt Green Inn, our first port of call. This large merchant house has an excellent patio area, where we all enjoyed Purity UBU, while Wye Valley HPA was also available.

 Our next bearing was south-east; where we climbed Cherry Hill Drive towards the start of the Lickey Hills then followed a footpath down to Barnt Green rail station. It was about this time that the heavens opened and gave us all a good drenching; but fortunately an eagle-eyed member spotted a nice shiny cask in a gazebo in Barnt Green Park. Upon further investigation, it was a local fun run to raise money for Sports Relief; so we did our bit for charity by sampling the Weatheroak Hill IPA on offer while making full use of their shelter!

Down the Vic

My last visit on my tour of top pubs of Warwickshire was to the Victoria in Rugby. This is a traditional cosy drinker’s pub that has something for everyone. There’s an adjacent pool room for those in need, while the main bar has a choice of ten hand pumps to choose from. There’s also a selection of bottled Belgium beers on request. The seats are plush and cosy; while the décor is in excellent condition with original printed windows and a large selection of books. There’s even a snug for private conversations and an extra room for meetings. What did let the pub down was the presence of a gigantic TV in the corner; meaning that if any sport is shown then the whole corner is pretty much out of action. The other thing to watch out for is the barmaid. Although very friendly; it’s double price for a half pint. While it’s a genuine mistake; it still affects the service, which is a terrible shame. Still, the Wold Top and the Tring beers that I sampled were in excellent condition. Well worth a visit.

Royal Oak, Kenilworth

The royal oak is a quietly kept secret in Kenilworth. It's nestled not by the castle or near the high street but in a side road heading out of town. The outside gives the impression of a trad pub gone modern; with posters and banners outside promoting live sport and lager. But inside it's an old fashioned room that's between the borderline of old and rundown. The landlord is a young and welcoming chap but disappears as soon as he's had my money; only reappearing when his loyal locals arrive. It's a shame there's no history to promote this pub; the five pumps circling the small bar seemed to be the only attraction for me. At least there's some comfy sofas to relax on while I watch the adverts in between the cricket and rugby. Hopefully his upcoming beer festival will enable him to engage with younger and unfamiliar customers. It's the basis of being a good landlord. 

Kenilworth Castle

Today I took a trip to Kenilworth Castle; having only recently learned of its existence through a radio advertisement. It turns out that it’s the biggest castle in the West Midlands, and I managed to spend a good couple of hours investigating today. The only thing that puts me off with these sort of places lately is the pressure that the staff put on you to become an English Heritage member. All the literature is heaped upon you as you enter and you then have to drag it round with you while you explore the castle; then they don’t even ask you for a decision on the way back out! The castle is very nice to visit; even though they’re still building it (one of the towers is undergoing refurbishment). You can get some great views around the castle but if you’re looking for scenic countryside, you’re better off going to the lake just up the hill.