I’d detailed this pubs recent downfall on my main blog here, and I’m now pleased to note it’s back open since just before Christmas, with a new landlord (Tony from The Wheatsheaf). He’s doing a great job so far; the beer is great (and a good choice: Golden Glow, Doom Bar, Proper Job and HPA), the jukebox has metal, and there’s a live band on some nights, if that’s your thing.
The Old Bulls Head
Gornal:
Part of our taphouse tour, and a fine pub to finish on. It’s Black Country Ales’ taphouse and brewery. Nice building, good food, great beer and nice staff.
The Old Moseley Arms
Balsall Heath:
My better half hadn’t been that enthusiastic about this, imaginiing it was in Moseley itself. Now, there’s at least one fine pub in Moseley, but the place itself is a bit posh brummie, a bit up itself.
Having reassured her, off we went. A slight hiccup finding the bus stop, but then a short ride and 5 minutes walk to a fine, fine traditional pub with great beer, a lovely landlady, decent music, and samosas. Inside is traditional, with open (gas) fires. A office Christmas party was in place in the back half of the room, but we could still hear each other and have enough space. A superb pub.
The Tennis Court
Perry Barr:
Big thirties roadhouse-style pub at the side of the A34 in Perry Barr. We dropped in because my better half thought she’d been curious about it for a long tome, but that turned out to be The Towers nearby- both are large, 1930s roadside pubs, and quite near to each other.
Anyway, as we’d already passed The Towers, on the other side of the A34, we got of the 51 and went in. Very friendly barman, cask ale (Greene King Old Golden Hen, but pretty good regardless), and very keen prices. Inside, the place is as big as the sizeable frontage would suggest, and currently in one of the standard pubco eatery themes, and the landlord told me it’s having a refurb soon (with more handpumps). There were a few customers too, which is a good sign on a grey Thursday very early afternoon. Overall a nice pub and worth dropping in to.
Revisit: The Boatmans Rest
I’d been meaning to reblog this for a long time. As The Drunken Duck is currently closed, it’s the only choice in Walsall Wood High St. I really want to like it, I really do- especially given the landlord’s a decent chap, and has put a lot of effort in, and it seems popular enough but it’s just not doing it for me. The beer is Greene King, the lounge is usually shut, and the bar is usually very noisy with a somewhat oversized and painfully set up sound system playing dreadful music, and it’s impossible to get to the bar because people are stood/sat there. The result of this is that the Royal Exchange has become the go-to pub in Walsall Wood, with decent beer, and the ability to hold a conversation, but it’s in the wrong direction for the shops and ATM…
The Saxophone
Bangkok:
Lively pub with live music and food. At the time we enjoyed it a lot- pleasant staff, good music, good beer, only a few minutes walk from our hotel (and in Bangkok, walking any distance is not comfortable), but the following day saw me with a case of food poisoning. Whether that was something I’d eat earlier is another question: the food seemed good enough at the time.
Jack’s Bar & Grill
Dubai Airport:
Just about pubby enough.
A wait for a connecting flight saw us with time to kill in Dubai, and this was the only option near our gate. Pleasant enough- pub-like atmosphere, food looked OK in a chainpub way, drink was fine and the staff were great. There’s worse ways to kill an hour or so.
Revisit: The Horse and Jockey
Not massively changed: still great beer, still rammed full on a Saturday. A great pub, with my only criticism being the snacks: four quid for a pork pie, and the misrepresentation of olives as a pub snack. Surprisingly, our party, ranging from early 20s to mid-fifties, pushed down the average age a bit…
The Angel Inn
Lichfield:
We visited twice in the same evening- early on and later, and both times this was pleasant. Good staff, great beer, pleasant atmosphere, and right in the town. Music was either absent or quiet enough to talk over, but conversation kept the place lively without being grim.
Revisit: The Scales
Considerably less grim than my last visit, and drinkable Pedigree, and apparently doing the Gin thing quite well, according to one of our party. It’s still a typical town-centre pub, but it looks a bit smarter and the music didn’t eliminate all conversation.