On a whim we stopped at Chaddesley Corbett, one of those villages that tries to deny an acquaintance with Bromsgrove and almost gets away with it.
The village has had its three varying pubs in the Beer Guide over the years, and they make great stop-offs on the way back from 1-0 defeats at Kidderminster Harriers.
The Talbot is the quintessential Ye Olde England black and white inn, but the Swan has the Bathams.
This was Mrs RMs introduction to the amber nectar, and as you’ll know it’s not a beer to be drunk in halves, particularly at £2.65 a pint (“too cheap !, too cheap !”)
Perched on the free table in the public to the right, we got a lot of stares.
Was this because;
a) Ladies don’t drink pints in Worcestershire
b) Ladies don’t drink Bathams while the man drinks coke
c) We were stealing the table reserved for a deceased regular
d) I was taking photos of a beer glass. ?
I shall never know. Anyway, the Bitter converted Mrs RM, the place was packed on a Tuesday lunchtime, and big cobs were £2.
Six old well dressed chaps sunk a dozen pints and discussed cabriolets, lunch, bowling greens and the respective qualities of the two barmaids (not pictured).
This may be Batham’s poshest house, but it’s also as good as it gets. Even if you don’t think that brown tiling is the height of man’s achievements.
retiredmartin 
Our one regret on our last trip was that the Great Western in Wolverhampton did not have Bathams on. It was coming on fairly soon and we contemplated buying out the beer that was on before it. We decided not to do this, but sounds like we made a bad decision!
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That’s shame, but I presume you’ve had the Bathams before Dave ?
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Believe it or not the answer is no!
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Oh Dave (and Dick) I’m so sorry.
The next time I have one I’ll raise my glass and say “This one’s for Dick and Dave !” . That should get some stares.
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And that thought makes me very very thirsty.
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We both hope that there is a pint of Bathams waiting somewhere for each of us. Thanks for raising your glass for us in the meantime. A day,or half a day, later at the Great Western may have done it!
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Bathams is a magnificent drink. I am glad the Mrs has come on board. I am a relatively new convert to it but it hits the spot every time.
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She’s a proper beer drinker, though quite a convert to the hoppy KeyKeg beers, but this was her first experience of a Bathams pub. Their estate is tiny.
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Something about that sign on the Talbot is very off-putting
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Yes it’s out of keeping, if I’m being polite. I presume that’s why it’s out of the Beer Guide now.
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Perhaps we should start the campaign for proper pub signage? To me that one just says stay away, we’ve gutted the place to make a gastro-pub.
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That’s put a smile on my face. Some years ago I was staying at Brockencote Hall hotel on some corporate nonsense but my first night wander into the village struck gold. Everyone was wondering where I was going every night after that, but I never told them about the Swan, and they wouldn’t have appreciated it like I did anyway. I’ve still got a nip bottle of Special Strong Ale that I bought as a souvenir.
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Good man. I used to have to stay in those corporate hell-holes (exhibit 1 -‘ Hotel du Vin) and always dragged people off to proper pubs, though rarely with the pint of Bathams at the end that you enjoyed.
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In fairness the hotel was very pleasant and not particularly corporate with superb food, but I couldn’t be arsed with all the usual corporate bullshit. Bathams was a dream bonus!
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