Here, as promised last night, is the delayed report from Lye, former Balti capital of the West Midlands.
And here’s Susan Tully, beautifully rendered in the town’s only noticeable street art.
I can find no connection between Susan and the Black Country from a cursory look at the Grange Hill Annual for 1978, no doubt one of you can oblige. Unless it isn’t Susan Tully.
The Sadlers Tap Room was my last West Midlands tick in the is year’s GBG. As Duncan and Simon will know, there are few things more irritating than having one pub left in a county, staring at you week after week with it’s irritating opening hours. I made a special journey just for Lye.
Anyway, a chance to re-assess Lye itself, a place only previously visited at 9pm on a Friday for a Balti Dupiaza in Bengal Fusion, when “cultural melting pot” was a fair description.
This was the scene at noon last Saturday.
Rarely have I been in a quieter High Street. It made Brierley Hill seem like Merry Hill in comparison. No lunch curry, just lots of tempters;
Yes, come here tomorrow for five courses and four pints for less than £16. Can’t be bad. Is it the cheapest beer in England, though ?. No.
Brew Taps are a funny beast. Supposedly the place to test a brewer’s work at it’s best, but rarely open, which must mean lying (no pun intended) about in pipes. Prime examples – Cross Hills and Sixpenny Hadley, though even Robinsons was shut on my last two visits.
Having not seen a soul in town, it was inevitable the Tap would be heaving. Thirty odd smartly dressed folk who would have looked more at home at Brindley Place.
And then, ten minutes later, they were all gone.
All but a solitary couple and myself on a tour of the dark arts of making “Craft” beer, on the basis all beer is craft, of course. Brewery tours really are the new Paintballing.
The setting above was not the best to enjoy a tasty but thin half of JPA (NBSS 3 and £1.90), if I’m honest.
Lye has a classic Black Country local in the Shovel, and Sadler’s own Windsor Castle is a smart dining pub if you’re not into Balti.
I didn’t stay in town for the One Direction tribute. Sorry.
retiredmartin 
Were there lots of scurrilous looks in your direction and murmurs of “Camra member” before they all left in a hurry?
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of the first posts that didn’t fill me with jealousy that you were there and I wasn’t. It’s interesting how styles change. You wonder how long this type of environment will appeal to people. In 20 years will that stark feel have appeal?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I fear so. There’s not that many of them, if course, though smaller brewers will need to open their own I feel.
LikeLike
My feelings and thoughts in this type of pub are ones that make me feel old. I always feel like something has passed me by.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You assume they have appeal now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just catching up on the mountain of your unread blogs after being away for a few days to Serbia. Went to the brewhouse in Lye the weekend before and you have captured it well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope to see a report from Serbia at some point Duncan.
Not much to capture in the Brewhouse unfortunately. Preferred the Windsor Castle.
LikeLike
Cross Hills, is my nearest unticked place but I wonder whether to bother as it is no longer Naylor’s Beer Emporium, I want to say Annie’s Burger Kitchen but that isn’t right is it?
On the other hand, if I wait long enough, they want to open a station there, so if I remain patient until about 2022
LikeLike