Just back from West Brom v City last night, heartened by the amount of real ale drunk by Mancunians. Five points for identifying the pub;
The journey back was the worst of the year so far, with stranded vehicles on the M6, lane closures on the M42, diversions up the M69, and closures of the A14. Pub Curmudgeon would have loved it.
So my brain will only cope with a short post. I’m still on last Tuesday, if you’re trying to keep up, like I am.
It says a lot about the hotel options that I’m currently using Newport as my regular base for trips to Bristol. Perhaps I really am addicted to that scary Welsh underpass. It’s not as if Temple Meads is a joyful experience, though walks in every direction from the station are a joy.
First up the hill from Temple Meads to the Oxford, a traditional 4pm opener on the edge of what I assume is Bedminster. The angry residents of Totterdown can sue.
I can tell it’s Bedminster because of the glitz of the Thali Café. And the quality of the gnomes in an otherwise scruffy street.
The Oxford certainly meets the residents’ strict street art criteria.
It looks your archetypal Bristol suburban pub, and the interior is just as compliant.
Older readers (all of you) will no doubt be thinking “Hipsters“, “Tut’n’Shive” and “Give me a Sam Smiths anyday“, but it worked for me. But then I was seduced by the Man City memorabilia, a rare hearing of “Zazu” by Rosie Vela, and one of the friendliest welcomes in a pub this month as I was confused by a bank of, er,4 pumps.
A sensible range of ales, including the local breweries and one you’ll have heard of. I went for the one with “Soma” in it, of course, and it was decent enough (NBSS 3).
I often comment on good-looking pubs with good beer not having a good mix of custom. The Oxford really did appeal to all walks of life.
Here’s my view from a high table, reading Boak & Bailey’s “20th Century Pub” that I was on the way to get signed. I’ve blurred the pages so you can’t read it for free.
retiredmartin 
A rare hearing of “Zazu” by Rosie Vela ? That’s the 2nd time in a week I’ve heard someone mention that album – a fine listen, very much of its time but still excellent…
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Really ? Haven’t heard it played for 30 years. Production by Steely Dan, sounded wonderful on release. Possibly Walter Becker’s death last week prompted re-exploration.
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Don’t underestimate your audience:) The pub looks so genuine that it is very appealing. As does the neighborhood. Bristol looks quite nice.
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As one who will be navigating in the area very soon, where exactly were these road troubles?
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Between Junctions 2 and 1 on M6 (diversion adds 2 minutes) and on stretch of A14 east from Huntingdon to Cambridge (adds 25 mins). Others were one-offs. You should be fine, I think. Roadworks from 8pm.
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I would like to think you would like Bristol as much as i do,i have been there four times this year and the same last year,done 198 pubs within the cites boundarys.
I prefer Bristol’s suburbs than the city centre,Bishopton,Horbury,Clifton and Bedminster are very good for pub crawling,i would give Redland and Easton a swerve,probably best left for me to do,a bit on the rough side,but nothing like Nottingham where most city suburbs are rough.
Bristol is a really nice city and i am sure you will enjoy it there if you get out of the centre.
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Checking my spreadsheet I’ve done 63 pubs throughout Bristol, nearly all Beer Guide ones, and I can’t remember a duffer. A good spread across the suburbs too, though I think some people mistake the street art for danger.
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The street art in Bristol looks great,i have never seen so much.
Not sure why it puts some people off an area,but i am not put off by any area i do pubs in.
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The pub is The Wheatsheaf on the high street,i did it years ago with my wife and brother when going to watch Forest play a boring draw against West Brom and it snowed in late April when they had that large open end for away fans,but it is the highest football ground in England.
We love Holdens beers and i have done most of their tied estate.
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It was a trick question, Alan. Not the Wheatsheaf, good as that is. This was the best Golden Glow I’ve had.
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This is the Vine in West Bromwich. They weren’t selling local beer last time I was there, I’m quite happy to see they have Holdens now.
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Last year it was Abbeydale, before that Bathams, before that Holdens. One beer of their quality is quite enough for me !
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You have got me there Martin,
No idea what pub it is.
Also going to Bristol on Saturday and doing the rest of Bedminster,Oxford not done and not on my list to do,where is it as i am doing some walking off the main drags of North Street and East Street to do some pubs.
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The Oxford is on the eastern edge of Bedminster (actually Totterdown), just west of the A4. A few yards off Victoria Park, where there’s lots of Bedminster pubs.
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That is what confused me Martin,i did quite a few pubs in Totterdown on the 29th July 2017 and i did The Oxford and all other pubs that were very close by it,i was going to mop up all pubs in Totterdown but it started raining and as usual i had no coat on,so i had to get a bus back into the city centre.
I will be doing the pubs near Victoria Park which as you say is in Bedminster,but the Oxford is a Totterdown pub.
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It’s not just me that never takes their coat then, Alan !
Have you read Tandleman’s comment about your blog on his own ?http://tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/playing-man-and-other-stuff.html
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I see they haven’t taken their Halloween decorations down from last year, or they’re early for this year (i.e. the bloke stuck in the ceiling).
Cheers
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I thinks that’s art, not Halloween, Russ. Fear not, Halloween starts next week !
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And if they’re anything like where I am, they’ll be putting up the Christmas decorations at the same time!
Cheers
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Yes, this time last year I was unable to find any suitable hotel accommodation in Bristol, despite being prepared to stretch my budget, and ended up staying in Weston-super-Mare instead.
Surely given all the weird alternative people who live in inner-city Bristol, a pub like the Oxford is very much what you would expect 😉
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There doesn’t seem to be many traditional B&Bs in and around Bristol. When Mrs RM worked in Bristol occasionally the usual big hotels cost noticeably more than in, say, Nottingham or Manchester.
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My overnight accommodation for a day in Bristol is generally the down from Paddington to somewhere in the West Country, Plymouth does the trick, for an early train back up. Far more sociable than those hotel monstrosities.
My main problem with Newtonmas decorations is the fact that they exist. Any building with such decorations prior to the end of next month should be burnt down. Just wait until I’m dictator.
The modern art in Bristol is pushing it close to London in the cities of hate.
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Utter nonsense, festive looking decor should be put up in January and removed in December. To hell with convention of any description!
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My personal motto with such things in “Doing nothing is the best option”. Once up, leave them up.
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No new GB pubs in Grimsby again this year, Tom. What’s going on ?
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Talking about coats,both me and the wife did not take any coats with us for our weeks holiday in Falmouth.
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Hard as nails in Notts.
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I would consider it to be one of the rougher counties in England.
But we did come a cropper in Truro on Monday,i went with a T shirt and my wife a blouse,it started to piss it down
at about 12.30 but Primark saved the day a hoody for me and a cardi for the wife.
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