I left the highlight of my recent Brum Boozer Bonanza ’till last. A trip to the home of top Midlands photographer Peter Allen to tick the Wildcat Tap in Stirchley.
In a rare moment of fallibility, the Beer Guide map places Stirchley pretty much where Sandwell starts. It would also have been a rare moment of GBG glory for that borough, but of course us pub tickers know our geography better than the Guide clearly does.
Whether the Wildcat or the Selly Park Tavern count as the closest Beer Guide pub to Cadbury World is hard to judge from the map, and the Selly is an Ember Inn so anyway doesn’t count.
The usual Brum downpour couldn’t dampen Pete’s enthusiasm for his hometown, as he identified the iconic highlights along Pershore Road.
Of course, Stirchley’s gem is the British Oak, raved about by Boak & Bailey here.
That’s a fine place to enjoy M&B Brew XI, of course, but we pressed on to the Wildcat with its collection of crafty keg. And Squawk.
Through the drizzle, we studied the new opening hours;
It was 4.50pm. We panicked, developing a desparate plea to be served despite the imminent calling of last orders.
Inside, no-one seemed too fussed about the imminent closure. And on reflection, those hours seemed more than a little at odds with WhatPub.
A bewildered young barman reassured us they weren’t closing ’till 9pm, which was nice.
We squashed into a tiny space by the door, and enjoyed some superb beer from Squawk and Torrside (NBSS 3.5). Perhaps ill-advisedly, I succumbed to that bottle of Scare Bleu that was well past its Best Before date (but cheap); it was nectar. Almost as good as Brew XI.
A little bit of Norrebro on the A441, one of the most interesting places to drink in Brum.
Lack of seating my only problem with the Wildcat, perhaps they can move into the Art Café next door, whose opening hours we noticed as we left.
Right beside the Wildcat’s opening hours, in fact.
The Campaign for Opening Hours to Say What Establishment They Belong To (COHSWETBT) starts here.
retiredmartin 
Maybe that can be the campaign the CAMRA naysayers can coalesce around. Isn’t the term nectar reserved for Bathams?
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5 points for use of “coalesce” ,but no, any beer scoring 4.5 or higher can be deemed nectar.
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“A little bit of Norrebro on the A441,”
The A441? Pfft. Doesn’t hold a candle to the A514:
https://lifeafterfootball839.wordpress.com/2017/09/04/get-your-kicks-on-the-a514/
Cheers 🙂
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Good cross-referencing, Russ. The A514 is a little bit of the A514 on the A514 though !
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LOL
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As ever an absolute pleasure to read Martin! As an exiled Brummie the A514 is one of the top roads in the Midlands for boozers….nice link Russ! It’s also great to see areas like Redditch and Stirchley, which aren’t notorious hotbeds of good pubs stepping up to the mark. Love the opening hours signage!!!
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Thanks Ian. The feeling is mutual.
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Birmingham’s never done it for me. Not sure what it is? More what it isn’t. From policing Birmingham fans at Elland Rd I can tell you they’re horrible F.ers! as well.
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Bloke rom L**ds complaining about those lovely Birmingham fans. Head it all now. Proper supporters, proper city.
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Thanks for a great day out and I’m glad you enjoyed your brief visit to Stirchley Village…largely unspoilt by progress…to steal a phrase (although it has never been quite the same since the Belgian Consulate closed down a few years ago!)
You managed to capture a good deal of the Stirchley ‘culture’ – gorilla statue (check), Andrew Carnegie Library (check), superb local cafe (check), dodgy looking bloke in pub window (check) and a gathering of Stirchley’s finest young folk (er, check)!
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Bit perverse not to go in British Oak but that’s me. Really enjoyed the Wildcat.
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Great opening hours tease!
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In our defence, it was pouring, but we both thought we were in for a “just called last orders” bust-up.
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