Dickens scholars will know that in 1865, at the age of 53, our greatest fictional author (apart from BRAPA) was involved in the Staplehurst rail crash, after which his writing took a turn for the worse (see: latter chapters of Our Mutual Friend).
Now, I’m not comparing myself with Charles D, he was strictly a fun pub man by all accounts, but my own “Staplehurst moment” at the ancient age of 53 is the loss of my mouse function on my laptop*, which is making these blogs immensely irritating. But I persevere, just for Russ, who’s right now checking if I’ve spelt persevere correctly.
So don’t expect any posts over 500 words, though I am planning a “Long Read” for Boak & Bailey day on why you should vote Simon Everitt for the CAMRA NEC.
Anyway, a final West Mids tick at the Pup & Duckling. Which you’ll be delighted to know was open on the dot of 5pm, just as promised.
A fairly traditional small micro, with a plainish front bar and pleasant back room.
And you can bring your takeaways in from next door, just like in the Coopers.
Or just eat tons of Pipers.
One of the most reliable cask line-ups for a while too.
“Oh, it’s gotta be that Cootch, hasn’t it”
A rare wise choice, as cool and chewy as you’d get in Newport (NBSS 4).
Of course, I don’t go in pubs for beer. I only had to wait 5 minutes for the arrival of the two Brum pub regular, dogwalking couple and HiVis jacket man. They all said Hi.
“Oh, it’s gotta be that Cootch, hasn’t it“
Could Tiny Rebel’s signature beer really be the next Doom Bar ? Or is it a modern day Workie Ticket, loved and cast away in favour of something more extreme ?
While I contemplated Cwtch, the big dog licked his doggie biscuits off the table in front of me. I guess it could have been worse.
Anyway, here’s that lovely pinked-in West Mids GBG extract. Note the No Real Ale at the Eagle & Ball. I’m not going back a third time.
*Yes, I have an IT Consultant wife, a Undergrad son studying Computer Science, and a techie teenager and they can’t fix it.
retiredmartin 
“Dickens scholars will know that in 1865, at the age of 53, our greatest fictional author (apart from BRAPA) was involved in the Staplehurst rail crash, after which his writing took a turn for the worse (see: latter chapters of Our Mutual Friend).”
I can see you’ve turned to more scholarly reading (in addition to BRAPA) since Dickens went off the boil?…
I wonder if a similar post traumatic stress event caused the Ladybird book authors to pen the ‘adult book’ series?
😉
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Blogs like yours are all I need these days 😉
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I asked my Computer Science undergrad son for a possible solution to your mouse problem and he said why doesn’t the tight old bugger on a huge NHS pension buy another one ?
Good to see his £27,750 student loan isn’t going to waste.
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Not been there but you are spot on in your observation of Hi Viz Jackets! Nice to see a bit of ale creeping into Hatchford Brook as that almost constitutes Sheldon and that nearly constitutes East Birmingham!
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Great opening piccy by the way!
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That’s from the back wall. There’s a load of adult humour there !
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Well done on finishing West Midlands- I still need 6 there. You have captured Solihull well in that series of blogs and finished on a high. It has expanded with East Kilbride-like private housing developments with previous few new amenities, making it difficult to love.
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You compared it to East Kilbride, not me. How’s average earnings compare in Solihull v EK do ya think 😉
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Point taken but EK is an odd mixture. In the first phases of the new town the Development Corporation enacted a blatantly discriminatory letting policy to keep those it considered undesirable out. This was eventually set aside when Greenhills was developed. Modern phases have consisted of Solihull like detached soul-less housing, in the order cross taking it up to a population of 75,000- the sixth largest in Scotland and hot on the heels of Paisley. Try finding a good pub though.
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Interesting. I think EK’s reputation comes as the birthplace of The Jesus & Mary Chain and it’s therefore assumed to be as gritty as Easterhouse. Looked quite normal when I drove thru on way to Rutherglen last year.
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“our greatest fictional author (apart from BRAPA)”
Oight! Are you suggesting Si makes up all of those funny encounters in the pubs he visits? 🙂
“But I persevere, just for Russ, who’s right now checking if I’ve spelt persevere correctly.”
Actually, I was wondering why you were mentioned dinkel wheat, but then I realised you were going for the other past tense spelling of spell. 🙂
“Lounge”
Don’t mind if I do!
(oh, you were using that as a noun instead of an imperative)
“While I contemplated Cwtch, the big dog licked his doggie biscuits off the table in front of me. I guess it could have been worse.”
Look, after hearing Cwtch pronounced ‘cootch’ I’m guessing ‘licked his doggie biscuits’ is some sort of metaphor? 😉
“*Yes, I have an IT Consultant wife, a Undergrad son studying Computer Science, and a techie teenager and they can’t fix it.”
Bloody hell. 😦
Cheers
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We’re going to miss you as you cycle through the streets selling guinea fowl, or pretzels or whatever (you didn’t say); you’re funnier than BRAPA, which is of course made up. Simon dreams it all up from his 17th century thatched cottage in Chipping Sodbury.
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“We’re going to miss you as you cycle through the streets selling guinea fowl, or pretzels or whatever”
Sheesh. I’m already selling food and drinks out of the back of our car at times (i.e. the man with the van) and now you’ve demoted me to a bicycle? 😏
“Simon dreams it all up from his 17th century thatched cottage in Chipping Sodbury.”
If I lived in a place called Chipping Sudbury I’d be dreaming stuff up too! 😝
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I’d long suspected that BRAPA was a fictional author, but I’m now worried about you Martin. Are you merely a deluded figment of the imagination of an overworked Mrs. RM, conjured up in missing moments whilst stuck in airport departure lounges? Your lack of pictorial appearances all makes (little) sense now.
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I think you’ve got it, Scott. I AM a fiction made up by Mrs RM for social respectability. What other explanation is there for being on a train bound for Kirkcaldy to drink vinegar on a Wednesday morning, rather than cuddling up in reliable Edinburgh hostelries ?
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None. Although I’ve never heard an explanation for Kirkaldy itself.
I’d assume that would leave a Grangemouth visit to inspect the hellish dystopia that is life post-Spoons.
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My mission today is to find an explanation for Kirkcaldy.
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Possibly your most important task in recent times. Many have struggled with this for years.
Not being Glenrothes doesn’t count as a valid response.
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Have decided to do Glenrothes first. My choices in the Brewers Fayre will be either Doom Bar or Deuchars. Can’t wait. Does it have a Brew Dog ?
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Perhaps, have they bought any more pub chains this week?
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I think they bought Brewers Fayre, offering Doom Bar and Tennents to begin with.
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I think they’ve only bought some bars to try and get rid of the rest of the million pints of Punk. So that’ll be 50p a pint and Doom Bar will be a fiver (quality beer mate).
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Cask is the epitome of the brewer’s art. Even week old Doom Bar in a Brewer’s Fayre in the fag end of Fife.
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By the by, Glenrothes is a Scottish Corby. But the Deuchars and Haggis is better in Corby.
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Tru dat.
But it is unfavourably closer to that there London.
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And Kettering.
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