Only this blog takes you from Accrington Canine Club to Lichfield Cathedral.
The British summer came to an abrupt close yesterday, but a week ago it was glorious, which no will doubt will cheer the hearts of our American readers.
I’ve shown Lichfield’s position in the Midlands firmament in relation to Brownhills, as lovely as it sounds.
I guess Lichfield is well down the Cathedral City League Tables, competing with Peterborough or Winchester for promotion into League 1. I certainly didn’t have many coachloads blocking my photos on Friday lunchtime, which is good as I don’t understand Photoshop.
The approach via the Close is particularly gorgeous.
As with Ely, the lack of scaffolding is a real boon.
They weren’t even charging for admission, which just makes you more disposed to donate.
Anyway, a must visit. Just don’t go when they’re holding a business meeting on Brexit preparations in the middle, that’s my advice.
The stroll into town is no less inspiring.
I note that for the same price as that mega-breakfast in Bootle I could have 50 chicken wings for lunch in Walkabout, but sadly it’s keg so I amble on.
Pleasing architecture in the market square, with a sculpture of Samuel Johnson that reminds me of BRAPA pondering opening times in Chaldon Herring.
“Stuff your architecture, where’s me pub ?” I hear Mr B. Ore of Beer cry.
Well, here’s one, marked as Malt Bar on the map but now with a shiny new name.
This is a cathedral of modern café-bar culture.
Facing a ridiculously tightly-packed Spoons head-on, 55 Wade Street offers a more local lunch option for a fiver.
Somehow I turned down this lunch offer as well. Goodness knows what I thought could beat faggots and mash for £5.
Straight to the BBBs at the bar. Oh.
The white tiling and jam jars are the giveaways, aren’t they ?
I look blankly for a second, see the word “stout” on the busy homebrew clip and go for that.
“That’s just gone on Sir !” says the cheery barman.
“Is it good ?” I ask, feigning interest in beer.
“No idea, I don’t like dark. But I’ve heard good things” It was “OK”
“Where’s it from ?” I’m overreaching now.
“No idea. Somewhere local ?” Close enough.
There was more plot twists there than in a Kevin Rowland lyric, let alone Ed Sheeran whose (x/+/-) album drove me out after ten minutes.
If Dr Johnson had been here now, he’d no doubt have been able to define “craft” definitively, and also enjoyed the pronunciation of the word “musheee“, as a group of shoppers debated the big choice of peas with their fish. They looked like garden pea people to be fair.
Actually not bad, better than a B&K for lunch, but hardly likely to drag Paul Mudge over from the county town for a half.
The next one might do.
retiredmartin 
Very recently you found a £16 breakfast offer. Now it’s a £16 later in the day food offer.
“hardly likely to drag Paul Mudge over from the county town for a half” except that I’ve been there twice in the last several months on pub crawls with someone else’s itinerary.
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You’re going to like the next one, Paul, even though it’s a micro.
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Bitter Suite ?
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That’s it. Will write it up now. Loved it.
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A fiver for Faggots, peas and mash. Wow! Total bargain, not to to be missed. I am partial to them, something we rarely see on offer in GOC and surely one of the highlights of that day out in Worcester?
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Monday was when I last had faggots, mash, peas and two pints of Holdens Bitter.
It’s more than a fiver in the Swan at t’other Whiston though but all three cask beers are no more than £3 a pint.
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A wonderful meal. Better with good mash than chips too. English regional food at it’s very best.
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Indeed, and it’s much better faggots in Staffordshire than Worcester.
( and I wouldn’t want that quoting out of context )
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Interesting thoughts on the cathedral league table. Completists used to work from Alec Clifton-Taylor’s Guide. It was when they brought in the new micro cathedrals like Blackburn and Portsmouth that it got more complex. Catholic ones like Motherwell were excluded from consideration in other publications. Pretty sure Winchester will be sending you a stiff letter.
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Spires are important and Lichfield’s got three of them.
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Once again, I was merely riffing on BRAPA’s lead; you may have missed him musing on ticking churches in Chaldon Herring when finding the Sailor’s Boy closed.
Ah, micro cathedrals, the bain of a ticker’s life. Pompey’s is a favourite, incidentally. Carluke I have still to do.
A stiff letter is on parchment, right ?
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I did miss that – will go back through his extensive archives. Hard to keep up- 500 words maximum rule should be introduced! Motherwell has a cathedral, Carfin a grotto- both good ticks.
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Just here – includes cultural (non-pub) diversion ! http://brapa-4500.blogspot.com/2019/02/brapa-back-in-dorset-part-710-red.html
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St.Asaph was the original microcathedral.
Parchment or vellum ?
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By coincidence, I visited St Asaph Cathedral earlier this week. It is, of course, an original cathedral, not a parish church that has later been elevated in status. It contains a rare copy of the earliest printed edition of the Bible translated into Welsh. There is a pub opposite with a Bass sign on the end gable, although I very much doubt any actual Bass.
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No Bass in the pubs in St Davids according to WhatPub, though intriguingly Bishops is run by a BG Betterspoon, clearly a JDW rip-off.
https://whatpub.com/pubs/PEM/233/bishops-st-davids
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Oh, yes, I can see what you mean about B G Betterspoons Ltd being a JDW rip-off
The “St Davids pub must pay £7,000 over food hygiene failings” headline was for “Managing director of B G Betterspoons Ltd, which owns The Bishops, Matthew Blakiston admitted failing to make sure food was protected against contamination, ensuring that his staff were properly trained and supervised, and abiding by a food safety management system, on June 21st, 2012”.
I’m not sure if Pembrokeshire County Council prosecutor Sally Martin is related to Tim.
https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/10365313.st-davids-pub-must-pay-7000-over-food-hygiene-failings/
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Good detective work, Paul.
I also enjoyed the WhatPub description of another St David’s entry as a “city pub”. Technically true.
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St Davids as a city is a bit like Montgomery as a county town.
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Is that boozer really in the GBG when you look at what Lichfield has to offer??? Gorgeous cathedral though
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LAF,
The George & Dragon and Horse & Jockey are my top two Lichfield pubs.
I always think how different Lichfield is from Uttoxeter.
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George and Dragon and Horse & Jockey are classic boozers!!!! Yes, very much so, a bit like Birmingham compared to Solihull
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That’s the GBG for you – it has become the “obscure beer in characterless surroundings” guide.
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I guess it’s all about the beer but I’m amazed!!!
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“about the beer” but unusual beer rather than good beer.
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It’s not the job of the Beer Guide to take me to the best pubs, that’s what the Beer & Pubs Forum does. It should take me to the best kept cask, even if I have to walk past a Heritage classic. Sadly, it can serve a third purpose, to take the visitor to pubs with lots of unusual beers that CAMRA members visit to tick beers off on Untappd.
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It’s recently changed. Used to be the malt bar and more traditional but they’ve jazzed it up. Pre theatre bar now.
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Sounds promising 👍
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I’ve not been in since the refurbishment. I’m actually going Friday.. Hope the hoard is still on!
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Let me know!
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I think The Hoard and Doom Bar are their two main beers.
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It’s more of a cafe bar now.. Still got sky sports. The hoard is excellent though. Couple more local ales too
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It amazes me that the one serving the beer does not know where it is brewed.
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I think there’s a clear divide between the beer specialists and the ordinary pubs and bars who have a never ending churn of guests. I don’t know or care what beer is made with (rain, I think) so can hardly complain about product knowledge, particularly when cask beer make up about 5% of sales !
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Dick,
But they don’t know the strength – that’s why it’s on the pumpclip,
they don’t know the colour – that’s why it’s in a little jar and
they don’t know the price – that’s why it’s in the till.
Over the past forty years working behind a jar has gradually become an unskilled job.
Pubs aren’t what they were when I were a lad !
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Was “working behind a jar” a typo? Or not?
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Yes, sorry.
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As Pub Curmudgeon notes, “working behind a jar” is clearly a Freudian slip so I’m leaving it !
I also not on this blog how frequently they don’t know which beers are which and have to turn the clips round (even after I point at them and even when there’s only two on).
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Gravy. As MrsWM has been in Venice I managed to fit in faggots for two meals. Luxury. Although sold at Burton’s ground someone was recently thrown out for use of the word on the terraces. Would have made an interesting legal case.
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I remember the Conference semi at Burton (08) more for the pints and faggots than the game (2-2).
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That’s a surprisingly good-value and down-to-earth menu for a modern micropub.
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It was, and the portions were good. If we ever went on a B&P day and didn’t fancy cobs it would appeal.
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I’m not sure if it is a micropub.
There are better portions with better value in the Horse and Jockey. And Holdens and Timothy Taylors and guests such as Bathams. And NO white tiles.
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Cafe bar is a better description. As Mudgie says it’s unusual to find such a trad lunch menu in a modern bar.
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Yes café bar is a proper description of it ( not that I’m one for spending time defining this, that and t’other ).
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If you see the hoard (or anything by backyard) on your travels, dive in. Superb makers of beer.
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