I do hope there’s no unflattering pictures of your Pub Blogging Heroes on here. That would be terrible.
Actually, there’s little point reading my posts on Rugby. R. Coldwell Esq has the better photos of old beer stuff and Mudgie will have eloquently said in 200 words what it takes me 2,000.
But Richard hasn’t given you a picture of the Premier Inn we both stayed at. A rare chain hotel snip at £29, possibly because the Doom Bar in the Harvester was off.
But more likely because no-one visits Rugby on a Friday night and stays half an hours walk from the centre.
The walk along the Oxford Canal isn’t as exciting as the Black Country offerings.
But walking north of town rather than long the dual carriageway and past the four McDonalds along the A426 gives you reminders of a simpler world,
when folk used to ride to work on supermarket trolleys.
There’s also plenty of reminders of Rugby’s great drinking heritage from the days when it was the cement making capital of the world.
Brownsover was a bit dull, but things picked up as I approached the station and a cohort of flag waving admirers greeting Pub Curmudgeon’s arrival from Stockport.
I got a bit distracted by The Wheeltapper,
possibly the setting for this classic bit of Tony Christie (almost a local lad).
I marked it down as one to do “if we got really drunk“.
Only five minutes late for the Official Start of the Beer and Pubs Forum Rugby Day Out, but I still got some abuse for being late in making up the quorum of six #PubMen&Women at the Seven Stars.
The first of half a dozen back street boozers in the Guide, and the first of half a dozen crackers on the day, I’d been to most of these pubs 15 years ago, and without exception they were all better than I remember.
The advantage of turning up last is that you don’t buy the round get to ask what the beer’s like.
I ignored all their advice and started with the Everards Old Original, it being an Everards pub and it being very daft to start with a 5.2% pint. Less frothy than of late, but no worse for that (NBSS 3+). A good start.
But never mind that. It felt pubby, the arguments about Coach House had probably stated, the landlord was clearly a good ‘un.
“You’re my best friend” played, possibly for Mudgie.
“Could be worse. Could be Adele” said Mudgie.
I’ll do the Wheeltapper next time the missus chauffeurs me over there, put you out of your misery (clue: unlike your half dozen crackers, it ‘baint as good as it used to be).
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I’m always more than a little envious of these gatherings. But at least I can read the recounting of them, and imagine myself along for the journey!
Your “Illusions” photo reminded me of seeing such boats from the train as I journeyed north in England. If there are such canal boats in the States, I’ve certainly never seen them. It took me a while to figure out what they were. Are they mostly privately owned?
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Pete will confirm, but there are a lot of privately owned boats (plenty round my way). I guess the ones you hire would have the hiring company listed.
I’d never thought about the US and canals. Must be some?
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I know the Erie canal was a huge endeavor in its day, and I recall taking a little afternoon boat tour of one years ago; but my sense if that even when such historic canals exist in the States, they aren’t filled with colorful canal boats the way they are in England– it seems to me the canals over there have adapted to modern times more than they have over here, at least in terms of them still having pleasure boats on them.
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Englands canals are so small scale (compared to USA and Canada) that if it hadn’t been for a dedicated band of people in the 50’s and 60’s they would have disappeared completely. The scale is important because our canals became (mostly) unviable for commerce before the Second World War.
In the towns and cities they were hidden away, but in the countryside access was much easier for anyone…and there were lots of canalside pubs! They became an escape for some people (and a cheap place to live) and also a holiday destination from the early hire boat companies.
Over the years it has continued to grow such that there are now more narrowboats on the canal system than at any other time!
As far as I’m aware it is possible to hire boats on the American and Canadian Canals, but from what I’ve seen the experince looks ‘exciting’ but a bit soulless as the waterways are so big! (I’d give it a go, though, if the opportunity arose! Even though there aren’t the waterside pubs everywhere!)
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No pubs 😕
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We should always remember the cautionary tale, of the wheeltapper, who rejected nearly every wheel, until it was discovered that he had a cracked hammer.
I had an analogous experience, with a maladjusted spirit level once…
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Perhaps Tony Christie – why is he not knighted? – could follow this example:
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£29! We paid £32. I didn’t see the Wheeltappers but I would have gone in if I had, looks good, might have disappointed on the beer front though, mind you, you never know if you don’t go in and try it.
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Discount for non-Yorkies.
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Yorkies have gone to war over less than three quid …
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