Next up, a few days in Dudley with Mrs RM, making an overdue return to this blog.
Hang on, I’ve only just got back from finishing Dudley and the West Midlands. Poor planning, Mrs RM.
Anyway, no new GBG pubs, so I have to content myself with a few painful train journeys and some very speculative pre-emptive ticks while Mrs RM enjoys a day in this attractive office in Burnt Tree.
Those offices connect to the Toby Carvery by secret 16th century passages, or so Dudley TIC probably claim.
Visiting chain family diners in an unironic way is all the rage these days, a craze started by BeerMat and popularised by “BRAPA in Cornwall” (film out November).
I always liked the Toby we stayed at in Chadderton, Oldham. It smelt of cabbage (or was it broccoli?) but had real life.
Dudley’s Toby is almost upmarket, for Dudley.
But there’s as many drinkers as gobblers, a BRAPA-friendly mix of Hi-Vis, office junior and a family over from Donegal for a wake.
I’m the only one in to test the cask for local CAMRA.
OOH, a proper beer range.
Now, let’s be honest, you don’t think its going to be any good, do you. If it was, it would be in the GBG holding branch meetings and giving 50p CAMRA discount.
I lean over to see which of the Pedi pumps has been used, and then vigorously point at the middle wicket. The barmaid takes the hint.
No Burton “snatch”, but it was OK, it was OK, as Kevin Rowland famously sang in ’85. NBSS 2.5.
Good enough to wash down your overstuffed plate of carbs, anyway.
Two of the mourners started to sing “If You’re Happy And You Know It“, which is the sort of thing that I thought only happened in BRAPA stories.
I was so happy I ordered Mrs RM a slice of chocolate fudge cake.
Sadly for her, she was working next door and I HAD to eat it myself.
retiredmartin 
The other two pumps were serving amber ale, the middle one dispensed pale ale. I can remember Pedigree Bitter when I was a young lad.
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Good point, Wes. Amber, Pale and Bitter are very different.
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Ahem ….
That’s a nice set of jugs you’ve got there.
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Mrs B and I used to frequent a Toby Carvery in Bristol and it was thoroughly OK. Beer choice was Butcombe, Butcombe or Butcombe but it was always in decent nick.
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The decent nick was probably down to it being a choice of Butcombe, Butcombe or Butcombe 😉
No-one is not going to visit a Toby because there’s not a grapefruit IPA or cask stout on.
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Agreed, Mrs B and I used to go there for a bit of cheap half-decent nosebag when neither of us could be arsed cooking and a good pint of Butcombe was a welcome bonus.
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Bill – you’re a man after my own heart.
Now the kids have flown the nest Mrs PP-T and I can rarely be arsed to do any cooking.
Well,as it’s mainly me who does the cooking it’s rare that I can be arsed to do it these days.
I could quite happily live on cheese on toast for the rest of my life.
With chunks of chorizo floating in Heinz Tomato Soup for Sundays.
But tbh mostly it’s a choice between drink or food as we never seem to have the appetite for both.
And drink always wins.
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There’s nowt wrong wi’ a Toby.
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Luckily for me, Mrs B is an excellent cook and I can turn my hand to a few things. However, she’s off for a couple of weeks so it’s sardines on toast, cheese on toast, pretty much anything else on toast except beans (never liked them), cottage pie if I’m feeling ambitious or stuff she’s made and put in the freezer. Possibly on toast.
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Bill,
P P-T reported that he managed well enough while Mrs P P-T was away for a while so he might be able to offer you some advice.
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> “BRAPA in Cornwall” (film out November)
Netflix ? Sky ? Whatever ?
I’m looking forward to it and await further details. I hope we’ll be paid to watch it.
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Netflix. This year’s Bird Box.
Yes you’ll be paid £27.50 to watch it.
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£27.50 of Doombar vouchers, redeemable at Tim’s emporium ?
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“Next up, a few days in Dudley with Mrs RM”
Good thing I’ve chosen to be decorous on your blog. 😉
“in this attractive office in Burnt Tree.”
Crikey. It looks like it was built from a burnt tree.
“Ugh said Mrs RM”
Now, now. They can’t all be geared towards pashmina wearing people with poodles. 🙂
“a craze started by BeerMat ”
True, but he was usually taking one of more of his kids there.
“It smelt of cabbage (or was it broccoli?)”
Either way, Si had most likely just visited the loo.
“Some blokes choosing a pudding”
Hopefully something light on calories for the bloke in the hoody.
“I lean over to see which of the Pedi pumps has been used, ”
How can you tell?
“which is the sort of thing that I thought only happened in BRAPA stories.”
I did say he’d just been to the loo there.
“Sadly for her, she was working next door and I HAD to eat it myself.”
SGC* as Duncan would say.
*(slow golf clap)
Cheers
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