You left me at the Spoons in Blackheath, contemplating my next step.
A quick look at WhatPub revealed a second Britannia, this one the local Cider Pub of the Year. AND in Rowley Regis, where I’d never been before.
Two Britannias 12 minutes apart in the same town (virtually). Now there’s an opportunity for ticking disaster.
Duncan wasn’t sure if it had been in the Guide under a different name or address, so I asked the man up the ladder,who was wearing a CAMRA sweater.
“Excuse me. Has this pub been in the Beer Guide before ?”
“I should think so. Yes”. Never ask a man.They’ll make it up if they don’t know.
It certainly looked like a GBG pub; multi-roomed; Beer Guides on a shelf, pint drinkers.
Ciders to the right, ales to the left, slightly smarter dining area to the back.
And a charming, patient landlord who explained in painstaking detail the constituents of the £1.60 cobs to a lady who actually said “Of course I want a pint, no point having halves”.
The banter was relentless, the guvnor sent his son off to clean out the gerbil, and I declared this a GBG cert. Even though what may have been homebrew was dull but decently kept. Ain’t that almost always the way ?
The Castlewood, Florist, Grapes and Manchester Arms are all now closed, and the Crown (Corner Cupboard) has been keg-only for many years. There used to be two Bridge Inns in Stockport within 400 yards of each other.
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I just noticed the Arden Arms with Old Tom on handpump rather than gravity, “Real pot plants” although the last pub to need pot plants, real or unreal, and a 22 year old goldfish that might have celebrated its fiftieth birthday last year.
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The pot plant mention was obviously a trial run prior to introducing a special GBG symbol, just for Martin to dispose of unwanted homebrew.
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What a pub!!! It should be an honorary member of the GBG irrespective of its beer quality!!
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“contemplating my next step.”
I’m guessing either left foot or right foot?
“AND in Rowley Regis, where I’d never been before.”
I know it’s Google Maps but it says the Britannia you were just in is also in Rowley Regis. 😉
“the guvnor sent his son off to clean out the gerbil,”
He gave the gerbil an enema?
Cheers
PS – I was going to point out the ‘alady’ thingie, and the fact that apparently Muslims can’t wash their feet in the handwash only sink but… I shan’t. 🙂
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Yes that Rowley Regis thing is the geographical confusion I was getting at last time. Rowley appears all over the place but doesn’t seem to have a centre, as Blackheath does.
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Martin,
Your confusion between the Britannia on Halesowen Street and the Britannia half a mile away opposite Bell End reminds me of someone lost 3½ miles to the west who on asking where he was mistook the “Yow ‘min Lye” reply as the name of a Chinese takeaway.
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Oldie, but still a goodie.
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Hi Martin, as far as I know both Britannia pubs have always been known as the Britannia – I’ve even double checked in the oracle Hitchmough just to make sure: https://www.longpull.co.uk/HBCPdownloads/HBCP%20Rowley%20Regis%202.pdf. This one at Rowley Village was a reasonably homely Banks’s place but has had a new lease of life since the Britt Brewery made their base here. I’m quite partial to their Working Mon’s Mild!
Agree that Rowley Regis is a funny place to pin down. I guess the historic heart is at Rowley Village around this Britannia, St Giles Church and the Cock Inn, while Blackheath has effectively become the local town centre for the wider district. Cheers, Paul
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