Well, well, RetiredMartin was right. Named my city of the year for 2018, Wolverhampton IS the best place to live in the UK.
So what does Wolves have to offer that, say, Maidenhead doesn’t.
Excellent public transport by train and tram.
One of the best art galleries in the country.
Idiosyncratic B & B for visitors to sty in when they visit.
Unspoilt (by progress) architecture
A Premiership team playing in the City Centre

Questionable musical heritage

A predilection for hats, but not pashminas
High-Vis credentials

“Proper Pubs”, as defined by Mr P Mudge, Esq. Many of them gorgeous.




The Stile. One of the few pubs I saw the great Mr. Coldwell pleased about drinking BBB.

Micropubs that feel like pubs
Proper cheap pub food in the Great Western, Stile and Combermere.

Oh, and cobs. Don’t forget the cobs.


Or the the curry in the Dilshad.
Yeah, I’d live there. Just about.
Just don’t turn the wrong way out of the Great Western and end up in the Red Light District on chill Tuesday night in February, eh ?
I think Mr Coldwell was actually drinking BBM (Boring Brown Mild) in that photo 😛
And you missed out Britain’s biggest and most versatile cask beer brewery 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
And future brewer of Bass in all probability 😉
LikeLike
“We have the technology” 😄🔺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, those were his exact words !
LikeLike
Those photos make one very very hungry. I have a Wolverhampton return on our next itinerary. When the virus is defeated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The curry has been good, but it’s the traditional pub snacks that people rave about. 🤗
LikeLike
Had to go to Wolverhampton with work once. Place I had to visit was just outside the centre but I wandered into town through a horrid 60s shopping centre only to be taken aback by how wonderful the town was with its fine buildings and excellent pubs. A lovely surprise!
LikeLike
That’s spot on. The Mander and Wulfrun aren’t great, and it takes some effort to find the old part.
LikeLike
The Wulfrun, that’s it, I was racking my brain for the name. Grim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember two lovely big Victorian arcades that were demolished for building the Mander and Wulfrun centres, but at least those two are out of the way and easily avoided – except that my optician is in one of them but that’s an excuse annually for another Proper Day Out in Wolverhampton. ( “Why don’t you get an optician in Stafford” Mrs TSM asks each year )
LikeLiked by 2 people
From a pubs point of view, you’re probably right…but NO…the civilised Land of Brum is but a train/tram ride away!
LikeLike
Civilised? But you were showing us Stirchley this afternoon, Pete 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
…and your point is??? LOL!
LikeLike
Exactly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Martin,
That’s a lovely summary of what most certainly must be one of the best cities.
And it’s certainly quite a contrast from Stoke the other side of me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was brought up there from age 3 to 8. Still enjoy rare visits back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice post, Martin. Looking forward to the time when I can jump on a train and explore the delights (beery and otherwise) of Wolverhampton.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you didn’t have time after Shifnal, did you. You’ll find it more akin to Tonbridge than Tunbridge Wells, which of course is A GOOD THING.
LikeLike
The Holden’s bar caught my eye – I can’t think when I last saw a “regular” Special >5% on cask outside London. I guess I might find cask Abbot if I was to ever darken the doors of a Greene King pub, but there can’t be many these days?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t think of many regular beers of that strength. Sharps Sea Fury ( 5%) seemed fairly common in Cornwall.
LikeLiked by 1 person
QQ,
I remember Holdens introducing their Special, and all those years ago it was a special Special.
It’s always on in their two pubs I use the most, the Great Western and Codsall Station, but not in quite a few others.
LikeLiked by 2 people