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 ?
retiredmartin 
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 😀
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And future brewer of Bass in all probability 😉
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“We have the technology” 😄🔺
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Yes, those were his exact words !
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Those photos make one very very hungry. I have a Wolverhampton return on our next itinerary. When the virus is defeated.
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The curry has been good, but it’s the traditional pub snacks that people rave about. 🤗
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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!
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That’s spot on. The Mander and Wulfrun aren’t great, and it takes some effort to find the old part.
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The Wulfrun, that’s it, I was racking my brain for the name. Grim.
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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 )
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From a pubs point of view, you’re probably right…but NO…the civilised Land of Brum is but a train/tram ride away!
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Civilised? But you were showing us Stirchley this afternoon, Pete 😊
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…and your point is??? LOL!
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Exactly.
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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.
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I was brought up there from age 3 to 8. Still enjoy rare visits back.
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Nice post, Martin. Looking forward to the time when I can jump on a train and explore the delights (beery and otherwise) of Wolverhampton.
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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.
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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?
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Can’t think of many regular beers of that strength. Sharps Sea Fury ( 5%) seemed fairly common in Cornwall.
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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.
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