Nope. Not THAT one in Beckenham, though BRAPA is dangerously close to the Surrey/South London borders at the moment.
This is Bedlam Furnaces, where Mrs and I stuck our campervan on Friday night.
So, another night of free parking and at least £50 saved on chintzy B & B, with this view mere minutes away.
I’d only been here in February, when the area was recovering from the catastrophic floods that seemed likely to be the worst thing to hit us in 2020.
The Coracle micro was closed, and as I drove past a scene of desolation along the Severn that day I thought how nice it would be to bring Mrs RM back in mid March when it was all dried out.
Oh. Events, dear boy.
It had reopened on the Thursday, and invited my booking for a table in the outside garden. You can see why they’re not letting folk inside.
Ben Viveur just mentioned my success in finding trad wet-led pubs open and close(ish) to normal, compared with the beery bars and micros.
This is one Ben would love. A classy place, great staff, weird keg and Salopian on cask.
The descent down the stairs was a carefully planned event in itself.
Mrs RM had brought her raincoat, but the sun shines on the righteous (me) and we enjoyed our allotted hour.
This was the view from our table.
Mrs RM had it posted on Facebook quicker than the time it takes her to down a pint of Dark Singularity (about the time it takes to say it).
I nipped back up the stairs for the Blood Orange Sour, safe in the knowledge that Mrs RM Doesn’t Do Sour. Or Coconut or Fudge beer, to be honest. Pure grapefruit murk only.
We got chatting to a couple our age (low middle) from t’other Telford (Wellington) who raved about the Pheasant but not the Cock and raised an eyebrow when I referred to other people as “Older folk” but were otherwise fine company.
The chap was a Brummie.
“Blues or Villa ?”
“Blues !”
He fondly remembered a chap called Clarkson, whose clearance often cleared the Tilton Road stand, forcing a guy in a coracle to reclaim the ball from the Bordesley Canal.
Most of that is true.
Love that spot and that string of museums. I also liked a lot of the brewers you encounter in that area. Quite an underrated area to me.
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Oddly, never done any of those museums. Great walking.
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The Cock in Wellington is now owned by Joules, but I don’t think they’ve done their number on it yet.
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Good fit for them, I guess.
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They’re been after one in Telford for a while.
Just a great shame they can’t be trusted with its heritage interior.
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Yes, the Cock, as I recall, is pretty fine as it is.
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Hi Martin, very impressed with the Coracle whenever I’ve visited and those views of the Iron Bridge are hard to beat. That Dark Singularity stout looks very tempting! Bedlam Furnaces was the scene of some duck vandalism a couple of years ago so I’m pleased you didn’t encounter anything antisocial – https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/crime/2018/05/20/reward-offered-after-duck-trail-hit-again-by-vandals/
One of my Blues-supporting mates gets misty eyed at the thought of a Clarkson clearance (either that or the memory reduces him to tears). Cheers, Paul
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What a view! Will definitely add that to the (very long) list of must visit places.
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I was strugging to zoom in enough on the headline photo and then read the word reflected backwards ..
…but is that your Busted tee shirt..?
..oh..and you’re Rerired Martin and I claim my pint of Doom Bar😊
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No hang on..Retired Martin…that’s it…
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Love Shropshire, beautiful county.
Legend has it that Shrewsbury Town used to employ a bloke in a coracle to retrieve the ball when it got booted out of Gay Meadow into the Severn.
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That was Martin’s unique ball boy job back in the 70’s.
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Arguably your most popular piece ever 😄😄 Terrific views and a great looking pub with top beer and exiled Brummies….what more do you need? Apparently clearances used to reach River Rea in Digbeth!
He used to stop off at The Black Horse to retrieve the ball on the way home!
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Still waiting for someone to bite and say “Surely that was Shrewsbury”.
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My money’s on Stafford Paul 😄
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