retiredmartin

May 2023.

Lots of mini-posts and I may even catch up before the end of the month. Perhaps…

An overnighter parked up (literally) under the railway arches in Worcester, £4 for 24 hours.

A minute from the racecourse (never been to a horsey race), three from the station, five from the cricket and the Cathedral, it’s a terrific spot I’ll use again.

Those arches housed a burgeoning collection of independent businesses including a new micro, ramen and axe throwing. Which sounds like the launch party of the 2024 Good Beer Guide.

I reckon you need half a dozen visits to get the hang of an average UK city, but I’m still confused about Worcester. Worcester Woman, suburban sprawl, historic centre, craft bars under the arches, street art…

My new Guide pub turns out be 2.7 miles south-east, in the suburb of St Peter the Great. Duncan will know if this is St Peter’s GBG debut.

With a length walk ahead it takes strength of character to avoid a revisit to the city’s classic pubs,

but I seem to have acquired reserves of character. Either that or I knew if I stopped in the Paul Pry I’d need to find a wee stop somewhere near the childrens’ play area on Battenhall Park.

My bladder was creaking by the time I reached my target in a small suburban shopping parade (think : Fernwood or Blackburn), taunted by the name of the Chinese takeaway.

Ale Hub is, I discover, one of nine (9) in a chain of small pubs.

ALL your favourite locations,

particularly if your name is Life After Football. I have to visit the two in Mere Green and Shirley, and feel my life will not be complete until I do.

The Worcester model is very much the “community all-rounder” that would receive a first written warning from Herne, if it cared about micropub rules.

A cheery pub with a hardcore soundtrack,

and a range of beers stronger on quality than rarity. It’ll never catch on.

Bench seating against the wall, a cool Butty Bach (3.5), a sense of good (if quite blokey) cheer.

The only rules I saw governed the loos (top), which had a limit of 4 ladies at a time. Jane will know why women need to enter the loo in groups of four, something to do with lippy or hovering I guess.

Anyhow, nice place, and a fake Banksy on the way home.