retiredmartin

July 2023. Shirley, Birmingham.

My third and final new Guide tick on a dreich day in Birmingham took me out east to Shirley. I can only think of pub tickers visiting Shirley voluntarily, though of course big sister Solihull has been made into a major tourist destination by Life After Football‘s acclaimed series of blogs. Grief, they’ve even built an airport there to accommodate all those international visitors !

Having failed to identify a day ticket, I’d bought a third off-peak return of the day for the 18 minute trip from Moor Street, whose arches house some interesting bars which almost put Brum on a par with Worcester. But of course the Worcester arches have axe-throwing.

Shirley doesn’t have very much, at all.

In particular, it doesn’t have a facility for a comfort break on the half hour sprint between the station and the Ale Hub, as legally you’re not allowed to use these plants;

and Shirley consists entirely of trim residential suburbs with no scrubland at all, and the odd firm of Chartered Accountants. And we all know about Chartered Accountants, don’t we ?

Ale Hub looks exactly like the Ale Hub in Mere Green I’d been to that lunchtime, and the Ale Hub in Worcester last month.

And the beer range looked pretty similar too.

Which is fine. Consistency of beer range across the chain (and it is a chain) presumably must help breweries and also means that drinkers know they’ll get a beer they’ve heard of on the bar.

Ale Hub have certainly got the staffing right; lovely staff and as so often that translates to friendly locals.

Even when subjected to “Alive and Kicking” by Simple Minds; it was Dire Straits in Mere Green so they’ve obviously got a job lot of “Now That’s What I Call Music 1985“.

Life After Football has just blogged about how chain Solihull boozers attract a wide mix of ages and I reckon the Ale Hub caters for folk who want to go out but don’t fancy the steak and wine offer in the Ember Inn* down the road.

Ember Inns in east Brum are often a joy, but I doubt you’ll get a pint as good as the Church End “Fallen Angel” (again), cool and rich (NBSS 3.5).

Really impressive, and I reckon Ale Hub will be dragging us out to the ‘burbs (Pirton and Dickens Heath, specifically) in 2024.

I took the scenic route back to the station through Shirley Park, only resisting the call of the (Red) Lion because Google Maps said I’d then miss my train by 23 minutes and even I can’t make up that shortfall in half an hour.

You wouldn’t want to walk a mile in my shoes, mate.

*This one;