retiredmartin

October 2023. Wem. Shropshire.

Pub two on our pub crawl “curated pub appreciation in Northern Salop tour“.

10 minutes back into Wem past the old brewery and a sharp left to the Fox Inn,

just past the imposing offices of E. Maund & Sons (Garage).

I always find it reassuring when a stop on a crawl curated pub appreciation day is called the Fox,

though I can do without the Halloween tat, thank you.

and the fake bookcases.

The first time I was really aware of the skeleton and pumpkin nonsense was in Nottingham pubs in the mid 2000s, and today the Halloween tat was about to do battle with some alternative glitter.

But first to the bar, where nectar awaited.

Actually, that pint of Doom Bar was a bit sharp. Will, who always has two halves of the two different beers, said his was OK.

I did the “Ahem, excuse me, I wonder if this one tastes a bit wrong ?” thing.

To her credit, the barperson resisted the obvious retort of “What do you expect, it’s Doom Bar ?“.

“It might be because it’s the first one I’ve pulled, I’ll do another one”.

And this was pretty good (NBSS 3+), though you might well wonder if there ought to have been a bit of pulling through, even at a mere £3.80 a pint.

We chatted dodgy knees and Donnington brewery impassionedly; the two may be connected.

Half a dozen in on a Thursday lunchtime, and ordinary pub, playing an “Ordinary World“,

though of course that’s Duran Duran’s late career* masterpiece, their “Regret” or “Nothing Lasts Forever”.

As music experts like Will and Paul will know, “Ordinary World” anchors “The Wedding Album”. Wedding celebrations and wakes are two of the causes of Pub Men occasionally being excluded from pubs, along with “significant” birthdays.

“Significant birthdays, RM ? That would only be 22 December, surely ?”.

A lady was setting up the deccies around us.

“Happy Birthday !” I said. But it was her sister.

“Don’t mind me” she said, leaning over Paul to stick up the banner.

NOTHING distracts Paul Mudge from his pint.

*What ! They’re still going ?