CIDER WITH MRS RM. THE TENBURY VAULTS.

May 2024. Tenbury Wells.

An attractive but not especially prosperous little, town, the Market Drayton of the Marches I finally decided, home to Robinsons (no relation) Cider whose livery decorates the last GBG entry here.

Scarily, that Pembroke visit was eight (8) years ago, when I noted “Tenbury looks a bit worn, not helped by traffic flow through the main streets. For a town smaller than my own village, it has a magnificent collection of buildings though, and some pungent farmyard smells.“

A few signs of life in the cafes, and the Black Country Ales investment in the market place is welcome.

But I knew I had to get Mrs RM in The Vaults.

The Vaults will never grace any Guide, but it’s as essential as the Boot at King’s Cross or the Free Trade in Berwick, an irreverent town centre drinking house.

I ask for halves (which marks us down as tourists straightway) of the Thatchers and the posher Westsons,

but notice just in time the cardboard box from Chalky’s.

Obviously you won’t get in the Guide celling a cider called “Big Cock”, even if it is a brand of pigeon.

“But it’s not REAL cider, RM !” says someone. No-one cares, CAMRA pdants.

Mrs RM chooses Chalky’s, quite a smooth drink compared to the fizzy Thatchers that dominates round here,

and then settles down to the surreptitious photography I brought her in the Vaults for.

Landlord and locals are really, really, cheery.

The chap opposite reads out the morning’s headlines. Gaza ? Elections ? Road closure on the A456 ?

“Jude Law’s daughter spotted with England footballer sparking dating rumours” “WOW“.

“Boy meets girl, proper news” says Mrs RM, enjoying the spotlight.

I spy some excellent applicants for BRAPA’s mascot in amongst the horseracing biographies,

but the back bar has lost the bar stuck to the ceiling from 2016,

though the art makes up for that.

An essential visit, nonetheless, and you can spend hours wondering what this sign in the Gents signifies;

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

11 thoughts on “CIDER WITH MRS RM. THE TENBURY VAULTS.”

  2. It celebrates Gareth Bale’s match winning bicycle kick against Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final.

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  3. Are you a tourist in the UK when you travel such a short distance within your country? Or are you just from out of townvillage?

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    2. Dave,

      I recently saw a couple from Pittsburgh ( obvious from his ‘Penguins’ jacket ) go into Glasgow’s Scotia Bar for a drink. They might have been there as it’s Glasgow’s oldest pub but with them immediately sitting on bar stools and only really seeing the shelves on the bar back they probably left with very little idea of what the pub was actually like. I thought how very different they were to you and your brother whose thirst for knowledge about our beers and pubs equals your thirst for the proper beer.

      Have you another trip to Britain planned ?

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      3. We just began looking into fall trips. Would love to revisit the midlands. Love the people and pubs in that area.

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