retiredmartin

August 2025. Birmingham.

Mrs RM now had enough material for a future (November ’26) blog on Digbeth, as we headed through the tunnel alongside the Digbeth branch canal (a bit too quiet for comfort, in honesty).

We’re heading towards that second great expansion on the Brum map, the great HS2 works at Curzon Street.

I know a pub there Mrs RM will want to see, though as we head alongside the City Uni the thick blooms of smoke from the industrial estates we’ve just left (it weren’t me !) have us wondering about the wisdom of the Woodman.

This is a pub with a lot of attention, and goodwill, since its glorious refurb,

in no small part for bringing Bass back to Brum.

And I couldn’t be more happy with that, but as always a pub needs punters to fill those lovely bench seats,

and a Woodman with more pumps than drinkers is a tad worrying.

Mrs RM is having none of this Bass nostalgia fest, sticking with Jaipur (3.5),

but for a second time my pint of the red triangle looks the part,

but lacks that last bit of coolness and crispness you want.

One chap comes in, looks bewildered by the clips, and picks the red one, after a brief note of brand recognition.

On the way out I ask him if he’s enjoying his Bass.

“Yes, it’s very nice“. I guess he has had the second one pulled.

A gem, cosy and comfortable and gorgeous, but there’s still work to do.

Rather like HS2 itself.