April 2025. Birmingham. Always best to have a rest day after a Proper Day Out, so I’d booked my return from Wolves to Sheffield at times that ensured I wouldn’t get to a new pub. Clever, huh ? A late start from a Premier Inn room with sheets covered in crispy beef sauce (you don’t… Continue reading BIRMINGHAM BLOOMS, BEYOND THE BINS
Tag: Birmingham
“And the circle, it goes round and round”. LIZZY McALPINE AT BIRMINGHAM O2.
October 2024. Birmingham. October 28th had been the highlighted date in my calendar all year, the day I finally get to see my hero(ine) after two (2) failed attempts due to parental disasters and a tour cancellation. It had looked very likely Monday would see another disaster with Mum still recovering in Addenbrookes, but Mrs… Continue reading “And the circle, it goes round and round”. LIZZY McALPINE AT BIRMINGHAM O2.
KING’S NORTON – CURRY NOT CHOCOLATE
December 2023. King’s Heath. Birmingham. The first tick of the day is always the hardest, and from Boldmere I was able to catch a train directly (“dreckly” as they say in the Fens) to the second. But first at Chester Road I had that joy of suburban Brum stations, folk having long, unintelligible conversations about… Continue reading KING’S NORTON – CURRY NOT CHOCOLATE
BOLDLY INTO BOLDMERE
December 2023. Birmingham. Only four new Guide entries in West Midlands; on a whim I thought I’d do them all in an afternoon before we ticked over into 2024. Four spread-out entries requiring the expert planning skills of a man who’s completed the GBG. Instead, I just hopped on the first train at Sheffield and… Continue reading BOLDLY INTO BOLDMERE
A START TO THE QUEST TO DO ALL THE SHAKESPEARES
July 2023. New Street Station, Birmingham. I can see how Simon gets so easily persuaded to do a seventh pint at the Parcel Yard when he does those long days by train via London. You’ve invested enough funds to feed Colin the Cauliflower for a month, dealt with the stress of that Kent pub you… Continue reading A START TO THE QUEST TO DO ALL THE SHAKESPEARES
NEW GBG PUB IN EAST BRUM ? SHIRLEY NOT !
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.… Continue reading NEW GBG PUB IN EAST BRUM ? SHIRLEY NOT !
HURRAH ! FOR HALTON TURNER
July 2023. Digbeth. Birmingham. Well, I think it’s Digbeth. I assume everything east of that Selfridges store (the one with the pink dots below) is Digbeth. Do feel free to correct me. Back at New Street/Grand Central from Bournville I finally found a bin for that Birmingham Brewery can, and set off aimlessly for another… Continue reading HURRAH ! FOR HALTON TURNER
BITTER BRUMMIE
July 2023. Birmingham. One down, three Brum GBG ticks to go. A paltry effort compared to Simon’s half-dozen in the Black Country that day, but those four were at opposite ends of the city, and the next one was a full 40 minutes away in Bournville. I spent my entire 10 minutes in the Ale… Continue reading BITTER BRUMMIE
THE SLOW TRAIN TO MERE GREEN, WHEREVER THAT IS
July 2023. Sheffield-Derby-Birmingham-New Street. I don’t know how Simon (and Daddy BRAPA) does it. Every Saturday without fail, up at 6am to catch the first train out of York station to the far corners of the kingdom to have a pint in six pubs with a cauliflower in tow. I wasn’t up and out till… Continue reading THE SLOW TRAIN TO MERE GREEN, WHEREVER THAT IS
ROCK & ROLL, YEAH !
14th April 2023. The last pub from the Big Brum Bender (aka curated Birmingham beer exploratory), as we called it quits after seven eight pubs at the crafty Rock and Roll Brewhouse. It’s the rule on these Proper Pub Days Out that everyone does ALL the pubs, unless it’s a shisha bar selling Jamaican tonic… Continue reading ROCK & ROLL, YEAH !
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