Pubs of 2014

Right, here we go...... The purpose of this blog is to log all the pubs that I have visited and consumed an alcoholic beverage in during 2014. The rules are quite simple, the establishment needs to be a public house, it sounds straightforward but it may get complicated for example things that wouldn't count are a visit to the bar at the cricket, a pre gig drink in a concert venue, a drink at the Birmingham German market etc. As judge and jury my decision is final, and if I'm in any doubt I won't count it.



My prediction as at the start of the year is that the final number will be somewhere around the 200 mark though I won't go to pubs just to get the numbers up, it will be a true reflection of my pub visting year.



My posts will include information about the pub, the ambience of the surroundings, the choice and quality of the beer, any interesting or amusing anecdotes about my visit and, where possible, photographic evidence.



I will try and keep the information as accurate as possible noting that alcohol consumption means that at times this may prove difficult !!



The format of the posts is simple, the first visit to the pub will be the blog entry and that post will be updated for any subsequent visit.



Hope you enjoy it...



Cheers

UPDATE January 2015

Right, that's it, it's finally finished, some 259 pubs later !! It's been hard work but it's nice being able to look back and relive the drinking experiences of 2014.

I am pleased with the final result and whilst I've been reviewing it, I have actually laughed a few times at my own jokes !!

A word of warning, it does start off a bit slow (some of my posts from Bath are a bit dull) but stick with it. In hindsight the format of posting repeat visits to a pub on the original post at times doesn't work very well when reading the blog in its' entirety but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I hope that you enjoy it.

I have stated this in the blog but I will say it again, thanks to anyone that I have had a beer with in 2014 and special thanks to Shelley for her patience !!







Monday, 17 February 2014

Bar 8

Bar 8 is a relatively new addition so I made my first visit there with sister Karen to meet fellow Blue Noses Andy, Deb and Dave. The pub is dedicated to Birmingham City legend, and wearer of the number 8 shirt, Trevor Francis.


 Bar 8 is a great place to go for the post match inquest which, that day, didn't last long as the two one defeat to Huddersfield Town was arguably the worst performance of the season.

Frustratingly there was no real ale on offer so I went for a pint of Dutch lager Amstel as a tribute to our former Amsterdam born winger Daniel De Ridder.

In a throw back to the days when TF graced the hallowed St Andrews turf the barmaids were wearing the full Birmingham City kit though, disappointingly, the talent behind the bar was about as impressive as that in the current Birmingham City first team !!

Former Blues player, and fellow number 8 wearer, Paul Tait turned up at the bar (unfortunately not wearing his infamous anti v*lla tee shirt) though he barely had time to get served as, somewhat annoyingly, last orders were called at 5.20 though there was still time for one last photo wishing the great man was still playing for us...



UPDATE 25th October

When I settled down at the start of Blues's game against Bournemouth I had absolutely no idea of what was to follow....



To go one nil down after 122 seconds doesn't help, nor does being reduced to ten men after seven minutes but 0-8?!! Really?!! 0-8?!! It sounds more like economical bowling figures !! I should have put a bet on, in response (at 0-3) to my mate Andy's text that Bar 08 would be the choice of post match drinking venue I said I hope that's not your score prediction !! My face sums up my mood just after the final whistle...



To say we were speechless when I met up with Deb, Andy, Dave and Al after the game is something of an understatement. It would be no exaggeration to say that it was the worst performance that I have seen from a Birmingham City team in the forty years I have been watching them, and trust me, there have been some pretty bad performances in those four decades. Totally and utterly unacceptable.

One of the choices of beer in the bar was a surprising one, Midlands brewery Sadler's have decided to cash in on the popular tv series Peaky Blinders (a programme supposedly set just around the corner from St Andrews) and have launched an ale of the same name which was available in bottles..



It was as dark and heavy as some of the music I listen to so not necessarily for my taste buds but definitely drinkable however it did not take my mind off what I had just witnessed. I was bracing myself for the texts, which I would undoubtedly receive, from gloating v*lla fans with quips about After Eight Mints etc. I did stop and wonder, when I saw his photo as a young man on a door in the bar, what Blues's most famous number eight would make of the debacle...



The bar closes at 5.30pm so there was only time for one drink before moving elsewhere for more (joys and) sorrows drowning.....


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