My usual venue for passing the hour is the legendary Square Peg, legendary due to the size of the place and the fact that it apparently contains the longest bar in the UK. This CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed venue opened in 1995 on the site of the former Lewis's store and gets it's name from when Wetherspoon's founder saw the plans for the place and remarked that it looked like a square peg in a round hole.
Despite the length of the bar anyone who has ever tried to order a drink in this place will vouch for the fact that it doesn't matter where you position yourself along the bar you will always struggle to get served !!
I had a spring in my step on the night that I visited The Square Peg, my beloved Birmingham City had just battled back three times to earn a hard fought draw against high flying Burnley. The final equaliser was scored in injury time meaning my beer was a celebratory one. A draw is like a victory these days !!
Mrs L has instilled the eye for a bargain in me so not only was I drinking in a venue that is easy on the wallet I also made use of a 50p off a pint (Purity Pure Gold) coupon. The pounds were being well and truly looked after.........Warning, selfie alert.............
As a non smoker I was in full favour of the smoking ban and The Square Peg is definitely one establishment that has benefitted from that piece of legislation as it used to be shrouded in a fog of smoke. I must admit though at times the stench of smoke would be a welcome aroma given the pungency of some of the characters that this place continues to attract !!
I had time for a second pint and, in contradiction to the lyrics of one of their early songs, I found I could not get whatever I wanted as Piledriver, the beer launched by Status Quo, had literally just run out. I was forced to opt for a pint of Prescott Track Record which just like its political namesake packed a real punch !!
UPDATE 29th April
This was one of those rare occasions when a trip to the pub was the last thing I wanted to do. I had just watched Blues get virtually condemned to what I used to know as the third division and I just wanted to go home and sulk like a child but night games mean I have an hour to kill on my own in town while I wait for my last train home and what else is there to do but go for a pint?
After going ABV crazy pre-match (5.4% and 4.7%) I went for a much more sedate pint of Ruddles Best Bitter at a far more sensible 3.7% and reflected on my team's performance that night.
The pub itself was full of its usual characters with two old boys at the bar arguing about how many deaths Stalin was responsible for.
My phone was particularly busy with my aston v*lla chums eager to remind me of the score. Bless 'em.
Not to worry, a defeat for Doncaster Rovers on Saturday with a Blues draw or win at Bolton and we're safe. We can do it, or is that my 5.4% beer talking?!!
UPDATE 4th November
Well, what a turn up for the books !! After witnessing an 8-0 defeat in my previous visit to St Andrews I arrived at The Square Peg in a state of shock, Blues had deservedly won a home league game !! A fabulous 2-1 victory over Watford. Life is never dull when you are a Birmingham City supporter !!
A few drinks before the game meant that I thought that I'd best go low on the ABV scale when I ordered my drink, however I'd never seen a Brewsters Brewers Dozen before so I felt it would have been foolish to turn down the opportunity of a new real ale. I almost felt my hangover start when I checked out the ABV, 5.5% !! Ouch !!
I sat down and sent a text to fellow Blue Noses Deb and Andy who were holidaying in Gran Canaria letting them know how well we'd played. I'm sure they wouldn't believe me given the fact that they too sat through all eight of Bournemouth's goals less than a fortnight before !!
Maintaining this blog is a huge task and I took time in The Square Peg to assess how many pub visits I needed to write up, a daunting total of nineteen !! Realistically I needed to stay in for a couple of weeks to catch up but that was never going to happen !!
To make matters worse I committed a blog crime, the fact that I was still euphoric from the win coupled with the two Staropramens and two cocktails before the match and a 5.5% beer after meant that I forgot about taking my photo until I got to New St !! Here I am at the station, I'm not sure if you can just make out The Square Peg in the distance?!!...
Surely I'm allowed a lapse? One home win in the previous twenty four tends to have that kind of effect !!
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