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 !!







Wednesday, 26 March 2014

The Tame Otter

Our all dayer in Brum the previous day meant that we needed some fresh air to clear our heads, so we took advantage of the glorious Spring weather with a walk to The Tame Otter at Hopwas.

This is one of our favourite walks as we walk down the towpath of the Coventry canal from Amington for approximately five miles. Whilst our time that day of one hour thirty five minutes wasn't quite a p.b. it was still pretty good considering the previous day's over indulgence.

When we set off I foolishly declared that I might not have an alcoholic drink when we got to the pub but, due to the fact that I was parched after the long walk, it was no surprise that my order was two pints of Aspall cider.

There are a couple of real ales on offer at The Tame Otter but in all honesty drinking a lovely cold dry cider outside this pub is what hot days are made for.



You will note from the photo that I am resplendent in my red gilet (I think they used to be called body warmers years ago) as there was a slight chill in the air but it was definitely outdoor drinking weather and we vowed to return to the pub when the weather was 'otter' !!

UPDATE 14th September

The after effects of a long drinking session round at Shelley's Mum's on Saturday afternoon/night and early Sunday morning meant that we needed to blow away a few cobwebs when we got back to Tamworth so the lengthy canal side walk to the Tame Otter seemed like a good, though possibly over optimistic, idea.

We have done this walk in less than one and a half hours though usually average an hour and three quarters, however our 2am finish had certainly taken its toll as we ambled our way to the pub in just under two hours !!

We generally drink Aspall cider outdoors at The Tame Otter but we broke with tradition, after firstly opting to stay indoors, Shelley sensibly went for a soft drink on the basis that she'd had too many the day before and I, fearing that Aspall's 5.5% ABV may have tipped me over the edge, went for the more sedate Everards Tiger Bitter at a much more sensible 4.2%.

The pub has recently had a bit of a refurbishment however I noticed very little difference, it was a bit brighter and probably a bit more dining friendly but it was little more than a lick of paint and new fixtures, all very tame if you pardon the pun !!

We took the weight off our weary feet, and I enjoyed my Cask Marque accredited ale while celebrating a successful military style haircut that Shelley had given me just before we set off to the pub...



It seems a lifetime since my mop top days !!

We were feeling a bit peckish and our general lethargy meant that the prospect of cooking when we got back wasn't a good one. Although the Sunday lunches looked good we wanted comfort food so we went down the Elvis Presley route and ordered a hunk a hunk a burger and fries. Oh yeah, and another pint !!

While we were waiting I couldn't help noticing the price of a Christmas Day lunch at The Tame Otter...£52.95 !! Ho Ho Ho(w) much?!!

Our stay was a brief one and we sensibly opted for the shorter walk back through Tamworth town centre rather than along the canal.

Shamefully, when we got back, I was falling asleep on the settee at 6.30pm and called it a night at 8o'clock !! I just can't hack these late nights any more.

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