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 !!







Tuesday, 23 September 2014

The Volunteer

It was sorrows drowning time after I had just witnessed Warwickshire's three wicket defeat to Durham in the Royal London one day cup final at Lords....that's Lords the home of cricket not Lourdes in France the place where miracles happen, mind you, when Warwickshire were 69 for 5 I was hoping for some divine intervention !!

I had travelled down with fellow Bluenoses Andy, Deb, Dave and his son Jack, and their choice of The Volunteer, a lusty legside glance away from the historic ground, was a good one. As you would expect the pub was full of despondent cricket fans who were dissecting the days events over a few pints, 'It was a bad toss to lose', 'We needed someone to stay in with Chopra', 'Woakes had a nightmare', were some of the opinions I heard at the bar while I was waiting to get served.

There was a great selection of real ales to choose from with me going for a pint of Adnams Ghost Ship which was okay but a bit too citrusy (does such a word exist?!) for my liking.

We spilled out onto the street as there was no room in the pub and we very quickly got over our defeat after a drink..



Pints two and three were different ones, I went onto Sharps Doombar as I didn't fancy another Ghost Ship, and I was forced to go onto Bath Ales Forest Ale as the Doombar lasted about as long as most of the Warwickshire top order !!

Surprisingly the mood was almost celebratory and there was an impromptu sing song outside the pub with a dancing bear orchestrating proceedings..



I was conscious of the fact that we needed to catch the 20.00 hrs train from Marylebone to Moor St so we made our way to the station, stopping on route to stock up on cans of cider for the journey, mind you, it wasn't just cider, it was M & S cider !!





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