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 !!







Sunday, 5 October 2014

The Winning Post

According to Wikipedia Amington possesses four pubs, The Gate (thirty one visits so far this year would suggest that we are regulars), The Old Liberal House (does a job if there's sport on but no great shakes), The Amington (fine, but a bit food orientated these days) and The Winning Post. As I hadn't visited the pub this year, and I was passing, I thought I'd call in for blog completeness.

Situated in a residential area The Winning Post has the appearance of an estate pub. It has an old school bar/lounge format with me opting for the bar mainly due to the fact that there was a sum total of two people in the lounge. In all honesty it was hardly standing room only in the bar, I was patron number eight when I walked in.

The clientele weren't necessarily the sort that you'd invite round to your house for tea, the bloke at the bar mentioned very matter of factly to the person that he was talking to that he'd been to prison for eight months for fighting in a pub in Tamworth town centre. I made a mental note to myself not to push in front of him when getting served !!

Marston's Pedigree was the only real ale and, once they'd changed the barrel, I was presented with a pint that was okay but way too cold, almost lageresque in temperature.



The pub is fairly non descript and completely lacking in character, not great when you are struggling for information to put in a blog !!

The numbers in the lounge swelled when three young blokes called in straight from work for a game of pool and a pint. Admittedly the pub was a bit dark and dingy but the fact that all three of them kept their high visibility jackets on to play pool was maybe just a little bit over the top !!

I couldn't stop long as I'd got a train to catch but I will admit to knocking back the final third of my pint in one, I had good reason, someone had selected a Jamiroquai song on the pub's jukebox !!

UPDATE 19th December

Our neighbour Alan and myself were out on our Christmas do and we moved from previous pub The Dolphin to The Winning Post..



As is always the case in The Winning Post there was nobody in the lounge so we went into the bar and were greeted by the sight of the cheapest set of Christmas decorations you will ever see, rather than brightening the place up they were that dreary and depressing that it actually had the opposite effect !!

Unlike in previous pub The Dolphin there was an ale available in The Winning Post and although it certainly wasn't the greatest pint of Marston's Pedigree I've ever had it was a big improvement on the Carling I'd just been subjected to.

I couldn't help notice a new addition since my last visit, food is now available !! Now, don't expect a menu with a huge variety of dishes, your choice at best is limited to four delicacies, chicken and mushroom, steak and kidney, beef and onion or steak and ale. Yes, you've guessed it, there's a Pukka pie cabinet situated at the end of the bar !! When we'd arrived they'd either had a rush on or they couldn't be bothered to fill it up as it was completely empty. I could hardly believe my mince pies !!

The bar area is dominated by a large tv screen which for some unfathomable reason was showing the Text Santa charity event, however there seemed to be a problem with the TV's subtitle functionality as it was stuck on the following subtitle 'Why can't Shazia get the room ready'?....I never did find out the reason for Shazia's domestic failing !!

Just like we had in The Dolphin, we stayed in The Winning Post longer than expected but it was eventually time to make our way to our final destination our local The Gate.

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