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 !!







Saturday, 27 December 2014

The Boldmere Tap

Long before I started stepping out with my significant other I used to share a flat with my mate Neil in Boldmere. Lack of clothes washing facilities meant Scrubs launderette was the venue for us to wash our designer gear, and we used to make a night out of it. It used to go something like this, leave flat with washing and go to the launderette, empty clothes into a machine and start wash cycle, go to pub, go back to launderette move clothes from machine to drier and start the drying cycle, go back to pub, go back to launderette empty clothes from drier into bag, go to the Chinese take away and order food, go back to pub, pick up Chinese and go home. Who says domestic chores can't be fun?!!

The pub in question was The Boldmere Oak and it had become a bit unloved since I moved to Tamworth resulting in several changes of ownership and periods when the pub has been closed so I was delighted when I heard that it had been taken over by the Market Drayton based brewery Joules and turned into a pub with an emphasis on real ale.

It was very reassuring when I turned up on the opening night of the pub (now called The Boldmere Tap) that the three destinations of my old school wash night still remained....

The launderette...



The pub...



...and The Chinese take away...



The brewery had made a good job of the refurbishment, structurally it hadn't altered that much but it's amazing what a false wall, a lick of paint and brand new loos can do.

The promotional material for the opening night of the pub encouraged customers to bring a bottle which could be exchanged for a pint, unfortunately my bottle of Trooper (the Iron Maiden beer) wasn't what they were looking for, they wanted old fashioned bottles which they would use to compliment the Old Curiosity Shop feel to the place. I think the landlady took pity of me when she saw my pleading eyes and said to the barman 'Oh, just give him a pint' !!

One look round the place confirmed that there were still a few regulars from The Boldmere Oak days, the owner of the launderette, and an eccentric old bloke who used to pour over reams of green and white computer print outs. We were always convinced (given that those things haven't been used in an office for around fifteen years) that it was a ploy to escape a nagging wife, 'I'm just catching up with my paperwork love' !!

I was joined by mate Kap, my mate and work colleague Paul, and former flatmate Neil and we were all in agreement that we liked the place and the beer. Beer Philistines Neil and Kap disappointingly were on Carling, whereas myself and Paul were happy to knock back a few pints of Joules Pale Ale, a very pleasant little number.

Our numbers were swelled when some of Shelley's chums turned up, Michelle x2 (I know, what is it with that name?!!), fellow Sabbath fan Tony (who was sporting a splendid twirly moustache) and his boss Vaughan. They were drinking a very dark looking ale that scared me !!

Given the fact that it was a school night, we halted proceedings at a fairly work friendly hour but all vowed to return. Kap and Neil left just before me..



....whilst I required full powers of concentration on my departure to ensure that my automatic pilot instincts would not divert me initially to the launderette and then to the Chinese !!

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