More Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 3)

 The sun rose, the water levels dropped and, after a day and a half at Holt Lock, we were allowed to resume our journey upstream to Stourport-on-Severn. It was clear, sunny, with a chill breeze, but we made good time. We negotiated the two staircase locks up to the basin, filled with water and saw Andrew off on his return home all before taking lunch in, what was for us, a new pub in Stourport.

Stourport Basin

The Angel overlooks the River Severn and is next door to what was The Tontine (which probably explains why we've not been there before!). It was quite busy in the garden and we managed to get the last table in the Bar area. It seemed to be quite a local's bar, from the banter, and I suspected that we'd taken someone's regular table...but nobody said anything to us!

The 'banter' got a bit more interesting when one bloke (his two mates - all middle aged - had popped out for a fag or a comfort break) upped the ante on his banter with another table by pulling down his trousers in the middle of the bar and, when this didn't get enough of a reaction, he pulled his pants down as well! (Fortunately, his shirt was long enough for there to be no real exposure of his parts!)

Once this table of people left, the three blokes moved to that table...and then...when we left they moved onto our table before we'd even got out of the door! (I'd had a feeling all along that we were in 'their spot'!)

We then had a long afternoon of boating along the lovely Staffs & Worcester Canal, passing up several potential stopping places, ending up at Kinver for the first of our three-in-a-row fine dining and drinking sessions.

Yes, we were entering Batham's Country! The Plough & Harrow was taking the COVID restrictions very seriously and we almost had to sit in the garden, but a table became vacant just in the nick of time. Several pints and a few cobs (plus Scotch egg) later and we were sated.

Next morning we continued north along the Staffs & Worcester Canal and turned off at Stourton Junction onto the Stourbridge Canal for our lunchtime stop in Stourbridge itself. It was the first time for many years that we'd ventured along the Stourbridge Arm, but I had a particular pub in mind for our Sunday lunch!

We've visited Stourbridge on several occasions in the past, but never before ventured outside the ring road where this gem, the Royal Exchange, is located.

...and this was our sumptuous Sunday lunch! (I did manage to squeeze in another cob!)

After an afternoon of ascending the Stourbridge Sixteen and Delph Locks we moored up quite late in the gathering gloom before setting off on a longish stroll to our pub for the evening.

Our third Batham's pub in three sessions, the home of their operations The Vine...or...Bull & Bladder as it is more commonly known. More fine dining on cobs, crisps, nuts and scratchings! I must be becoming more attuned to the subtleties of real ale because I could detect that each of the three pubs had a slightly different taste to the bitter! Nothing unpleasant and I'd probably not have noticed if we hadn't done three Batham's pubs in 24 hours.

After a couple of long boating days, it wasn't a long journey to our final Black Country experience.

It's a bit of an uphill slog from the canal but, The Old Swan...or...Ma Pardoe's as it is colloquially known is well worth the effort. The price was £2.60p per pint (Batham's had been a massive £3.10p!) and I had the proper Black Country fine dining experience with a plate of Faggots, Chips and Mushy Peas...luxury!

After this it was, literally, all down hill from here both physically and in terms of the beer! Next stop...Birmingham!

From here onwards our itinerary was exactly the same as for our previous trip in July, so I'll only dwell on the different pubs we visited.

In Brum, whilst The Shakespeare remains closed, the Prince of Wales has reopened and we had a couple of pints there before revisiting the Rajdoot!

The next stage of our trip took us to The Bull (in Birmingham's Gun Quarter), The White Horse at Curdworth, The Fazeley Inn and then The Royal Oak at Polesworth. We had a curry in the same place as before and then popped downstairs for a pint (or two) in The Bulls Head.

This is a pub that has taken a 'light touch' to the COVID regulations, but backed up by a no-nonsense gaffer who knows his customers (mostly of my vintage!) It was interesting to chat with him about how much trade they've lost - no darts, no bowling, no dominoes which would all have been big nights for the pub.

Next day and our destination was Atherstone which we reached in a reasonable time. (Having several volunteer lockkeepers can be a great help!) This time we found that the Market Tavern had reopened and, despite not doing food, we stayed there for the whole session. Sharp's Atlantic Pale Ale (keg version) was very pleasant!
 

Lunch was taken on the boat, on the move, following the acquisition of Cornish Pasties from a local shop...our sumptuous fine dining knows no bounds!

Our next stop was, again, The Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction which operates by table service and ordering via their app. (No change from previously).

Then we were headed for Newbold-on-Avon where we decided to pay a visit the the Newbold Crown, just a couple of hundred yards from the Barley Mow which is canalside (and our usual go-to pub).

This is a proper pub with two rooms, but I don't think that we've been into the lounge. The COVID signs were all evident and procedures followed that didn't detract from the experience...plus a nice lunch and Sharp's Atlantic Pale Ale on draught.

Our last evening was spent at The Boathouse in Braunston - a fairly uneventful night...no boatload of heavy drinking students this time!

This just left us a short journey back to the marina, pack our bags and get on the road home...but there was still time for one final calamity!

Whilst we are travelling, my car key and my house keys are hidden away in the bottom of a bag and, normally, I retrieve them as I get to the car with my bags. On this occasion I put both in my shorts pocket before we'd moored up. We moored up without incident and, bags ready, William went to find some trolleys to get our stuff to the cars.

Whilst he was gone, as I was standing on the mooring pontoon, I felt a ticklish nose starting to turn to a sneeze so pulled my handkerchief from my pocket. Unfortunately, my house keys came out as well...straight into the water!

It is a well equipped marina (also a boat hire base) and I was confident that they'd have a magnet that we could borrow. William knew the people to speak to and a few minutes later he was back with the magnet. Fortunately, I'd taken note of where I'd been standing and followed the 'flight' of my keys. So, first throw of the magnet...nothing! Second throw...I changed my technique as I'd noticed that 'magnet fishers' tend to drag the magnet along the bottom. So I did this and there were my keys firmly stuck to the magnet!

That's one of the great things about canal boating, some trips pass off without a hitch and the only worry is a bit of rain or whether the pub is open. Others are beset by calamity throughout...we've had a fire in the engine room and floods on the same trip; lock flights closed and 12+ hours a day travelling; vandals emptying lock flights...but that's often what makes these trips more memorable!

The Secret Seven in a Shimmy around Shifnal (with Lashings of Proper Beer)

Our tale begins at 11:30am with the assembled members waiting outside the door of the magnificently refurbished (and repurposed) Codsall Station for a pre-shimmy shandy (or maybe something a bit stronger!).

...sorry, I'm getting correspondence in about the title...people (well, my reader!) are querying my arithmetic. Having read newcomer Paul Bailey's excellent account (here), Pub Curmudgeon's consistently superb ruminations (here and here) together with Retired Martin's entertaining ramblings (here, here, here, here and here) they are asserting that I've got my sums wrong!

I can assure you that I am correct. I'm using 'nu-maths' as promulgated by the political parties of our day...allow me to explain. Our group consisted of one Martin, two Peters, two Pauls and two Mudgies...that makes seven!

So, where was I? Oh, yes! Codsall Station.

This has been beautifully repurposed by Holdens Brewery and is a divine example of how to create a proper pub in the modern era. Although it is a Holden house, I had a pint of Salopian Oracle and, despite all of our beers being the first pulled of the day, they were all excellent!

It was soon time to move on to Shifnal itself, just a couple (or three) stops along the line. It was a short walk from Shifnal Station to our next pub, Black Country Ales' The Anvil.

That shot makes it look like it was a very busy day, but we weren't the only group on the day to disembark that train and head straight to the pub! Inside, it was appointed in the usual style of Black Country Ales other pubs. Here I had a pint of Enville White which was very pleasant.

Moving on, it was probably the longest walk of the day (all of 10 minutes!), and we arrived at our chosen lunch stop, The Plough Inn.

This was the first pub of the day that felt properly 'lived-in' and was a bit more ramshackle than the previous two places. The lunch was good and my pint of Oakham Citra was as wonderful as ever.

Next it was on to The White Hart...our northernmost foray into Shinal.

This was a nice cosy two room pub, that didn't quite know how to cope with a group of curious old codgers investigating all the nooks and crannies of another well used pub. Here I slowed down to a half of Enville Ale...also good!

Soon it was time to retrace our steps back towards the centre of town, via The Wheatsheaf.

By now the rain was persistent and dusk was rapidly approaching, all of which made The Wheatsheaf even more welcoming. Another cosy, lived-in pub where I had a half of (Marston's) Wainwright...another good drop!

Moving along quite quickly and we approached what could have been (should have been!) one of the highlights of the day...it was the opposite. From the outside, The Crown Inn looked everything that a pub should be.

Inside, it wasn't. At first it sounded like live music was on, but then we realised that it was an excellent sound system turned up way too loud! This tactic obviously wasn't bringing in the custom as we doubled the attendance when we entered, whereas the rest of the pubs we'd visited had been all ticking over nicely for a Friday afternoon...not The Crown. I have to say, though, that my half of Woods Shropshire Lass was very good.

None of us were too sad when it quickly became time to depart for the Jasper's Arms.

By now it was dark and the Jasper's Arms was fairly busy, but we managed to find seats. It was a cosy, slightly more upmarket place that had a ceiling covered with old pumpclips. I was still on the halves, here it was Three Tuns XXX, which wasn't particularly to my liking. (There was nothing wrong with it, just not to my taste!)

All too soon we were approaching our final (7th) Shifnal pub of the day, the Odfellows.

From the outside I was a bit concerned that it was a converted solicitor's office (or similar), but inside it was a proper, fairly busy pub. Salopian Lemon Dream was on, so I had a pint...very nice!

At this stage, Paul set off back to Kent (a long trek back from 'darkest' Shropshire) and the rest of us supped our ales ready for one last call. This was Martin's hotel for the night so we bade him farewell (safe in the knowledge that he'd probably visit the remaining pubs in the town) and we waited for the train to Wolverhampton. Once there, the three of us (one Paul, two Peters and two Mudgies) decided that we had time for a short diversion to the Great Western.

By the time we got there, it was heaving, but as luck would have it a group were just leaving as we got served. I had my first drop of any of the Black Country beers that had been on offer all day...a pint of Bathams Bitter. Before we went our separate ways, I had time for a swift half of Salopian Lemon Dream.

The perfect end to a great day out! It was good to meet Paul for the first time (all the way up from Kent) and it was good to catch up with Martin, Paul and Peter. The rain didn't dampen our spirits (I often believe that a cool, dull, damp day makes the pubs seem that bit more welcoming!)...and we never mentioned the election once!

Shifnal is a hidden gem with a fine collection of proper pubs all within easy walking distance of each other and with a very varied selection of ales on offer. It isn't as touristy as some places (nor as twee) rather it shows off the best of 'ordinary' England!

Onward to Burton upon Trent in early March for the next installment...unless someone organises one in between times!

#189 The Tenth Lock, Brierley Hill, West Midlands : 1996 to 2015

One of the most impressive features of the Dudley No 1 Canal is the flight of eight Delph Locks. There used to be nine locks, but when the flight was rebuilt in 1858, the middle section was reduced from seven down to six locks. hence the now anachronistic name for the pub at the bottom of the flight.

We pass through this part of the canal system every five years or so, but rarely stop at the bottom of the flight as there isn't much mooring room. However, we did moor here at lunctime on Monday 27th May 1996, mainly because the propellor on our boat needed de-weeding.

As I recall it was a fairly standard Banks's estate pub that also did food.

I was passing by on the afternoon of Tuesday 27th March 2012 so I took this picture to show how the place had changed.
 
Just a few subtle modifications...and a large smoking area at the front!

We didn't stop at the bottom of Delph Locks again until the evening of Friday 12th June 2015 after a tortuous journey from Stourbridge in very shallow water!

The Tenth Lock has undergone a complete exterior refurb in the intervening 19 years and, although it doesn't look like it, it is now a Marston's pub.

On this occasion we didn't go inside. We'd planned a bit of a pub crawl down the hill from The Vine at the top, but we never left The Vine, aka the Bull & Bladder, as it was such a fantastic place and the Bathams was wonderful (and I'm a lager drinker normally!)

#143 Samson & Lion, Wordsley, West Midlands : 1997 to 2013

The Samson & Lion in Wordsley near Stourbridge is a pub with plenty of history, going back to at least 1840. I'm not sure when this picture was taken, but I've acquired it from the pub's website to show what it was like in the 19th Century (at a guess!)

I don't normally use other peoples photos, but in this instance it is interesting to see how little the pub has changed through the decades.

My first visit wasn't until the evening of Wednesday 28th May 1997, but that wasn't the first visit of our boat Emma Jane nor my fellow crew members! The Samson & Lion had hosted Emma Jane's crew in October 1985 and again in July 1989 on trips that I hadn't been able to make. We had planned to take a trip up the Stourbridge Canal in the Summer of 1991, but a serious pollution incident put paid to that trip!

What is quite remarkable is that the basic outer structure is almost exactly as it was in the previous century with the two storey lean to replaced with a single storey toilet block (and most of the chimneys have gone!). As I recall, it was quite a lively, friendly place and we had a pleasant evening there.

We were back again just two years later on a repeat of the 1997 journey, except that we'd spent the previous night in Stourbridge itself and so we found ourselves at the Samson & Lion at lunchtime on Thursday 3rd June 1999.

Quite a comprehensive redecoration of the outside, but as I recall, the inside was still as cosy and welcoming as ever.

We were back again on the evening of Sunday 27th May 2001, this time on a trip that didn't take us to Worcester!

This was the canalside view and we actually moored up outside the pub for the first time (in my experience). Although the pub was unchanged from our last visit, we weren't able to get any food as it was a Sunday and they didn't serve food in the evening...and it was a Bank Holiday! In those pre internet phone days, we were advised that Merry Hill was our best bet for food and drink on a Sunday night, so we left in a taxi for the rest of the evening.

Our next visit was a few years later on the evening of Sunday 25th May 2008.

Some minor changes to the exterior, but largely the same inside. Although still cosy inside, by this time the Samson & Lion was showing signs of decline. At least this time we were forewarned and so after a couple of pints we headed off into Wordsley in search of food and drink...we found both and a quiz as well!

Our final visit was on the evening of Tuesday 14th May 2013 on our way to Stourport-on-Severn.

Again largely unchanged, but still with the air of neglect that we'd sensed on our previous visit. We were there quite early and it was a very wet evening which didn't help with the atmosphere, so we only had one pint before heading out to find the nearest Bathams pub and a place to eat.

Since our last visit, it would appear that the Samson & Lion is under new management and, from the website, it would appear that the required revitalisation has been injected into the pub. This is good news as it has a lovely location by 'The Sixteen' locks on the Stourbridge Canal and inside it retains the character of a proper pub. Hopefully, when we're next passing it will have regained some of its former glory.