Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 5

This will be my final pictorial report on Stirchley during the 2020 lockdown (but there may yet be 2021 reports to come...who knows?).

It took me many years of living in Stirchley to discover our very own park, hidden away by the side of the Co-op (soon to be Morrison's).

Stirchley Park - 25th March 2020

Stirchley Park - 11th January 2013

 The street art changes fairly regularly, partly because it gets vandalised quite often. The extra path has been added so that you can do a circuit of the park and more, small trees have been planted.

Also backing onto the park is Stirchley Library, which at the moment is shrouded in scaffolding.

Stirchley Library - 27th March 2020

Stirchley Library - 11th January 2013

Since I last reported on Stirchley, in 2013, the future of the library has been in jeopardy, but the scaffolding is a good sign that it will endure for a while longer.

Another Stirchley stalwart is the British Oak pub which has changed little in the intervening years.

British Oak - 25th March 2020

British Oak - 11th January 2013

Before the lockdown, the British Oak seemed to be doing quite nicely and I hope that it makes a success of the return...whenever that is. It is Grade II* so hopefully it will be back soon.

Whatever happened to Drums International?

Drums International - 4th April 2020

Drums International - 11th January 2013

This was one of the quirky shops along the Pershore Road, but unfortunately it closed down in August 2018. It was another of those 'Aladdin's Cave' type shops, but for drummers...every High Street should have one...sadly in these times it just didn't work out.

Oulsnam Estate Agents - 4th April 2020

Laing Estate Agents -11th January 2013

It wasn't long after the 2013 picture was taken that Laing were bought out by Oulsnam and another local firm had been consumed into a larger chain.

Before I sign off there are a couple of places that I didn't photograph in 2013. The first is an example of discovering something new that, really, I should have noticed long before!

The Central Bakery -5th April 2020

Until the other day I hadn't realised that this was originally the site of the bakery for the whole of the Midlands Co-op Society. The blue plaque, which was installed in 2018, is in honour of Mary Ellen Cottrell who has an impressive list of firsts.

Finally, as this is supposed to be a blog about pubs, we have the Wildcat.

Wildcat - 5th April 2020

This micropub was originally in smaller premises further along the Pershore Road and, because of its success, the owner decided to move to these, larger, premises. They reopened in June 2019 and promptly ran out of beer as they were so much busier than anticipated...hopefully, when this is all over, they'll have the same problem again!

Two doors down from the Wildcat is Alicia's Micro Bakehouse, Stirchley's very own artisan pizza place. Last time I was by there it was takeaway only which looks as though it will continue for the foreseeable future.

Another two doors down is Cork 'n' Cage, another micro bar/eatery which was also thriving before the lockdown. I do hope that they're able to weather the storm otherwise there's a good chance of losing the vibrant variety that these places had brought to old Stirchley Village!

Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 1

Yesterday I ventured out for the first time in a few days and I thought that I might as well take my camera with me and take some photos as I got my 'exercise'! (As an aside - is the Great British weather mocking us? When we were free to roam anywhere it was continually pissing down and everywhere was flooded...now we're under 'house arrest' it gloriously mocks us with unbroken sunshine and warmth!)

Back in 2013, at the beginning of Photo Digital Art, I wandered around my home suburb of Stirchley with the express aim of - "If I can make Stirchley look good, I can make anywhere look good!" I think I managed that (although I'll let you be the judges of that!) and so here begins my follow up to "Paean to Stirchley" (Part 1 and Part 2).

Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus - Part 1 (and I don't yet know how many parts there will be!) begins at my favourite place in Stirchley...the cafe!

Shuttered up with no chance of reopening for the foreseeable future - I now have to make my own breakfast! (At least I've managed to obtain plenty of bacon...so far!)

Moving on to a sight which must be very worrying for the owners. The Three Horseshoes pub had been in (terminal?) decline for many years, when it suddenly closed and became a hive of activity. A complete refurbishment and transformation into The Bournbrook Inn was almost finished, the opening was imminent...and then coronavirus happened!

I'm not sure where the 'Established 1836' comes from, so I may need to do a bit more research!

Moving along the Pershore Road and past the British Oak we come to this little selection of shops/businesses.

Caspian used to be my go-to pizza place, but there's now so much more choice in Stirchley. If I hadn't done this picture I wouldn't have noticed that Elite Letting Solutions has been replaced with Yoga Borne! But my main worry is Phull Watch Co. I am a regular visitor - once every five years - when I need a new battery in my watch! It is a proper 'old school' watch/clock shop and the turban wearing Mr Phull is always on hand to efficiently replace the battery in my watch. I don't know how many years he's been there, but I do hope he returns when this is all over!

A little further along the Pershore Road, and on the other side, we reach Loaf; Stirchley's very own bakery and cookery school.

Stirchley Stores is no more, but Loaf has expanded to fill the void. Akash and Midland Computer are still going...hopefully! The masked couple (sign of the times!) buying bread from the 'outdoor' are people I occasionally see in the café and we had a brief chat (staying 2 metres apart!). Then Tony moved his van out of the way for my final picture of this little tour.

Although the shop is closed for the duration, it is protected by King Kong who appeared five years ago and is now one of the landmarks of the city!

I'll follow up with more images and observations from Stirchley in The Time of Coronavirus in the coming days/weeks.

From Attic to Infimary (via Alicia's and the Oak)

I'd thought about doing blog posts away from the usual theme and detail some of my other 'adventures' in pub land like proper pub bloggers do...you know who you are...and our trip to Stirchley's newest microbrewery Attic Brew Co seemed to fit the bill perfectly. (...and I even managed a punny title!!)

As I strolled there to meet my friends I couldn't quite work out whether it was closer to me than the British Oak. (It's about 100 yards further, I reckon) The opening hours are typical micro...4 - 10pm on Fridays and 1 - 10pm on Saturdays.

So, on a cool, damp Saturday at 7:30pm this is the scene I came across.

The place was packed and it was standing room only. So, what beers (all craft keg!) did they have on offer...cue picture of typical micropub beer list!

I had the Session IPA, followed by River Street Czech Pilsener and finished off with a pint of the Munich Wheat. I think that between us we had a pint of everything apart from the Confused Brummie. I enjoyed my three pints although I probably wouldn't go for the wheat beer again!

I like the fact that they're not afraid to sell beers from other local microbreweries like Dig Brew and Birmingham Brewing (also in Stirchley!)

It's a family friendly place as there were lots of children there when we arrived and, remarkably for the new micropub on an industrial estate, there were two toilets.

One final shot of the multiplicity of beards on offer and a young Frankie Boyle!

So, then it was off to Alicia's Micro Bakehouse for our evening repast. Before we went inside there was just time to get a shot of the new, larger premises for the Wildcat Tap which is moving to be almost next-door to Alicia's and opposite the British Oak.

Here in Stirchley, we don't bother with mobility scooters when you can have the real thing!

Inside it is quite cosy and was full again (this being our second visit). It is a quirky place in that you have to go to the counter to order both food and drinks which included taking your own beer from the glass fronted fridges. I chose a bottle of Ichnusa, a Sardinian beer that I'd never heard of previously. And very nice it was too.

I know that, at this stage, I should have a picture of at least one of the pizzas...but I don't! Three out of the four of us enjoyed our pizzas (which isn't a bad average, really!) and so we headed out into the damp Stirchley night for the trek to the British Oak. (Actually, we just crossed the Pershore Road!)

 I hadn't noticed how much drizzle had got onto the lens until I downloaded the photos (but this was the best I managed - couldn't possibly have anything to do with the drink, surely!).

Anyway, after taking a cloudy pint of Wainwright back (it tasted OK, but I didn't want to risk it) it was changed without demur for a pint of Wye Valley HPA. I then asked for a pint of something else (don't remember what) which I only managed to down half before I started to feel unwell.

A visit to the loo to release some of the pressure had a temporary effect, but within a few minutes I realised that I didn't have the strength/energy to walk the ¼ mile home. Whilst waiting for the taxi, my friends grew more concerned about my condition, particularly Julie who is a nurse. (I thought I'd be fine after a good sleep and a dump...not necessarily in that order!)

So, an ambulance was called and after being checked over the crew thought it best to take me into the Queen Elizabeth Hospital A&E. At least I got my first ever ride in an ambulance as a patient!

Fortunately, and somewhat amazingly for a Saturday night the A&E wasn't particularly packed out, but it was still going to be a 2½ - 3 hour wait to get assessed. If I'd been on my own, I would probably have checked myself out and gone home, but my friend Tim who accompanied me in the ambulance was adamant that I should stay and get checked out (especially at "my age"!).

I hung around, trying to doze off, but it isn't the most comfoprtable seating. Waking from one of my brief, micro dozes, I looked up to see a nurse standing over me at first not recognising Helen (Julie's daughter) who works in the QE. We had a chat as she was on her break and apparently, the night before there'd been over 100 people there (there are only about 40 seats!) so I was thankful that it was a quiet night.

I was finally seen by a doctor after 3 hours, they couldn't find anything seriously wrong with me and so I was discharged and finally got home at 6:50 am, not quite 12 hours since I'd set out.

At least there weren't the dramas of Citra's heart attack(s) (blogpost here), but it does highlight the perils of getting old.

After a good long sleep (till 4:30 pm) I let everyone know that I was still here and discovered that Julie had also felt quite unwell. The only thing that we'd consumed in common (that was different to our other friends) was the Wheat Beer and she'd only had a half.

So, a slightly more eventful than normal Saturday night out...I'm just hoping that I'll be 'fit' enough for a lunchtime pint (or two) at The Wellington in town on Monday (Today in fact!)

Birmingham Pubs in the Doghouse (Part One)

Doghouse - The British Pub Magazine is a relatively new publication and Issue #5 dropped through my letterbox a few days ago and what an enjoyable read it was. (I'm indebted to The Pub Curmudgeon for bringing it to my attention)

Let me start out, though, with a criticism, albeit a minor one, unless you live in or near HARBORNE. Throughout the magazine the Birmingham suburb comes with an added 'u' which is unwelcome and extremely irritating to pedants like me!

That said, I could find no other fault with an excellent publication. This issue of Doghouse visited many Birmingham pubs, several of which I am familiar with.

First stop was the Bell Inn in Harborne. This is a pub I haven't been to for quite a few years, but from the description in Doghouse, it hasn't changed much...thankfully. It is one of the few pubs in Brum that feels like a proper village pub, and long may that continue.

Here's a picture I took earlier this year in the snow.

The next stop on their pub crawl was a pub that I have eulogised about in previous posts - The British Oak in Stirchley - and this is what they thought:

"I must say I was slightly underwhelmed by it all at first, though on reflection I must admit it's a remarkable establishment - above and beyond its period design and fixtures; and mostly to do with the fact that this roadside monster is still standing."

I can't disagree with any of that. I'm glad that it has survived largely intact and is thriving, but I don't go as often as I did 25 - 30 years ago and its not quite the same as it was!

Here it is from earlier this year.

Next on the list was the Prince of Wales in Moseley. This is another pub that I haven't been to for a few years, but frequented a lot about 30 years ago. It certainly didn't have a 'cocktail lounge' in those days, but the write up does make me want to go back and see what it is like now!

Then it was into town for a couple of the lauded city centre pubs. First, the Old Joint Stock, which I visited only a few days ago! It has an impressive interior and considering it is only 16 years old it is a fine addition to Birmingham's collection of pubs. Next was The Wellington, Birmingham's first (I think, in the 'modern' era) pub dedicated to Real Ale. Now as a lager drinker, I'm a bit biased, but as a lover of pubs I've never been impressed with the place - and neither was Doghouse, who put it much more eloquently than I ever could:

"- with the building's lack of character and a weird air of transience that doesn't quite weld you to your seat for longevity. It is perhaps a great beer ticking venue, but much else has to be found elsewhere."

The Doghouse pub crawl then moved on to The Old Contemptibles, another fine example of how tasteful refurbishment can produce a great pub. I also learned from the article that it was originally called The Adelphi Wine Vaults and then the Albion Hotel. I always wondered how it came by its current name and Doghouse didn't disappoint.

They then walked to the Barton's Arms which is a feat in itself as it is quite a stroll from The Old Contemptibles! I've only ever driven past the Barton's Arms and it is a magnificent building that I intend to photograph in the near future.

That was the end of Day One of the Birmingham pub crawl and I'll review the other entries soon. However, I'll just finish with a pub that wasn't visited, but is only just around the corner from The Old Contemptibles and is a place I'm quite fond of.

The Old Royal is one of the most photogenic pubs I know and inside it is still a proper pub. It hasn't been extensively refurbished and does feel like stepping back a few years to how pubs used to be (with added wide-screen TV's!). Hopefully, when the Doghouse team are back in Brum, they can pass their eye over the Old Royal. 

Britain's Best Real Heritage Pubs

As regular readers know, I normally write about the exterior of pubs and how they have/haven't changed over the past 20+ years. However, I'm indebted to The Pub Curmudgeon for pointing me towards a new book - Britain's Best Real Heritage Pubs (Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest) by Geoff Brandwood.

I bought my copy from Amazon and it arrived yesterday. It is also available through CAMRA. I've only had it for a day and I've probably done what everyone else does on first reading; I've looked for any pub that's listed that I've ever been in. There are around 10 that I've visited and, most surprisingly, my nearest pub, The British Oak in Stirchley, is also listed.

The British Oak was #007 on this blog and I've also covered it in my other blog as part of my Paean to Stirchley. I'm extremely pleased that a pub I think is great has made it onto this listing!

There are a few others that I've mentioned in this blog. First I'll catalogue the ones that I've visited, but that haven't featured here. I'll start in Manchester with Peveril of the Peak (2010) and the Circus Tavern (2013) which I've only visited once each. However, in my view, the best pub in Manchester that I've been to is The Briton's Protection. I was first introduced to it in 2006 by a colleague when I was in Manchester for an exhibition and revisited again in 2010 and 2013.

Quite simply, this is one of the best pubs in Britain and fully justifies its inclusion in the book. However, there look to be many more gems to seek out for future visits.

Others I've visited, in no particular order, are; the Holly Bush, Bollington (2000) which I have no recollection of, but I took a photo so I must have been there!

I'm sure I've been to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham on more than one occasion, but the last time was in 2009.

In 1997, we were in Nottingham on our narrowboat and failed to find 'The Trip', but we did manage to visit six others in the attempt!

The Anchor Inn at High Offley is a pub I've visited on several occasions through the years. It is on the Shropshire Union Canal and is probably the last example of a traditional canal side pub. We were last there in 2010 and the landlady explained that the grandfather clock in the right hand room dates from when the pub was built!

Those are the only ones outside the West Midlands that I've visited, but now I have this book I can search out many more gems.

Of the Birmingham pubs listed, both The Anchor (#025) and White Swan (#064) have been covered in this blog.

The Old Swan (Ma Pardoe's) in Netherton is a place I've been a couple of times over the years. The last time was back in 2004.

Of the other Birmingham pubs, I haven't been to the Black Horse in Northfield for over 30 years when I was a student and it was still a Davenports pub! I also haven't been to the Bartons Arms in Newtown for many years.

I first visited the Rose Villa Tavern in 2006 when it was in decline. I could tell what a magnificent place it had been, but feared for its future. However, it was acquired by the Bitters'n'Twisted group and has been completely renewed inside whilst keeping the main features. I revisited in 2012 and was pleased to see what a great job they've done.

Just to finish off, here are a couple of near misses listed in the book. First, The Berkeley in Scunthorpe - I was born in this town and over the years I've driven past it on countless occasions, yet I've never set foot inside!

Second, and perhaps even more galling is the Waggon & Horses in Oldbury. In 2010 we stopped in Oldbury for the first time on our canal journeys with the intent to visit new pubs. It was a Sunday lunchtime and there are four pubs in the town centre. We went in three of them and rejected the Waggon & Horses because they didn't do food on a Sunday! I'm sure there will be other chances to sample this fine pub.

Britain's Best Real Heritage Pubs is an excellent book for those of us love pubs and I'll be actively seeking out those I've not visited before whenever I'm in the neighbourhood.

#007 British Oak, Stirchley : 1995 to 2011

This pub really should be my local as it is the closest to me and is one of the best pubs in Birmingham, but I'm only an infrequent visitor.

My first visit to the British Oak was back in 1983 when I first moved to Stirchley and, for a while, it was my local. In those days, when you walked in the right hand door there was a small lounge ahead (through some more doors) and a small room to the left (through another door also). This room felt like the front room of someone's house, but with a hatch to the bar and was my preferred part of the pub.

The small back lounge was also welcoming, but often too full to get a seat. Further on was a function room that was generally not in use, except when booked for meetings, etc.


If you entered through the middle doors there was a large bar which I hardly ever ventured into. From 1988 to 1991 I lived in Australia and when I came back, the British Oak had gone downhill and was nowhere near as popular as before. The first picture I took of the pub was in 1995, below.

At this time it was still a Mitchells & Butlers establishment, but it was still going downhill! Moving on to 2003 and the decline is not so evident from the outside (apart from the wonky 'H' on the sign!).

The only other noticeable difference is that there is only one bus stop now - another sign of the times! It was round about this time that it was taken over by new owners (but they might just be tenants!) who started to invest a lot of money into the business.

Now it is 2011 and from the outside, little has changed apart from the removal of Mitchells & Butlers from the pub. Inside it is both transformed and largely the same as in 1983! The small lounge and little room on the right hand side are still there as is the large bar at the front...but now the rear function room is open as a restaurant area (often has private parties on a Saturday) and to the left of the bar is another small room similar to the one on the right. The décor is tasteful and the menu looks good. There is also a good selection of beers, including real ales and it is listed on the Birmingham CAMRA website. I popped in on Saturday night for a pint whilst waiting for my takeaway curry and it was busy as usual.

Hopefully, once Stirchley has been redeveloped with the building of a new Tesco next door, the British Oak will become more widely known as a great pub! It even hosts a comedy club, The Laughing Sole.