UPDATE - #054 The Fountain Inn, Cheapside, Birmingham

 Contrary to my last post on The Fountain, the pub has been resurrected as The Fountain Inn!

I realise that I'm not the first to bring you this good news, but better late than never. It must be doing some things right, though...note the mobility scooter outside and the 'old boy' getting into the taxi!

Apparently, the refurbishments cost £1 millon and included installing a 1920's car in side the pub - more details here.

For those looking for real ale, it doesn't look promising from the inerior bar shots in the article! Still, it is just great news that a 'lost' pub has returned!

Concluding the Digbeth/Eastside Update

 With the pubs being back open again (well, for outdoor table service only) I realise that I've left a few of the Digbeth stragglers without an up date. So, here we go: -

 

#064 White Swan, Bradford Street, Digbeth

 

Last year I reported the depressing news that this magnificent boozer had closed with little prospect of reopening in the near future. This is the scene that I discovered a few weeks ago.

White Swan, Digbeth 2021

On the face of it, there would appear to be few prospects of it reopening any time soon with extra layers of grafitti having been added. However, appearances can be deceptive. That whole plot of land behind the White Swan is owned by Seven Capital who are also now the owners of the pub. They have pledged to reopen the pub and, as they own the land, they plan to have an extensive 'garden' area at the back of the property - details here.

#048 Adam & Eve, Bradford Street, Deritend (RIP)

 

When I last reported on the Adam & Eve in 2018 it had closed as a pub and resurrected itself as Evolve - a café and event space designed to provide young people with training. Now into 2021...there's been no change!

Adam & Eve, Deritend 2021

#018 Subside (aka The Dubliner), Digbeth

 

For many years this was The Barrel Organ, which then morphed into The Dubliner and, when I last reported in 2018, it had changed name, again, to Subside which is more of a nightclub than a pub. Here in 2021, nothing much has changed.

Subside, Digbeth 2021

 

 

 

#068 The Ruin, Floodgate Street, Digbeth

 

Another pub that I last reported on in 2018 and another Digbeth survivor that has had many names over the past few years...and another that has changed very little over the past few years.

The Ruin, Digbeth 2021

 

#012 The Forge Tavern, Digbeth (RIP)

 

When I last reported in 2018 The Forge Tavern had been closed down following a fatal stabbing in 2017. Unfortunately, in the intervening years it would appear that only decay and dereliction have followed.

The Forge Tavern, Digbeth 2021

 

#056 The Woodman, Digbeth

 

Surprisingly, I haven't reported on the Woodman since the original blog post in 2011, although it has appeared in several posts in the meantime. Although it is a few yards away from the site of the much missed Eagle & Tun, The Woodman is guaranteed to survive the building of the new HS2 terminus.

The Woodman, Digbeth 2021

So, depite the tremendous upheavals in the vicinity, The Woodman has been back as strong as ever since the pubs were allowed to reopen!

#040 Eagle & Ball, Gopsal Street, Birmingham City University 

 

The Eagle & Ball has been one of the success stories of this area with the old Moby Dick's being resurrected as the Eagle & Ball. I last reported in 2018 when it had reopened, and now...no real change!

Eagle & Ball, Gopsal Street, BCU

And finally....

#013 Mist Shisha Lounge, Adelaide Street, Deritend

When I first pictured this establishment it was the Carpenters Arms, but by 2011 it had become the Moon Shisha Lounge. I last reported in 2018 when it had changed to Mist Shisha Lounge. This is the scene in 2021.

Mist Shisha Lounge, Adelaide Street, Deritend

It has been redecorated in the ensuing years and still appears to be a going concern.

 

So, there you have it, a whistlestop tour through the last few pubs in Digbeth and Eastside. Not many more have gone for good, but the next few months will be critical for the survival propsects of many. Let's hope for a warm summer with good football to swell pub attendances!

#025 The Anchor, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

 Whilst my fellow bloggers and pub tickers renew their acquaintance with beer gardens and blogging, I've still got one or two Digbeth classics to catch up with, and today's offering is The Anchor. Here's what I wrote back in 2011: -

"The Anchor in Digbeth is a success story in a world where proper pubs are disappearing, this pub is thriving. This is the eleventh in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series.

Here it is in 1998 and at this time I'd never been inside. This is another example of a pub built by James & Lister Lea and it is a Grade II listed building. Since taking the photo I have visited and found it to be a great place and 'unspoilt by progress'.

Here we are in 2011 and from the outside very little has changed. Even the lamp post is still the same one, although it has been painted in the intervening years! The inside is listed on the National Inventory of Pub Interiors which is run by CAMRA and shows pictures of the various rooms. The Anchor website is fairly extensive and also has plenty of useful information (not any more). If you find yourself in Birmingham (especially if you're at the Coach Station), The Anchor is well worth a visit."

Moving on to 2018 and I paid two visits to The Anchor. The first was in January when I took this picture.

As you can see it has had a bit of an external makeover...and the streetlight has disappeared! Apart from that, very little has changed about The Anchor as we found out on my second visit of the year for July's Proper Pubs Day Out trip around Digbeth.

So, as we reach 2021, how has The Anchor changed?

You'd have to say, "Not a lot!" The main question is, "When will it reopen (if at all)?" The good news, according to their Facebook page, is that The Anchor will reopen on 21st May (assuming the government don't do a U-turn)! 

#062 Town Crier, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

The Town Crier is still a pub that I've never been inside, but despite that, it seems to be surviving OK! Here's what I wrote back in 2011: -

"This is a pub I've never been inside although I've passed by on many occasions. This is how it looked in 1998.

A rather unprepossessing appearance, but surprisingly it has survived into 2011!

Quite a few external changes have occurred in the intervening thirteen years. Most notably, it was an M&B pub and now it is Banks's. The Off Licence (or 'outdoor' as we Brummies call it!) is closed and boarded up and the windows have been replaced. Apart from that, there have been signage and other changes as well.

 

Apart from that I don't have much more information.

This is the twenty-ninth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

One reason for its continuing success, that i didn't know in 2011, is that the interior of the Town Crier is on the Regional CAMRA Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

 

I revisited (for photographic purposes) in January 2018 and this was the scene.

Some superficial changes have taken place over the years...seemingly an equal split between design choices and general decay. On our Proper Pubs Day Out later in 2018, the Town Crier wasn't on our itinerary, but one of our party did take a detour to pay a visit. Sheffield Hatter's review can be found here on the Pubs Galore website. This was when I found out about the heritage of the Town Crier.

So, we move on to early 2021 and this is how the pub looks at the moment.

It is difficult to discern whether the Town Crier is still a going concern or whether it will reopen when the current lockdown is over. I suspect that it will as it has proven to be a survivor over the past few years (but I can find no confirmation either way!)

#052 The Kerryman, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

 We'll stay in the heart of Digbeth for the next pub, The Kerryman opposite the Birmingham Coach Station along the main drag. This is what I wrote in 2011: -

"When I first took this photo this was The Roscommon Bar, a small unprepossessing Irish pub along the main road in Digbeth. At the time I hadn't been inside, but I'd walked by on numerous occasions.

It also seems to have the name 'Fitzy's Bar'.

In the intervening years  I did visit one Saturday evening and, inside it is quite a bit bigger than it looks from the outside. As it was fairly early (about 10 pm) there weren't too many people inside, but the disco had started already!

I don't know when it changed to The Kerryman, but it has been this for a number of years now.

From the outside it has had a complete makeover and now looks much more appealing. Looking at the website for The Kerryman shows that it is also a B&B and puts on music like many of the pubs in this part of Birmingham. Also, I notice that the opening hours are from 8am most days and on Fridays and Saturdays closing time is 4am! That would be one hell of a session!

To me, this is a great example of what I was hoping to find when I embarked on this project showing how pubs evolve over the years to keep up with the changing times and stay popular with their clientele. 

This is the twenty-fourth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

Since 2011, very little appears to have changed although the Friday and Saturday opening hours have been curtailed a bit...they now open at 10 am (still close at 4am!)

This is from 2018 and the exterior has been redecorated and the upstairs signs painted over, but otherwise unchanged.

And finally, into 2021 and the scene is still pretty much the same.

The Kerryman still stands out on Digbeth High Street, albeit in yet another shade of green. Although their main website has no indication, it would appear from the Facebook page that The Kerryman will reopen on 17th May, all being well (not sure about the B&B part, maybe that will be the same?)

#038 Big Bull's Head, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

For our latest foray into the Digbeth pub scene we're on the main drag and closer to town. This is what I wrote about the Big Bull's Head in 2011: -

"I'm not sure if I've ever been in the Big Bull's Head in Digbeth. Certainly in 1998 when I took this photo I'd never set foot inside the pub.

It looks like a typical street corner boozer and, although I've done a few pub crawls around Digbeth, I seem to recall that whenever we passed by it was always busy and so we kept on walking.

As the Big Bulls Head is on the main drag through Digbeth I wasn't surprised to see it is still thriving in 2011.

From a physical point of view it has hardly changed in 13 years, but it has obviously been painted and well maintained. The Big Bulls Head has its own website extolling the virtues of its pub food (looks good - proper pub food!!) and their Bed & Breakfast facilities.

This is the seventeenth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

  

In the ten years since I wrote that I'm pleased to report that I have actually been inside the Big Bull's Head! However, before that, this is what it looked like in January 2018.

A new blue colour scheme was evident, but other than that, it looked largely unchanged. I was back in July 2018 with fellow enthusiasts for the Proper Pub Day Out in Digbeth when we visited the Big Bull's Head for our lunchtime stop.

 

Some of our group were disappointed that there was no cask ale available, but my pint of Carling was delightful! The only other things I remember is that it lived up to it's billing as a 'proper pub' and the food was proper pub grub!

 

Finally, we move onto the present day and this is how the Big Bull's Head looks in 2021.

It still has the blue colour scheme as previously, but the downstairs section has been repainted in a darker shade and upstairs left in the paler hue of blue.

I'm reasonably confident that it will reopen in the coming weeks (probably May), but if you want to spend half-an-hour on the history of the Big Bull's Head, this page will give you all the information you might want.

#060 The Moseley Arms, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

 The Moseley Arms is one of the survivors and looks like it will return after the pandemic (fingers crossed) and here's what I wrote in 2011 and 2018:-

"The Moseley Arms is a pub I'd never been inside when I took this picture in 1998. In fact, I hadn't really noticed it even though I must have driven past it on numerous occasions on the way to work (one of my alternate routes when the main one was blocked)!

A typical street corner M&B pub, but a bit off the beaten track for Digbeth pubs.

As we move to 2011, I still haven't been inside the pub, but I was pleased to see that it was still standing.

It is not now an M&B pub and the outside has been extensively redecorated and re-signed, but essentially it is unchanged. It appears to be thriving and has its own website (now broken), although this is still a little spartan at the moment. The Moseley Arms is, like many Digbeth pubs, a music venue.

So, now we're in 2018 and I'm pleased to report that The Moseley Arms is going strong, but has now transformed itself into a 38 room hotel.

The signage looks to be unchanged, but the rest has been redecorated and the hotel rooms added to the left of the original pub building.

Interestingly, the website describes it as both a pub and as a hotel - yet another survival model that seems to work here for what was once a simple back-street boozer." 

 

Now we're in 2021, the website is still up and it looks like The Moseley Arms will be reopening soon.

Little has changed in the last three years apart from another repainting of the exterior.

#036 Cleary's, Highgate, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

This pub is something of an outlier as it stands isolated away from the main centre of Digbeth, but, nonetheless, Cleary's appears to be successful to date (pre-pandemic). This is what I wrote in 2011: -

"Back in 1998 this pub was called the Brewer's Arms. It's not a place I'd ever visited, but looked typical of the many back street pubs in Birmingham.

Fast forward to 2011 and it has been transformed into the Yellow and Green establishment that is now Cleary's! (2021 edit - for a period sometime between 1998 and 2011 this was the Hen & Chickens!)

Unfortunately, beacuse of the building works behind me, I wasn't able to get far enough back to give the same view as in 1998. I've still not been in the building and I'm assuming that it is run by the same people who ran the Cleary's that took over from the Pall Mall which was #011 in this series.

It would appear that it is a successful establishment by the number of friends on their Facebook page. This is the sixteenth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

My next tour around the area was in 2018 and very little appeared to have changed.

The hanging baskets of flowers have been replaced by the window boxes above...I'm assuming that they're less trouble with merry revellers!

 

And so, finally to 2021...is Cleary's still there...or...has it succumbed to the major developments that are taking place in the vicinity?

Good news! Cleary's has survived and has been redecorated in a more vivid shade of green since my last visit! Unfortunately, it faces an uncertain future, not from pandemic related issues, but because of the large residential development to the right hand side of the pub. (Details here)

 

I still haven't set foot inside Cleary's, but I hope to be able to in the coming year. Their Facebook page will have more details in the coming weeks.  

#070 The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021 (RIP?)

 Another Digbeth pub that's had a chequered recent history is The Rainbow which, most recently, was resurrected as Finders Keepers. Here's what I wrote in 2012: -

"How fitting that The Rainbow is the thirty-third and FINAL installment in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series. Back in 1998 when I started this project I expected there to be some closures, but I thought it was going to be because of great new developments in the area, not just as part of the general demise of the British pub.

The Rainbow is a survivor, though. In 1998 I'd never been inside, but it looked like a typical street corner pub.

As we move on to 2011, I was surprised to find that The Rainbow had survived and is thriving. However, it's success is mostly down to it now being a prominent Digbeth music venue as well as being a pub. This success hasn't been easy; there has been a constant battle in recent years with the 'johnny-come-lately' residents who have moved into the newly built flats nearby and don't like the noise!

The outside has been completely redecorated, but the original sign remains on the first floor on the corner. And, as I write, now in 2012, I've still not been inside The Rainbow! For the Jubilee weekend it will host several music events." 

 

For quite a few years The Rainbow was a successful entertainment venue, but closed in 2017 because of various issues. This is how it looked in 2018.

The only overt change was the removal of The Rainbow signage. At this stage (Jan 2018) unbeknownst to me, plans were afoot to reopen and rebrand as Finders Keepers.

 

However in the intervening years, The Rainbow did indeed become Finders Keepers which then had to close in 2019 because of noise complaints! (What goes around, comes around!) This was the scene in 2021.

As far as I can ascertain, this closure is permanent...but once the pandemic is over, I suspect that someone will want to have a go at making it a popular venue again. It is listed on the Star Pubs website (Heineken), but there are no substantial details. 

#042 The Spotted Dog, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

As the last post was about the former Spotted Dog pub, it seems only fitting that this should be about the surviving Spotted Dog pub. Here's what I wrote in 2011: -

"There were two Spotted Dog pubs in Digbeth and I've been in both of them. This one is on the corner of Alcester Street and Warwick Street...and is still open.

This is how it looked in 1998, but at that time I'd never been inside.

However, in 2007 I had the opportunity to visit some pubs that we'd never been in on any of our canal trips before. So we did a mini pub crawl through Digbeth and started at The Spotted Dog. This photo was taken on the evening of 24th August 2007.

 

In the intervening 9 years there are few changes apart from a lick of paint and some greenery added to the outside. Inside I remember it as being a nice, cosy Irish pub with a friendly atmosphere. Our friends were already there and had stationed themselves in the quite substantial garden/patio area. 

 

Inside the pub was a fantastic map of Digbeth from the 1800's that showed all of the pubs within about a quarter of a mile. Out of the approximately 20 pubs shown, only 3 or 4 were still in existence! The only downside was that the only lager available was Carlsberg which, in those days, was almost undrinkable (but that didn't stop me!!)

And here we are in 2011! Another lick of paint and the greenery on the corner appears to have grown unchecked! Like many pubs in the area, The Spotted Dog is also a venue for live music. It is also one of the establishments at the forefront of the campaign to keep live music in Digbeth. Over the past few years, more and more people now live nearby in the new developments and some of them don't like the sound of music at night. So they complain and the council have to investigate, resulting in the potential for any of these venues to be closed down. Very frustrating for the pubs that were there and playing music long before the influx of new residents. So far the resistance has been successful.

This is the nineteenth in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

So, we move on to 2018 and, to all intents and purposes, the pub has remained unchanged (virtually) for 20 years. A bit of paint, varying amounts of ivy and over the last few years the hanging sign has gone.

I'm unable to comment on the interior because, although it was on the itinerary of our crawl through Digbeth in July, it never opened and sadly we couldn't sample its delights.

 

Finally we get to 2021 and you'll see little external change.

 Apart from the rampant ivy...and the hanging sign is back!

 

However, will it survive the pandemic? Only time will tell and a £10,000 fine for a breach of the regulations in November surely won't help (Details here)
 

 In an ever changing world it is to be hoped that an 'unspoilt by progress' establishment such as The Spotted Dog will survive!

#058 Suki10c, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021

 Of all the pubs that I've covered so far, this has probably undergone the most radical of external changes throughout the past 23 years and was still garnering controversial comments on Facebook only a few days ago!

I am of course referring to the extravagantly decorated Suki10c, which began as the Spotted Dog when I first came across it in 1998. This is what I wrote in 2011: -

"This is the other Spotted Dog in Digbeth that is on the corner of Meriden Street and Bordesley Street. When I took this photo in 1998 I'd not set foot inside the pub.

September 1998

In 2002, on the evening of Thursday 19th September, we were in Birmingham on one of our canal trips and took a stroll into Digbeth. Among the pubs we came across was the Spotted Dog and ventured inside.

September 2002

Not my best photo, but this was taken with my old Fuji SLR camera that dates back to the mid 70's so I was always 'guessing' the settings for night time photography. This time I was also 'challenged' as to why I was taking the picture. This is a fairly common occurrence, mostly with slightly out-of-the-way pubs that don't expect photographers. Once I explain that we're on a canal holiday and I take a picture of every pub we go in, they are always fine about it.

The only things I remember about it is that it was fairly quiet, typical back street pub. It was run by a black manager/landlord and the clientele were exclusively black, which you don't see very often.

A few years later I revisited the Spotted Dog on a Saturday night and it had transformed into a lively music venue seemingly specialising in up and coming bands.

So, when I came to take this photo in 2011 I was somewhat surprised to see that it was closed.

August 2011

It had also changed its name to TJ's.

On Sunday I took part in the enjoyable Digbeth Photo Walk, organised by Pete Ashton & Matt Murtagh, that took us past the Spotted Dog which is still unchanged from when I took this picture. 

This is the twenty-seventh in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

My next entry was in August 2018 when I did a 'compare and contrast' piece on Suki10c versus the other Spotted Dog in Digbeth that has hardly changed in the same period - this is what I wrote then: -

 

"Secondly we get to the other Spotted Dog on the corner of Meriden Street and Bordesley Street, which has had a slightly more colourful twenty years by comparison! I first reported on it in 2011 (#058)

June 2012

 

January 2018

July 2018

It is now a late night music venue, so more a club that a pub, but still in business, which is the main thing. Obviously it has undergone some significant external changes which have certainly helped it to stand out from the crowd.

From the pubs I've reviewed so far I'd have to say that The [other] Spotted Dog takes the record for fewest changes over twenty years and that, short of being knocked down, Suki10c has to be the most radical external overhaul of any establishment I've seen. But, that's Digbeth for you - permanence and change side-by-side in perfect harmony."

 

Now we move onto 2021 and the new decoration that appeared and caused such a discussion on Facebook.

January 2021

The artwork was created in 2019 by Digbeth legend @gent48 with Bass Festival curators Aliyah Hasinah and Rtkal to celebrate Future Black icons and influencers of music and culture. 

 

The 22 artists featured in the mural are: -

 

Alexandria Chantiluke – Fashion Designer

Amahra Spence – Artist and Producer

Cherrelle Skeete – Actress

Daniel Alexander – Director & filmmaker

Dapz On The Map – Musical artist

Darren Harriet – Comedian & presenter

Despa – Music manager

Jacob Banks – Singer / Songwriter

Jorja Smith – Singer / Songwriter

Knox Brown – Producer

Lady Sanity – Rapper

Leon Edwards – MMA

Liz Pemberton – Nursery Manager

Mellow – Catering Entrepreneur

Muna Ruumi – Music Manager

Mystry – Producer and DJ

Romderful – Music Producer

Safone – Grime Artist

T-roadz – MC

TrueMendous – Rapper

Xhosa Cole – Saxophonist

Suriya Aisha – Activist

 

Hopefully, Suki10c will have a bright future after the pandemic and I look forward to capturing future changes to the exotic external decoration of this soon-to-be iconic venue.