#267 The Bull/Roman Way Tavern, Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire : 1992 to 2019 RIP

Back in the early 1990's when our annual boating trips took us up and down the Grand Union Canal, Fenny Stratford was a regular stopping point because of the number of pubs in close proximity to the canal.

 The nearest was The Bridge Hotel, but across the road was The Bull and our first visit was at lunchtime on Monday 28th September 1992. As I recall it was a fairly standard two room pub - nothing particularly special, but as the sign by the front door says, "Snooker. Pool. Quality Lagers" were available...what's not to like?

We were back again a year later and, although the main pub sign had changed, I don't recall that the inside had changed much.

We stopped here twice the next year at lunchtime on Tuesday 21st September 1993 (above) and again on the evening of Tuesday 28th September 1993 (no picture as it was our last port of call for the evening and a bit dark!).

Although we visited Fenny Stratford in both 1994 and 1995, we didn't go back to The Bull. After this, the boat was moored in the Midlands and we didn't return to Fenny Stratford for a number of years.

 

We decided that a trip to Aylesbury and back was a good idea, allowing to revisit some of our 'old haunts' along the Grand Union. This was the scene in Fenny Stratford on the evening of Wednesday 29th August 2001.

A complete change of name in just eight years and it was now offering food - not really the full 'gastropub' conversion, just a slight gentrification!

We were back in Fenny Stratford a few days later at lunchtime on Monday 3rd September 2001.

I'm assuming the name change was prompted by the fact that the pub stands on Watling Street.

That was the last time we visited Fenny Stratford until this year. This was the scene that greeted us at lunchtime on Wednesday 7th August 2019.

No more pub; in fact it looked like all of the shops along that stretch were closed, just waiting for a redevelopment.

I don't know when it closed, but looking at Google StreetView, it was closed in 2009 when the name had changed to The Entertainers! This link shows the view in 2009.

Fortunately for us, there were other pubs open in Fenny Stratford, but none of them were doing food at the time of our visit! No doubt I'll report on these at a later date.

#233 Gunmakers Arms, Birmingham : 2004 to 2017

We 'discovered' the Gunmakers Arms at lunchtime on Wednesday 1st September 2004. We popped in after lunch and a couple of pints in The Bull (#073).

I remember it as a typical backstreet boozer with a very 'old school' gaffer who wasn't best pleased with my suggestion that £2 for a pint of Blackcurrant & Soda was a bit excessive!

After such a 'warm' welcome we didn't venture back until many years later when the pub had been taken over by Two Towers Brewery. So, our next visit was at lunchtime on Sunday 14th June 2015.

Unfortunately it was closed as refurbishment was still underway. Even more disappointingly, The Bull was also closed which meant that we ended up having lunch in the Gosta Green (#156) via the Sacks of Potatoes (#205).

We were back again this year and the Gunmakers Arms was open!

This was at lunchtime on Tuesday 15th August 2017 and I had mixed feelings about it. It is great to see an old pub resurrected by an up-and-coming new brewery, but when we visited it was obviously still a work in-progress and had the air of being done on a shoestring. I even sampled the local ale which was OK (but as I'm not a connoisseur, that rating should be taken with a pinch of salt!) The pub also hosts numerous arts events and I feel a little guilty that I didn't like it more.

For anyone who wants to form their own opinion (and I recommend that you do) the website is here.

Usually, that would be the end of the story as this was the last canal trip of the year, for me...but no...there's more. With the advent of the 2018 Good Beer Guide, I discovered that there were new entries in Birmingham and one very local to me. I contacted Martin Taylor and offered to join him for a pint (or three) when he next came to Brum.

His visit coincided with a separately organised Birmingham pub crawl arranged by Pub Curmudgeon. What could be better, a Saturday afternoon pub crawl with two of the bloggers who've consistently promoted my meagre blogging attempts on both of their excellent blogs.

Martin met me, lurking outside the Rose Villa Tavern with my camera (11 o'clock opening). We then strolled into town to meet up with the main band of drinkers in the Post Office Vaults (formerly the Royal Mail). We then visited The Wellington (surprisingly quiet for a Saturday lunchtime!). Next stop was The Old Contemptibles, where Martin left us for some more pub ticking and the rest of us had a pleasant lunch.

Then it was on to the Gunmakers Arms for my second visit of the year - Saturday 7th October 2017.

I'm pleased to say that I liked it more second time around, but the interior décor isn't completely to my taste...a bit modern and arty for me! Externally, the pub has changed little over the years.

This was where I left the crawl as Martin and I headed for his final tick of the day and the rest of the gang continued on to the Old Joint Stock and Craven Arms. I had a very enjoyable time and I hope that the others enjoyed Birmingham enough to want to return for some more great pubs.

#073 The Bull, Aston, Birmingham : 2002 to 2011

Considering that I've lived in Birmingham since 1979 it is quite surprising that the first time I set foot inside The Bull in Aston was in 2002; Thursday 19th September 2002 (at lunchtime) to be precise! That would be just the 200 years since it opened!

We'd been on a canal trip that had taken us to Leek on the Caldon Canal and had moored at Aston Junction. Normally we would have gone to the Sacks of Potatoes, but The Bull was a pub I'd previously noticed from the flyover and thought it was worth a visit...and what a good decision that was. It was a cosy, proper pub with friendly staff and very good food. (and it still is!)

Next visit was on Wednesday 1st September 2004 (lunchtime again) near the end of a trip back from Oxford.

No change, inside or out.

Our next visit was on Thursday 7th September 2006 (luchtime unsurprisingly) on our way back from a trip that took us to the Anderton Boat lift.

Still no change...which is good!

Our final visit, to date was on Saturday 27th August 2011, this time at the start of our journey to the Caldon Canal. Yet another lunchtime stop!

Finally! Some changes! OK, they've only painted the outside AND put some bench seats outside, but at least that's progress. Inside it was the same as before which was good news (Well, there might have been a few more jugs hanging up, but its impossible to be sure as there are soooo many!). For more details and historical information you can visit their website here.