#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?)

#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. 

#066 The Mercat, Digbeth, Birmingham : 1998 to 2021 (RIP)

 Following on from the architecturally attractive Market Tavern we move on to the somewhat less beautiful, brutalist Mercat Bar & Grill (formerly The Mercat Cross). As part of the Birmingham Wholesale Markets complex it had a healthy trade, back in the day, but when I first came along with my camera I think its best days had passed. Here's what I wrote in 2011: -

"I'm pretty sure I've never been in The Mercat or The Mercat Cross as it was known when I was a student in the late 70's. It has always been (in my experience) a rather unattractive building, but maybe there was an older pub there before the Wholesale Markets were rebuilt in the early 70's.

I'm not sure when it dropped the 'Cross' from its name, but by 1998 it was just The Mercat.

When I came back in 2011 I wasn't sure if it was even open, but I still took the photo.

Obviously it is no longer an Ansell's pub, but beyond it's 'oirishification' I can't add much more about it! (Better class of car driving by, though!)

However, as was reported on the Digbeth is Good blog, it is now open for business again as The New Mercat Bar & Grill. I wish them well in the currently difficult climate for pubs.

This is the thirty-first in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series."

 

Ten years later and, from the outside, very little has changed, but the pub is definitely closed and has been since at least 2018.

As the redevelopment of the Wholesale Markets site progresses this will be demolished and (more) flats/apartments will take it's place in what is now known as the Smithfield Development.

Whilst not one of the more striking examples of Brummie pubs, it is always sad to see their eventual demise!

Digbeth Update

It is almost three years since I went around the Digbeth area taking pictures of the surviving pubs. I was in the area this week taking pictures, mostly non-pub related and I noticed that in the passing three years very little has changed, at least as far as the pubs go (Lots of other things have changed, but the pubs seem to be quite stable for the time being). However there are a couple of examples that are worth reporting.

Back in 2011, the pub that was formerly The Carpenters Arms had been turned into the Moon Shisha Lounge (see #013 on this blog). Unfortunately that has now also closed. I'm not sure when it happened, but I don't think there is much chance of anything pub related returning to this site.

The other story is much more upbeat. In 2011 I wasn't sure whether The Woodman was still open nor what the future held for it (see #056 on this blog).

After I wrote that blog it was closed for some time, but since September 2013 it has been restored to its former glory and open for business again. I haven't been back in, yet, but the details can be seen here on their website.

Although it currently stands a bit on its own, hopefully, the development of the surrounding area and the building of HS2 will lead to a secure future for this magnificent building.

For any other Digbeth related information, I always refer to the excellent blog Digbeth is Good.

UPDATE : #058 Spotted Dog, Digbeth : 1998 to 2012

Back in March I reported that I'd been on a Digbeth Photo Walk past this pub and nothing had changed. What a difference a few weeks make. The closed Spotted Dog/TJ's looked as though it was never going to reopen, but it has resurrected itself as Suki 10c - a music venue/night club and had a complete external paint job.

This is how it looked when I last took a picture.

Sadly, the news is not all good. The venue has been subjected to a complaint about the noise and is now fighting to stay open. I'm grateful to the Digbeth is Good blog for getting this news out and hopefully the new venue will be able to continue.

#070 The Rainbow, Digbeth : 1998 to 2011

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.

Now that I've come to the end of the Birmingham Eastside pubs it's time to reflect on the changes that have occurred in this area.

Of the 33 pubs I originally photographed in 1998, one has re-opened (The Old Crown), but twelve are now closed, two of which have been demolished. One has been converted into a Shisha Lounge (Carpenters Arms), one (Billy's Bar) is now a backpackers hostel and many have turned to music as a means of staying alive.

There are only a handful which I would say are still just pubs/boozers - The Fountain (#054), The White Swan (#061), The Anchor (#025), The Spotted Dog (#042), Sir Charles Napier (#044), Town Crier (#062), Forge Tavern (#012), Big Bull's Head (#038), Cleary's (#036) and The Old Crown (#016). You can still get a drink in all of the rest, but they are all multi-use venues now.

The Digbeth area is a microcosm of the general trend in pub decline/rebirth that is currently going on across the country. I follow The Pub Curmudgeon's excellent blog and he has, quite rightly, highlighted two of the main factors in recent pub decline - the smoking ban and the cheap booze available from supermarkets. These have definitely hastened the demise of many establishments, but I wonder if these are just the symptoms of a greater trend - namely that the pub as I grew up with just isn't fit for purpose any more.

I'm no historian (Pete Brown is; and his blog is always interesting), but from what I've gleaned over the years, the pub as we know it really came into being in Victorian times when there was a vast 'explosion' of new (then unlicensed) drinking establishments. These greatly outnumbered the old inns and taverns that had existed for many years previously. Even after licensing became compulsory and opening times were imposed (during World War 1) these pubs thrived.

These pubs were successful mainly because there was no real competition. Cheap booze at home was not widely available and they offered an escape from the 'drudgery' of the home - a place to meet friends (and make new ones) and generally get away from the stresses of life albeit temporarily. And it was also a place men went to get away from the wife and kids!

Now, in the 21st Century, virtually all of the factors that made pubs such a success have disappeared. I believe that the pub is in terminal decline and cannot compete with the attractions of the modern world. Many have closed and more will follow, but a lot are adapting. In Digbeth, music appears to be the salvation of many pubs, in the countryside the gastropub seems to be taking over. 

I am hopeful that the 'essence' of the British Pub will survive, but we should all recognise that the 'Golden Age of the Pub' has passed and embrace the new era - however difficult that is for us 'old codgers'.  

#066 The Mercat, Digbeth : 1998 to 2011

I'm pretty sure I've never been in The Mercat or The Mercat Cross as it was known when I was a student in the late 70's. It has always been (in my experience) a rather unattractive building, but maybe there was an older pub there before the Wholesale Markets were rebuilt in the early 70's.

I'm not sure when it dropped the 'Cross' from its name, but by 1998 it was just The Mercat.

When I came back in 2011 I wasn't sure if it was even open, but I still took the photo.

Obviously it is no longer an Ansell's pub, but beyond it's 'oirishification' I can't add much more about it! (Better class of car driving by, though!)

However, as was reported on the Digbeth is Good blog, it is now open for business again as The New Mercat Bar & Grill. I wish them well in the currently difficult climate for pubs.

This is the thirty-first in my 'Birmingham Eastside' series.

#056 The Woodman, Digbeth : 1998 to 2011 (RIP??)

The Woodman is one of the finest examples of what proper city pubs can be. It is one of the earliest of the pubs designed by James & Lister Lea. It is one of the pubs that I had occasionally visited before I took this photo in 1998.

As I remember, it has a compact front bar and a lovely, quiet back room that still had gas lights on the tiled wall. In 1998 this was still a busy and popular pub, but how times have changed.

In the intervening 13 years there have been massive developments in this part of Digbeth. The whole area behind The Woodman has been flattened and is now (or it was the last time I looked) somewhat neglected grassy area.

To give some geographical perspective, the city centre is off to the right. Behind me is the Thinktank which opened in 2001 and houses the Birmingham Science Museum and is part of the Millennium Point development. To the left of The Woodman is New Canal Street which leads to the old Curzon Street Station and the (closed) Eagle & Tun which was #032 in this series.

Curzon Street was the site of Birmingham's first raiway terminus and is a listed building. This will be the future Birmingham terminus of the HS2 High Speed Rail Line.

Here is the view from the back of The Woodman and the Eagle & Tun is to my right. These pubs are both under threat from the developers who have previous for demolishing old buildings that are in their way. Personally, I'd have thought that incorporating such lovely old buildings into a new development would make the final experience so much better. What could be better than to step off a high-tech, hi-speed train, that has whisked you to Birmingham from London in less than hour, into a lovely old pub for a pint? Obviously I'm biased, but surely even the developers can see the attractions of mixing the new with a bit of the old.

More about this can be found on the Digbeth is Good website which is better informed about these matters that I am!

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

#052 The Kerryman, Digbeth : 1998 to 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.

#050 Fox & Grapes, Digbeth 1998 to 2011 (RIP?)

The Fox & Grapes is a pub that I'd visited a few times before I took this picture in 1998. As I recall it was a fairly 'bog standard' boozer and was ideal as a meeting point for an evening's entertainment (either before going into the city or going on to sample the further delights of Digbeth!).

So, this is what it looked like in 1998...and here it is in 2011.

Sadly, it looks to be terminal, but you never know. The whole area is being redeveloped and this is quoted in the "Eastside Masterplan" - 

"There is also potential to incorporate the Fox and Grapes within the new station concourse to enhance design quality."

However, as is usual with developers, they are trying to obtain a Deed of Variation to facilitate the demolition of the nearby Island House, so who knows what the fate of the Fox & Grapes will be. I'll keep a watch on the very useful and informative Digbeth Is Good blog for the most up-to-date information.

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