#279 The Old Thatch Tavern, Stratford-upon-Avon : 1996 to 2020

 The Old Thatch Tavern has been a feature of Stratford's pub scene for hundreds of years. We first discovered it on the evening of Friday 5th April 1996 on the first of, what was for fifteen years, our annual Easter canal trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Unfortunately, my early photos are all from an analogue age with my trusty Fuji ST-605!

As I recall, it was a small cosy pub that felt like a proper pub...but was often quite crowded, which explains why we didn't necessarily visit every year. The next time we popped in was on the evening of Friday 2nd April 1999.

No real change to the pub.

Another three years and we again popped in for a quick pint on the evenbing of Saturday 30th March 2002.

As you'd expect with an historic pub, no change!

Our next visit on the evening of Saturday 10th April 2004 finally shows off the complete pub!

Then again on the evening of Saturday 15th April 2006.

And we were back on Saturday 3rd April 2010 for another evening stop.

This was our penultimate Easter trip to Stratford and the Old Thatch Tavern was an unchanging feature of the town...always cosy, always a delight, often packed with happy folk!

This isn't the end of our story, though. In the summer of 2014 we hired a boat from Napton and, as an off-shoot of the Warwickshire Ring, we popped down the Stratford Canal 'for old times sake'!

This was on the evening of Tuesday 30th September 2014 and, for the first time there were some changes! Firstly, the hanging sign had changed and advertised it as being a Fuller's pub. Secondly, it had been repainted on the outside with 'Old Thatch' being more prominent. Inside it had lost none of its character.

Our most recent visit to Stratford was at lunchtime on Monday 20th July 2020 and The Old Thatch Tavern was closed...but not permanently so! (Definitely now open according to Trip Advisor).

The exterior had been redecorated again to revert back to black window frames from white previously. (As a Grade II listed building and the only thatched roof building left in the centre of Stratford, I assume that's about all they can do!)

I was very pleased to see that it is still in operation and it is well worth a visit if you happen to be in Stratford.

Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 2)

Following a less than excellent evening out, we returned to Stratford-upon-Avon for our lunchtime session. After navigating our way down Wilmcote Locks we moored on the edge of Stratford before setting out to find a drink and some food.

As we walked along a well-worn route (for us) we passed The Oddfellows Arms (closed...maybe permanently!), Yates's (closed...whole block being demolished), The Olde Thatch Tavern (closed, but not permanently) and The Lamplighter (closed, but being rebuilt!) before reaching The Queen's Head.

This used to be one of our regular haunts when we made our annual Easter trips to Stratford...and it hadn't changed at all. Still a proper backstreet boozer (with added social distancing) with a welcome choice of Roast Beef or Roast Pork Baps for just £3.95 each! And, the Carling was just right, as well!

Then it was time to return back up the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal with Wootton Wawen being our evening destination. Because of the pandemic, we were forced into stopping at different places on the way back - The Crabmill at Preston Bagot (now Brunning & Price) wouldn't be open until August and the Fleur-de-Lys at Lowsonford was only opening Wednesday - Sunday - so, The Navigation Inn at Wootton Wawen was our choice! (Viewed from the aqueduct...it used to be a 40mph limit!)

Again, one of our regular haunts from years gone by and, again, remarkably unchanged! The Navigation has endured several new owners since the original West Brom supporting gaffer left, no-one has yet turned it into a gastropub (hurrah!) and it still does proper pub meals! There were clear social distancing guidelines (and tape on the floor!), but because of the layout it didn't really affect the main part of the pub.

Next morning we resumed our northward journey towards The Navigation at Lapworth (again!)

Amazingly it was completely unchanged from our previous visit. Excellent food, as always, and this time I partook of the Lapworth Gold which I find very pleasant.

So, it was back to the boat to complete the final 18 locks of the 27 lock Lapworth flight. This got off to an inauspicious and unpleasant start. As our first lock was filling, William, my fellow cruiser (and main lock wheeler) went ahead to the next lock. It was empty, so all he had to do was open the bottom gates and it would be ready for when I got the boat there.

It was no more that 100 yards away and as William returned to let me out of the full lock, I could see someone at the next lock closing the gates! I gave a toot on the horn to let him know that we were on our way (if he hadn't seen us). After a few more blasts on the horn it was clear that he was going to fill the lock and bring his boat through in direct contravention of lock rules, canal etiquette and general decency.

In 40 years of boating, this was the first time that we'd seen such a flagrant disregard for the rules! To cap it all, when he exited the lock (as I was trying, and failing, to take a surreptitious photo of him) he accused me of being "a disgrace" and in the wrong! Unbelievable! His boat is named Calypso.

After a stop to refill with water we resumed our journey with the Blue Bell Cider House at Earlswood as our evening destination.

Unfortunately, we were too late for food, but after navigating the extensive one-way system we managed a night of ice-cold Carling (served in refrigerated glasses!) with crisps and nuts for sustenance...well...we'd had a full lunch at the Navigation in preparation!

Next morning we took a detour along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal for lunch at Hopwood House.

As it was a Wednesday afternoon we thought about not booking, but relented and booked online (it's a Marston's pub). When we arrived and saw the car park I realised what a good idea that had been. It was about 2pm and the place was probably as full as could be allowed at the moment. The table service was efficient and the numbers started to dwindle not long after we'd arrived.

After a pleasant lunch it was back towards Birmingham and my first venture into town for many months. Our eating destination, the Rajdoot, was booked and not a problem...but where to drink? Both of our go-to pubs were closed - the Prince of Wales and The Shakespeare. This was to be another occasion where it was Wetherspoon's to the rescue...and my first visit to The Soloman Cutler.

It used to be (maybe still is!) a Lloyds No 1 bar, but was just right for what we needed. The fact that Broad Street is currently dug up (for the tram extension to Five Ways) means that everywhere along there is even quieter...as was the Soloman Cutler...apart from Brendan the Irishman who was celebrating his birthday in traditional style!

He was with his wife and was extremely pissed. After a bit of banter with the table of young women next to him, which almost got out of hand, all seemed calm until one of the bar staff turned up with the massively over-ordered food in 'doggy bags' to take home!

"I'm not a f***ing dog!" shouted Brendan at the bar staff as he threw the food around his table. There followed many more expletives and an almost punch-up before Brendan and his (long-suffering) wife were ushered from the premises. The sad thing is that Brendan looked to be about our age...late 50's/early 60's.

The rest of our evening passed by uneventfully and we had another excellent meal at the Rajdoot!

There's more to follow as we escape the 'big city' and head back into the countryside!

"I come to praise Wetherspoon's, not to bury them"

If you'd told me, many years ago, when I visited my first Wetherspoon's pub that I'd be writing a post in praise of them, I'd've said, "Yer what?!?"

When they first appeared, I thought that Wetherspoon's pubs were something of an abomination...no atmosphere, bad layout, poor service, dubious décor...not really proper pubs.

Over the years, though, they've evolved and many of my initial criticisms have disappeared or been ameliorated to some extent such that I am happy to drink (and eat there) in the absence of a 'proper' alternative.

Over the years, on our canal boating trips we've been saved from 'starvation' by various Wetherspoon establishments and it is my intention to offer thanks and praise.

The first, and finest, example of this is The Plaza, Rugeley. We first ventured in there in 1999 and I was 'blown away' by the interior of this converted cinema. It has saved us on many occasions, bieng one of the few places to get food in the centre of Rugeley...lunchtime or evenings. It has featured as #218 on this blog where you can read more about it.

Plaza, Rugeley 1999

 What follows will be a potted history of the other examples of when and where Wetherspoon's pubs have saved us in some very 'dodgy' places.

This next example doesn't quite fit the pattern, but it is a Wetherspoon's that we've visited more than once - The Golden Bee, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Golden Bee, Stratford 2002

The next one fits the bill perfectly, although we even had to get a taxi to the Golden Cross Hotel, Bromsgrove. The canal doesn't pass through Bromsgrove, but on this occasion we'd missed getting served food in the canalside hostelries near to Stoke Pound/Stoke Prior, so "Taxi!" it was. Similar circumstances forced us back there several years later.

Golden Cross Hotel, Bromsgrove 2002

Now for one that I had completely forgotten about - The Bear & Ragged Staff, Bedworth. As I recall, The Navigation by the canal was closed (or not doing food) meaning that we had to walk into Bedworth which, back in 2005 was quite a deprived area following the closure of the local coal mines, so pubs serving food were few and far between.

The Bear & Ragged Staff, Bedworth 2005

 Although we've visited quite a few Wetherspoon's just for a drink (Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Leicester, Stone, Wolverhampton to name a few) this next one was one of the best 'Saviour Pubs' on the list. We'd moored by the Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, the first two pubs we visited were dire (in different ways) and walking further into the town gave only the prospect of pizza, kebab or fish & chips on the street for lunch. Then we espied the shining beacon that was The Thomas Telford, Ellesmere Port. Lunch was excellent!

The Thomas Telford, Ellesmere Port 2012

Later on that same year, we found ourselves in Bingley (twice) on the Leeds & LIverpool Canal. At lunchtime there were no pubs doing food and the town was overshadowed by the brooding, boarded up, brutalist building that had been the headquarters of the Bradford & Bingley Building Society. However, we were saved by The Myrtle Grove, Bingley. On our subsequent evening visit we found proper food in a proper pub.

The Myrtle Grove, Bingley 2012

Along the Ashby Canal stands the town of Hinckley which we'd visited in the past and not had a problem finding food. On this occasion, the only place we could find was The Baron of Hinckley. And very welcome it was too!

The Baron of Hinckley, Hinckley 2014

Ilkeston, on the Erewash Canal is not somewhere that we visit often and with the town standing on top of the hill that the canal skirts around, it is quite a slog to get to the town centre. There are several pubs there, but only The Observatory, Ilkeston was doing food.

The Observatory, Ilkeston 2015

This next one is somewhat embarrasing for me. We were in the centre of Birmingham (my home city!) and yet still managed to miss the last orders for food in several places that stopped serving food at 8:30 - 9:00 pm. I was very frustrated by this lack of opening times and we ended up eating in The Briar Rose, Birmingham.

The Briar Rose, Birmingham 2018

This is one that you'll find most difficult to believe, but on our most recent canal trip, we found ourselves in Oxford one lunchtime and the best place we could find was The Four Candles, Oxford. We were moored on the river for the first time, so didn't really know where we were and didn't really have time to do much exploring, so it was a joyous moment when the Wetherspoon's hoved into view! I had one of the best value pizzas ever, here!

The Four Candles, Oxford 2019

 Finally, we move on to Hayes on the Grand Union Canal. There were quite a few basic boozers available but only The Botwell Inn, Hayes was offering food.

The Botwell Inn, Hayes 2019

 It was after three pints here that I contrived to fall into the canal...but that's another story!

So, here endeth my paean to JD Wetherspoon and how their pubs have saved us from 'starvation' over the past 20 years of canal boating...all hail Tim Martin!!

#173 The Vaults, Knowle, West Midlands : 1999 to 2014

This is going to be a short post about a pub that I've only been into once...and I don't remember what it was like inside!

We don't visit Knowle very often on the canal and when we do go there we end up in any/all of the other pubs. Our first (and so far, only) visit was on the evening of Sunday 4th April 1999. It was Easter Sunday and we'd finished our regular Easter trip to Stratford and back. So, rather than drink locally in Lapworth we caught a taxi to Knowle to see what the village had to offer.

Although it has a High Street address, the entrance is on one of the side streets (next door to Loch Fyne restaurant). We must have had a pint in there because in those days I didn't take pictures if we didn't go in, but I have no recollection.

We were once again in Knowle on the evening of Sunday 28th September 2014 and, as we were strolling along the High Street, I took this picture.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would still be there, but it appears to have gone from strength to strength. (I discovered, whilst researching this entry, that it has been the Solihull CAMRA Pub of the Year nine times since 1992, most recently in 2013!)

The Vaults now advertises itself as a 'Real Ale Bar' that seems to have filled a niche in the area. Despite the major changes to the outside it is interesting to see that the hanging sign is still the same...even if it has been turned around in the intervening 15 years!

#169 The Red Lion, Knowle, West Midlands : 1996 to 2014

Although Knowle is only a few miles from Lapworth where our boat was moored for many years, we very rarely visit the village by boat. This is mainly because it is on a different canal (Grand Union) and the journey from there into Birmingham is far less attractive than the North Stratford Canal route.

In the days before I took a picture of every pub we visited we'd been to the Red Lion, but the first occasion I have a picture was from the evening of Sunday 7th April 1996.

Back then it had been renamed Felons & Firkin, but you can just make out that the red lion hanging sign is still there. This visit to Knowle came at the end of our first Easter trip to Stratford-upon-Avon as we had some time to kill on the way back to our moorings.

Our next visit was on the evening of Friday 31st May 2002 as the last stop on our one week trip to Banbury and back.

By this time it had reverted back to its original name and was now part of the Ember Inns chain of M&B.

It was quite a long while before we returned, this time on the evening of Sunday 28th September 2014.

This time it was at the start of a journey that started at Napton Junction and we visited Knowle before heading off to Stratford-upon-Avon. It is still part of the Ember Inns chain, but with an added 'The' to its name.

From the outside, very little has changed and I'm pleased to say that it has retained the quite magnificent hanging sign which I took a picture of a few days ago.

Inside, well that's a different matter. Back in 1996 it was a typical Firkin pub, then in 2002 it was a typical Ember Inn of that era - a cross between a pub and a wine bar - and in 2014 it was still typically an Ember Inn, but now a hybrid of a pub and a restaurant. 

UPDATES - A New Trip to Old Haunts - The Warwickshire Ring

When I started this blog I hadn't really thought through how I would present new visits to pubs that I'd already reported on. As detailed in my previous entry, I've recently returned from a canal trip around the Warwickshire Ring. This took us to quite a few pubs we'd not been to for a few years.

We set off from Napton and our first re-visit was to the Two Boats in Long Itchington (#100). As detailed in my previous entry it is THE MOST EXPENSIVE PUB for Blackcurrant & Soda that we found on our trip.

However, it is still a good canal pub and the food was good, as previously. Apparently it has had a refurbishment since our last visit in November 2011, but this wasn't particularly noticeable!

Two Boats, Long Itchington - Saturday 27th September 2014

We passed through Warwick, but we didn't visit any of the pubs previously mentioned and it wasn't until we reached Lowsonford on the Stratford Canal.

The Fleur de Lys was completely unchanged from our last visit in the Spring of 2011 (see #026)

Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford - Monday 29th September 2014
© Photo Digital Art

Next was Wilmcote, a village we also hadn't visited since 2011 and, again, both pubs were completely unchanged.

First was the Mason's Arms, one of the earliest pubs I featured (#006). In all the years we've been going there it has been run by the same landlord...and he's still there! In all respects, the Mason's Arms was the same as previously, including the monster portions of vegetables served with the main meals!

Mason's Arms, Wilmcote - Monday 29th September 2014

The other pub in the village is the Mary Arden Hotel (#061). Again, completely unchanged in three years.

Mary Arden Hotel, Wilmcote - Monday 29th September 2014

Even though it was a Monday night I was very surprised at the lack of people in either pub. In the Mason's Arms there were a few locals in when we arrived, but by the time we left at about 9pm the place was deserted. It was the same story at the Mary Arden and only one customer came in during our time there!

Our next stop was Stratford-upon-Avon which used to be a regular destination on our annual Easter trips. All of the pubs we visited, that I've reviewed before, were completely unchanged!

They were - the Dirty Duck (#033), The Falcon Hotel (#079), The Garrick Inn (#020) and Queen's Head (#082)

Dirty Duck, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Falcon Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Garrick Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

Queen's Head, Stratford-upon-Avon - Tuesday 30th September 2014

After leaving Stratford for the long haul up to Birmingham the next pub to report on is the Navigation Inn at Lapworth. This is one of my most photographed pubs that I've reported on several times - #008 and the updates here, here and here!

Navigation Inn, Lapworth - Wednesday 1st October 2014

This was our first actual drinking visit since the pub reopened in 2012 and I can report that the refurbishment has been a success and we spent the whole evening there enjoying the food, drink and atmosphere.

Next day we visited the Wharf Tavern at Hockley Heath (#083) which is under new management and has had a complete makeover since our last visit in 2011.

Wharf Tavern, Hockley Heath - Thursday 2nd October 2014

The much needed refurbishment has been very well done and the Wharf manages to tread the fine line between being a pub and a restaurant very successfully.

Our next stop was at The Horseshoe in Kings Heath (#112) which is a pub I'd not been inside since 2000! We'd passed by on many occasions, but not stopped because of the difficulties in mooring, which haven't improved in the intervening years. However, this time we were running out of light and there was no other viable option!

The Horseshoe, Kings Heath - Thursday 2nd October 2014

After the ritual 'abuse' from the gentlemen smoking outside the pub (often an issue when taking pictures of pubs!), we found that it hasn't really changed much in the years since we last visited. It is still a down market boozer and, as we usually find with this type of pub, it was more friendly than many of the pubs we visit.

Birmingham was our next stop and we visited two old favourites which haven't changed since my last reports in 2012 - the Prince of Wales (#089) and The Shakespeare (#095).

Prince of Wales, Birmingham - Friday 3rd October 2014

The Shakespeare, Birmingham - Friday 3rd October 2014

Next evening we were in Curdworth where we revisited the two pubs in the village - the White Horse (#051) and The Beehive (#087) - neither of which seem to have changed since 2011.

White Horse, Curdworth - Saturday 4th October 2014

The Beehive, Curdworth - Saturday 4th October 2014

The next pub on the list was The Anchor Inn at Hartshill (#022), which also has changed little in the intervening years. The food was great and it was a welcome stop on a grey day!

The Anchor Inn, Hartshill - Monday 6th October 2014

A couple of days later we were in Newbold-on-Avon, nearing the end of our journey. For many years there were three pubs in the village (including our last visit in 2011) - the Barley Mow (#053), The Boat (#078) and the Newbold Crown (#072) - now there are just two, but this isn't as bad news as it sounds.

As we walked from our boat we could see that the Barley Mow was still there, but The Boat which had been next door (always a mystifying situation!) has now become the overspill/function room for the Barley Mow called the Barley Barn.

Barley Mow, Newbold-on-Avon - Wednesday 8th October 2014

Barley Barn (Formerly The Boat)

The Newbold Crown was something of a revelation. On our previous visits we've only ever been into the bar which is at the front of the pub. This time the bar was closed for redecoration so we went into the lounge which was very pleasant. This was a bit of a surprise as I'd got the impression that the Newbold Crown was a bit of an 'estate' pub, but the lounge was more like being in an older village pub!

Newbold Crown - Wednesday 8th October 2014

Our final pub, which we'd last visited in 2011, was the Old Royal Oak at Hillmorton (#077). As it is a 'Hungy Horse' pub I wasn't expecting to find any changes and I wasn't disappointed in that respect!

Old Royal Oak, Hillmorton - Thursday 9th October 2014
© Photo Digital Art

It is still in a great setting and, for a lunchtime stop, it is perfect for a bite to eat and a few pints.

That's all the pubs I've previously featured, but we did go into plenty more that I will add to this blog over the coming months.