Far from a Black Country Crawl

It was all aboard the Claydon Fox coach leaving Banbury Station on 15^th March at 10.30am, and some North Oxon CAMRA members were heading for the best beer area in the country, or as some us think, the world!

I have always have great difficulty in deciding which is my favourite beer of all time and there also seems to be an opinion, that if your first pint of the day is great, nothing else comes close that day. This trip was going to be a great test for this theory as the first stop was at the Holdens Brewery and their tap, the Park Inn , Dudley. Just time for a pint of superb ‘Golden Glow’ before being called to order for the Brewery Tour. I am never really sure about brewery tours, it can be a gross waste of good drinking time, but this one was most interesting. Our guide was the retired Head Brewer, Cliff Garner, who had worked for Holdens for about fifty years in total. He gave a most entertaining commentary on this very cramped brewery which produces such wonderful beer. On returning to the bar it was very obvious that the rest were enjoying themselves. One member, who shall be nameless did admit to having drunk five pints of the seasonal ‘March Hare’ while we toured.

The Beacon Hotel , Sedgley , also a tap most famous for its ‘Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild’, was the next call. To use Bob Kirby’s words “As you enter, you step back in time to the 1930s”. There are some four rooms all with great character. The bar is most unusual, a very interesting hexagonal wooden complex, with very low hatches which really test your ability to order more beer. It’s a real pub, no machines, no music, local characters, good conversation and beer, no need for anything else is there?

Into the coach again and off to The Vine, or is it The Bull and Bladder, Bathams brewery tap at Brierley Hill. Their bitter has to be the best session beer and the most consistent beer ever brewed. It’s a friendly pub with excellent staff, and you quickly get served. There are usually only two beers on tap: ‘Best Bitter’ 4.3 abv, and ‘Mild’ 3.4 abv, but you only need the Best.  ….No, I am not biased, it’s a really gold star beer that should be made available in the North Oxfordshire Area. On leaving the pub we had to cross the road to the coach . I am sure this is the only place in England where drivers realize there is a problem, as they slowed right down for us!

On to Ma Pardoe’s, The Old Swan at Netherton for dinner. This being a very important part of any pub crawl, the faggots going well with the ‘Swan Dark Mild’. With the Social Secretary’s usual efficiency the food order had been placed in good time. A most interesting refurbished Black Country pub, with its maze of doors, passages, smoking room, dining room and bars. It really tests your memory skills after a trip to the comfort station. Four beers on, all at reasonable prices and the ‘Bumblehole’ was very good.

As we had all been very good and eaten up our faggots and joined in with Sandra for a rendition of the “Wheels on the bus”, would we like a return visit to the Sommers Club? It took three nano seconds to make a decision. You can see why it is CAMRA’s Club of the Year, with its range of some ten beers. I’d just got comfortable and in conversation with Pia when we had to leave for the Coach.  Now this is where it all begins to slow down. Would there be a comfort stop? Should I drink the rest of the water? Would a sandwich be better or should I take up a very silly position and emit a funny noise like other male members seemed to be doing?

Luckily Banbury, The Bell and the Station came into view. A few of us had promised to report to Dave at The Bell on what a great trip he had missed. Shirley had been away so he couldn’t leave the pub. Next time Dave! In the meantime we will have a serious talk with Shirley.

Now back to the difficulty of deciding my favourite beer. I think it has to be Holdens Golden Glow. It was the first pint of the day and it was truly excellent, but the Bathams Best is also just wonderful. Perhaps our local landlords can obtain some to help us all decide, please.

Many thanks Bob and Liz Kirby for yet another most impressive North Oxfordshire Branch outing.

Geoff Day.