Apparently, it was on this day in 1982 that The Young Ones was first aired. Undoubtedly my favourite comedy show of all time and I spent my schooldays growing up with quotes from Rik Mayall et al and everyone has a favourite Young Ones quote in their repertoire.
I’m not sure Russ, Dick or Dave will have had the pleasure of The Young Ones but, even now, it is surely still an absolute classic.
Anyway one of the best things about writing a blog is those little self-indulgent moments where you get to go off at tangents and of course the other good thing is drinking beer in pubs.
The sort of boozers that Jack Charlton and Paul McGrath would definitely have drunk in back in the day, but are unlikely to feature on any council sponsored Ale Trail.
Places where you are likely to meet football fans and throwback characters that you won’t see in Walkabout or a Gin Palace.
I call them the “Pre Premier League pubs” as they were ten a penny when The Young Ones first hit TV screens but are like gold dust nowadays tucked away fighting off the gentrification of city centres…
Anyway, here are five of the best from Brum…
129 – The Bull Ring Tavern B5 6BH
is an absolute classic that has had plenty of reincarnations and survives as the ‘gateway to Selfridges’ as Birmingham City Council don’t want to call it.
Cheap and cheerful beer, no cask, doormen at noon, massive screens for live sports and a real market traders feel to it even though the market is bulldozed and moving to Aston. A slice of old Brum lives on.
At one stage in the eighties ‘The Troc’ might have been seen as a hip night out when the options for a drink in Brum were somewhat limited.
However, it is one of the survivors and wedged in between hip and happening places such as The Head of Steam and Old Joint Stock, this place ticks along nicely with plenty of Hi-viz jackets, lots of live sports, decent cask ale and definitely not a tourist trap.
I was greeted here by the sight of two fat blokes having a comedy pushing match in Christmas jumpers in a fairly lame drunken argument! This boozer was once used by Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother and is suitably grand but there is no chance of royalty stopping here now…well maybe Beatrice….
Sky sports is everywhere and a raucous atmosphere alongside a decent selection of ale means this little gem is worth a visit in the Business district of Brum near to far more ‘hip and happening’ joints.
128 – The Wagon And Horses B9 4ED
This backstreet boozer is more Deritend/Digbeth than slap bang in the city centre but an absolute classic.
It was healthy chaos the night I went in there after a Birmingham City victory and a pub that you can ‘play up’ in is a suitable phrase. A decent pint, cheese cobs, jukebox, curtains drawn and lots of singing mean this place isn’t for the faint hearted.
Well worth a visit.
252 – The Edgbaston Tap B5 7QN
This one is slightly further out of town as it’s next to Warwickshire CC in Edgbaston but a walk down the Pershore Road/A38 means it is feasible. It’s a classic sixties style estate boozer stuck in a shopping precinct underneath a huge tower block.
I’m not sure it would survive without the cricket trade but when you walk out late at night and the cricket has finished you realise it is ‘edgy.’
No cask here but plenty of banter, laughs and noise and the clientele can be very different on a non-cricket day but equally entertaining.
How do you find them? Only been in the Old Royal years ago, appropriately enough, but the others have eluded me so far. There’s got to be a book in you about these places.
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When I’m retired I reckon you could be right!!!
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I’ve been in them all…except…The Edgbaston Tap, which is the nearest one to my home! (not even in the days when it was the Sir Harry)!
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A good effort…choose your time wisely for the Tap!!!
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“I’m not sure Russ, Dick or Dave will have had the pleasure of The Young Ones but, even now, it is surely still an absolute classic.”
Sadly was never aired over there that I know of. 😦
“and of course the other good thing is drinking beer in pubs.”
Absolutely! 🙂
Oh and in the photo below, that’s a great idea to raise money for the Children’s Hospital. (thumbs up)
“as they were ten a penny when The Young Ones first hit TV screens but are like gold dust nowadays tucked away fighting off the gentrification of city centres…”
An interesting point. One I won’t delve into right now. I think, in a way, things have always been changing over the years but with the advent of the Net it’s far more noticeable nowadays (and commented on!).
“doormen at noon”
Not because it’s fancy I’ll bet!
“and definitely not a tourist trap.”
That’s actually high praise in its own way. 🙂
“but there is no chance of royalty stopping here now”
Never say never. 😉
“It was healthy chaos the night I went in there after a Birmingham City victory ”
My guess would be ‘raucous’. 🙂
“It’s a classic sixties style estate boozer stuck in a shopping precinct underneath a huge tower block.”
I remember the Streetview for that one. Definitely in what we over here would call a “strip mall”. But, along with the cricket, the nearby apartment block and the 3 or 4 storey apartments make it handy for those living in the area. 🙂
Cheers
PS – “in the Business distort of Brum”
Not entirely sure but I think ‘distort’ should be ‘district’?
“is more Deritned/Digbeth ”
Deritend I do believe. 🙂
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Good spot pal 😀 yes all very lively boozers and we’ll worth popping into for a pint 🍻🍻
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Definitely “distort”. BeerMat down wiv the kidz.
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I is!
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I iz, surely 😛
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Ai geeza 😉
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We did the Wagon & Horses on our crawl of the heritage pubs of Digbeth back in July, and the friendliness of the welcome from the barmaid was certainly noteworthy. A classic down-to-earth boozer.
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I think all the closures by the ground bhas probably helped it as attracts a lot of match day trade now
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Why didn’t you post this guide to Brum before I went – would’ve saved me hours of research. Mind you, everyone I spoke to (in Brum) kept telling us to go to Manzil’s for a ruby, emphasising the words ‘oldest and best’. Mmmmm? Nowt wrong with it, but only average compared with Bratfud standard.
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Lots of good curry houses in Brum – take your pick and recommended toursit ones aren’t usually best!!!
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I went with the locals suggestions ?????
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Fair enough! I’ll do a bit of groundwork and see if I can come up with a couple of alternatives for next time….
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Shababs in Ladypool, Purple Rooms in Hall Green (I’ve been to this one and spot on) and Faizils on Stoney Lane. Three for starters
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I’ll remember them for next time.
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