By Order Of The (Brum) Peaky Blinders Pub

I’m enjoying the Christmas presents that Birmingham are currently offering and feeling suitably festive.  Firstly a recent trip for a reunion saw me take in 324- The Peaky Blinder Pub B4 7LS which is a proper old school boozer tucked away in the last unloved area of Brum – Dale End.

To be fair to this place it’s had a few guises over the years most recently as Sara Moons but some top class entrepreneur decided to rebrand after the success of Peaky Blinders.

The Garrison Tavern, which is by the Blues ground and the pub based around the series, which is Brum’s best export since Crossroads, still stands derelict awaiting demolition (entrepreneurs opportunity alert) so there are plenty of boozers that can lay claim to being a Peaky Blinder boozer.

Talking of the Blues ground it was great to see it rammed on Boxing Day and having posted many times on this blog about the depths we can plummet, I am going to milk it now the (relative) good times are back.

(St Andrew’s pre Garry Monk)

I say that knowing that the Football League are likely to choose us as their first project in FFP and give us a points deduction despite numerous other clubs committing similar offences over the years.

However, seventh place in the Championship after a rousing win over Stoke means I have seen plenty of grown men genuinely excited about the prospect of not avoiding relegation on the last day of the season.

(St Andrew’s with the Monk effect)

Six days earlier and I saw a Birmingham city Club shop plastic bag amongst other great livery in a boozer that is one of Brum’s great survivors.

Dale End has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently…

…and there were more coppers on the corner outside McDonalds than at the Blues game six days later so it was festive and peaceful when I visited.

It’s only a stone’s throw from the Bull Ring so the City Council won’t allow any bad PR in this day and age and I like the earthiness of this place.

The barstaff all wear the full Peaky Blinders regalia of flat cap and waistcoat whilst there is a real buzz about the place.

There’s a good mix of ‘proper’ Brummies in here and all races, colours and creeds mean it feels like Birmingham before they started closing all the markets down.

However, time can’t stand still and the city centre is aesthetically much better than it was thirty years ago even if boozers like this are hard to find.

There are lots of proper hugs and greetings along with language to rival Coalville town centre whilst the standard Brummie Free House option of either John Smith’s Smooth or Hop House was a tough one but I plumped for…

The lads sitting under the Peaky Blinders artwork didn’t mind me taking a picture – (except for one!)

and for around 4pm on a Friday this place was starting to buzz with the obligatory UB40 track on in the background it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.  .

It definitely won’t feature on any ale trail and won’t be a pub for the international visitor (except for Russ, Dick, Dave and my Dutch readers!) but is a no nonsense, down to earth boozer.

Which, incidentally, is probably how Birmingham as a city and certainly Blues as a football club would regard themselves, so it all appears to be coming together…roll on tomorrow!