I’ve been looking for the Birmingham equivalent of Whitwick and Coalville and I might just have found it in Fazeley.
Of course, this also gives me the opportunity to start a whole new series of blog posts in alliteration style with Wonderful Willington, Lovely Lichfield, Soporific Solihull and Bubbling Birmingham on the horizon.
Of course, all those Geography aficionados amongst you will know Fazeley is actually in Staffordshire on the edge of Tamworth so, strictly speaking, is nowhere near Brum.
However, anyone who has lived in the Second City will know that Tamworth is a Birmingham overspill and so, by association, is Fazeley.
It’s right next to the canal so its Brum credentials (more canals than Venice apparently) are rock solid and has boozers that have been recommended to me by the doyen of pub canal blogging, Pete Allen.
As if that’s not enough there is a train station within close proximity (Wilnecote) and it is the closest village to Drayton Manor Park, so there is no end to its appeal.
(ripe for renovation)
But the real deal clincher regards Brummie credentials is when you walk into a boozer and you hear the accents.
It could well be downtown Moseley, King’s Heath, Sheldon, Chelmsley Wood or Acocks Green given the regional tones and Fazeley fits the bill perfectly.
Saturday afternoon blogging is always prime time in terms of busy boozers and can therefore skewer your viewpoint, but this place is bostin’.
It’s even got a bona fide estate pub, one that the late, great Alan Winfield would be happy to drink in and it even contains cask beer!
352 – The Longwood B78 3QP is on Deer Park Road, just off Reindeer Road with the Drayton Manor CC social club also on the edge of the estate.
When I say it is a proper estate pub I mean it is a proper estate pub because there are couples, families, groups of old lads, groups of young lads , groups of young girls, groups of old girls and even a proper drunk bloke who was staggering around looking for the toilet and everyone else trying to avoid his eye!
Which is a pretty good effort for around 3.15 on a Saturday afternoon in a boozer which just works for an estate like this and there were some magnificent vest tops and tattoos on display from a couple of mums, which upped the ante no end.
There were also plenty of kids, hence not many photos, whilst the beer was more than decent as I had a very good half of Old Thumper (Ringwood) with the two old boys behind me in the queue discussing the relative merits of Banks’s Original on Keg as a smooth pour option.
This is the sort of pub I remember a lot from my childhood whereby adults would sit and have a few whilst he kids ran amok outside in a beer garden/play area (or inside) and the food was cheap and cheerful.
It is a big estate with lots of Christmas connotations on the road names and plenty of people to support it. It looks as though it is thriving rather than surviving and I reckon there were well in excess of 70 people in here, which created a lively atmosphere.
Language to rival Coalville in its pomp, decent cask ale and people enjoying the craic on an estate pub, Fazeley has shown the B78 postcode can rival the LE67 version in terms of earthiness.
We’ve stopped at Fazeley many times on our canal trips, but never been to The Longwood. I’ve looked it up on Google Maps and now I know why – it is quite a way from the ‘centre’ of Fazeley where there are four perfectly servicable pubs that we’ve never needed to venture away from.
“even a proper drunk bloke who was staggering around looking for the toilet and everyone else trying to avoid his eye!” Go on, you can tell us…that was you, really! Lol!
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On this occasion…..not guilty guvnor!!! Yes we’ve got family who live on Longwood estate so worth a visit…agreed there are some good boozers in centre….up next!!
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Ah, done this one so it must have been in the GBG at some point. Is the proper drunk a mandatory feature of Staffordshire pubs? Plenty of good boozers round the Tamworth area.
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I think it’s part of the JD when managers apply…must know a random drunk at any stage of the day!
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The Longwood was in the GBG? I didn’t expect that although the beer was good
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Been quite a few GBG pubs in that area over the year.
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Yes, that’s the only non Birmingham part of it. The selection of cask in suburbs….Have you been to Mile Oak Rovers FC ground?
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“Of course, this also gives me the opportunity to start a whole new series of blog posts in alliteration style”
I swear 99% of blogging is finding a spiffy title and working around that. 🙂
“It’s right next to the canal ”
With regards to the photo above, I’ll have you know I had to lie prone for two days for them to get that pipe right. 😉
(yes, it’s been that kind of beer day)
“(ripe for renovation)”
Oof. Indeed.
“is when you walk into a boozer and you hear the accents.”
I’ve always liked that about the UK. They say the accent changes on average every 20 miles or so.
(over here, if it’s not Quebec or Newfounland it’s pretty much the same… eh?) 🙂
“one that the late, great Alan Winfield would be happy to drink in ”
(raises glass)
“352 – The Longwood B78 3QP is on Deer Park Road”
Google Maps says it’s in Tamworth for what it’s worth.
“there are couples, families, groups of old lads, groups of young lads , groups of young girls, groups of old girls and even a proper drunk bloke”
A complete cross-section. 🙂
“There were also plenty of kids, hence not many photos, ”
Sigh… totally get that.
“This is the sort of pub I remember a lot from my childhood whereby adults would sit and have a few whilst he kids ran amok outside in a beer garden/play area”
Funnily enough I remember same from my time visiting relatives in the mid 70’s and early 80’s.
“Fazeley has shown the B78 postcode can rival the LE67 version in terms of earthiness.”
I take it the A514 area is more posh. 🙂
Cheers
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Great reply Russ 👏👏 Google maps is delivering fake news!!! I’m not sure the A514 can out posh anyone!!! You’ve finally sussed me out! A nifty title and about 250 words of tripe 😉😀
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