Cheer Up Kid!
Once I’d heard this greeting at the bar then I knew I was back on home turf.
Olton really is home territory for me as I caught a bus from the station to school for five years and lived there for around 25 years so any trip back there is memory lane.
Olton has a few boozers such as Martin’s favourite The Olton Tavern whilst I’ve blogged about an estate style classic equidistant between Jubilee Park and the ice rink .
However, the A41 (Warwick Road) hasn’t had any boozers from Olton Hollow (the row of shops between Olton and Acocks Green), since The Golden Arrow shut in the eighties, all the way through to Solihull Town centre.
(A41 former pub free zone – follow the orange)
That’s a long stretch of road and houses not to have any boozers but this has finally been put right with the recent addition of 367 – Platform Three B92 7AR, which is a bona fide station pub.
Yes it’s classed as a ‘wine bar and eatery’ but half of the place is food based whilst the other half is for drinkers.
I can’t believe it’s taken the best part of 50 years to finally get a pub next to Olton Station but the footfall on a Sunday afternoon suggests it is here to stay.
I am guessing the name emanates from the fact there are two platforms at Olton Station and this is undoubtedly the best option of all three.
Of course, being Olton, there were a few dispirited Blues fans like myself after watching us fail to beat Villa for the 14th consecutive occasion.
Here’s a picture of the crowd before a cretin ran on the pitch and just to prove I did cheer up, here’s a picture of the ground on Wednesday
when I returned for double helpings of doom, as we kick started Millwall’s battle to beat the drop.
I must have looked fairly glum, which is unusual when I walk into a bar I have to say, as a bloke sitting down shouted Cheer Up kid!
He was a fellow Blues fan along with his pal and they were waxing lyrical about the Butty Bach, all things Birmingham City and how good it was to see a pub finally open up in this area.
The dining side was full and there was a discernible difference in the ‘two rooms’ as the Six Nations was on and a bloke sitting in front of us was getting very excited as Ireland scored a try against France and was actually shouting at the TV with excitement.
However, most people were talking about the football or a general bustle of chat and the place was full of life
My new found pub pals were both originally from Olton although one was now in Rowley Regis which, rather handily, has a direct train line to Olton.
Anyway, once tactics had been dissected over a very decent pint of Scrum Down (Greene King), a family of four Blues dads and their kids came in and started removing scarves and looked as though they were also set to drink lots cheer up at Olton’s newest boozer!
There were plenty of people in and with free parking at the station, thousands of chimney pots nearby; there is no reason why this place shouldn’t be a success.
More ‘pubby’ than it looks, anywhere in Olton and heading out towards East Birmingham that sells decent cask ale is worth its weight in gold.
Is St Andrews really called the “Trillion Trophy Stadium” ? What happened to a gaziliion ?
Looks decent that.
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It was the gazillion when we won the Carling cup in 2011 but is depreciating! Yes an unexpected bonus I didn’t know about
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“(A41 former pub free zone – follow the orange)”
Blimey. It’s like the A514 took the numbers, added a 5, put them in a better order, and then took all the pubs to boot!
“Yes it’s classed as a ‘wine bar and eatery’ but half of the place is food based whilst the other half is for drinkers.”
(thumbs up)
“I am guessing the name emanates from the fact there are two platforms at Olton Station and this is undoubtedly the best option of all three.”
(chuckle)
“Of course, being Olton, there were a few dispirited Blues fans like myself after watching us fail to beat Villa for the 14th consecutive occasion.”
Condolences.
“as a bloke sitting down shouted Cheer Up kid!”
That explains it.
“and looked as though they were also set to (drink lots) cheer up at Olton’s newest boozer!”*
That’s the beauty of drink. You can drown your sorrows or toast your wins. 🙂
“There were plenty of people in and with free parking at the station, thousands of chimney pots nearby; there is no reason why this place shouldn’t be a success.”
Agree. Ticks all the right boxes.
Cheers
* – strikeout wouldn’t copy over in the paste. 🙂
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You win this month’s award for most tenuous link Russ with A514! 😉 You win a pint of doom bar…kid is very much a Brummie saying
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I believe that’s my 3rd pint of Doom Bar in winnings.
You’re trying to get me drunk aren’t you? (LOL)
Cheers!
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Strong stuff that Doom 😉
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(bats his eyelashes while holding a fan up to his face) 😝
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I drove through Olton Hollow last weekend and didn’t even notice this!! I’m up again next weekend to meet up with the lads so will definitely keep a look out.
That stretch has needed a boozer for years. I can vaguely remember the golden arrow, but whilst I was growing up your choices were limited to The York, Fox Hollies, The Brittania or popping into the Masons. Have to give this one a look up. And it’s full of bluenoses, result!
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The Britannia in Tyseley? That was pub I had my first ever drink in! York is still going I think but you’re right this area needs pubs! Masons always good value 😉
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The Britannia was the first pub I had my legal pint in, I literally lived behind it! York still going but chain gastropub now 😣
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Tyseley has no pubs left? Inn on the green and spread eagle decent enough for a pint …I need to get back more often!
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Never went to Inn on the green, and the eagle was a haunt for many years! No pins in Tyseley now, just the working man’s club!!
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Looks like all of Tyseley is off to the lady Westminster then! 😀
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Well I chose to move to Somerset out of protest!
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😀
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Tried that GK Scrum Down last year at the Bedford Arms in Southampton (must have been some kind of rugby tournament on then as well) – i thought it was ok too…
Yours is doing a good job of impersonating a St Austell Tribute – trying to think of a joke about tribute acts but it just won’t come 😦
Even more spooky that you mention Butty Bach – had a pint of that last Friday in Ebenezers in Hythe (also very good).
In the best traditions of JK Rowling should probably be called Platform Two and Three Quarters (though it would have cost them a bit more in sign writing… 🙂
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“In the best traditions of JK Rowling should probably be called Platform Two and Three Quarters (though it would have cost them a bit more in sign writing… 🙂”
Seconded! 🙂
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Glad to see you abd Hemrit moving this blog upmarket Russ….!
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I like that as a title!!! Clearly with me as a native Olton is suitably high brow so JK Rowling wouldn’t go amiss!!!! I understand there is some sort of rugby event every year? Ebeneezers is a great name for a pub and it sounds like a Saturday nihgt fun pub but I bet it isn’t!!!
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if Russ endorses it I know I’m doing ok 🙂
Ebenezers is an old chapel and an early model of the micro pub (but it’s never been called a micro pub). No music or TVs just a good crowd and plenty of conversation (and regularly changing cask beers)…
…landlord’s a bit of a comedian though…
…see the official Hermit blog on Ebenezers here…
https://pubhermit.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/going-to-the-ebenezers/#more-279
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An endorsement from Russ is similar to a booker prize! Sounds like a top place!!! Can you get anon comments on your blog and tag in a name? I can do it on a few blog spot ones but not yours at present…which is a shame as there is some cracking stuff on it.
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I’ll have a look at the settings on my blog LAF. I thought I’d opened the comments up as much as possible but maybe I didn’t. My understanding of this stuff is limited though 😉
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A man of your calibre….
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It wasn’t fully open to all users – but have just done it now – including anonymous users. So you should be able to comment in the way you said (hopefully 🙂
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I’ll be on the case 🍻😉
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