If you are trying to follow some kind of pattern on this blog at present then I admit it is a lost cause I am delivering a veritable smorgasbord of Midlands’s destinations.
Recent posts have seen visits to West Bromwich, Long Eaton, Sawley, Calf Heath, Burton, Stretton, Shrewsbury, Coalville and a hamlet near Droitwich Spa in no particular order.
I do this of course just to confuse Martin et al whose strict timetables and planning in order to tick off open GBG pubs in Anstruther takes a phenomenal amount of time.
This blog, by way of contrast, has little if any planning (I can tell by the content I hear you cry) but that does mean I can visit some random pubs in some far flung places of the Midlands.
My definition of the Midlands is the Star Soccer version of the eighties and that means Shrewsbury comes under that guise very nicely.
It’s one of those places like Ashby De La Zouch and Hereford, although a slightly bigger version, whereby it is a little bit isolated but that makes it a great #pubtown.
It’s too far to travel to exotic places such as Telford, Wolverhampton or Wrexham for a banging night out so the locals tend to flock in their masses to boozers all over the town.
This was definitely the case when I popped into 387 – The Wild Pig SY3 9JT on a Sunday evening at around 9pm. This place was formerly known as the Brooklands Bar & Restaurant and it has matchday parking for the Shrews are arguably its most important features as its situated on the outskirts of town next to a garage.
However, appearances can be deceptive as I walked into the lounge and lowly lit dining area I thought it would be quiet but on entering the bar it was totally the opposite.
(carnage awaits)
It was heaving with around 35 people and a fair few were absolutely wrecked. I mean the sort of wrecked where conversations are slurred and repeated and you’ve been on an all dayer!
There was lots of pork around the place as some of the locals had tucked into meat feast platters but it was hog roast and munchies food as opposed to a la carte and this really felt like a proper local.
There were games of pool and darts going on with golf on in the background on Sky Sports but the noise levels were high, the laughter was loud and it definitely wins the award for having the most hammered punters in 2019 so far…
The gaffer pulled through a XXX (Three Tuns) and really took his time over it, which was a good sign. It wasn’t bad although I didn’t see many other punters on the cask, which is no bad thing.
It was a fantastic carnage really and you would be oblivious to it if you had been there all day, which most of the punters had.
There was no aggro though and I went for a five minute sit in the lounge and one of the lads said “I don’t blame you…it’s much quieter in there.”
From the outside this looked very much like a diner but, whilst it sells food and has a low lit room, the bar couldn’t be any more old school pub if it tried.
(Red marks signify amount of pubs Martin needs to complete GBG – all open one day a week between 12-3)
Shrewsbury is becoming one of the pub towns of the Midlands.
I think we appreciate the random nature of your destinations, BeerMat.
Yet another pub I’ve never seen or heard of.
Can you do a book of “utter carnage” pubs, or is this blog it? 😉
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This blog is carnage! Alan Winfield style but with a bit more fluff 😉
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You have to remember we read about six of you as a large collage. All feeding off of one another; All stronger for having the others out there. You guys take up a lot of our time. Well worth it though.
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Wise words Dave….appreciate you reading and you are right the often intertwined gentle mickey taking makes it all worthwhile!!!
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Looks like a good place. Nice to see it’s busy.
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A kind of upmarket carnage bar!!
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Did Star Soccer ever cover Shrewsbury? Like the idea of a Hugh Johns based definition of the Midlands. Presume it would be pushing the boat too far offshore to ask if Hereford was also included. Keep them coming!
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I think Shrewsbury were probably lower leagues in those days too so, along with Hereford didn’t get covered…I’m not sure Oxford did either but I count them as I remember Central’s live football revival in the nineties with Peter Brackley and Alan Parry behind the mic included lots of Championship Midlands fixtures and Oxford featured regularly. More on their way!
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Great theme music!!!! That clip should have said AVTV though!!! Mind you, that team in the eighties were terrific and all the ones I know are really good blokes too. I do recall Shrewsbury beating a small team from Manchester in the FA Cup in the seventies though….
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Ha yes did people call it AVTV? Southern only ever showed Southampton (Reading, Portsmouth and Bournemouth were all in Div 4). Have been ‘entertaining’ my unamused wife with all those theme tunes since reading your blog! The Big Match pre-1974 was the best.
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You know how to spoil her!! Seventies football tunes were terific. World Cup of 78 was my all time favourite…
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