Brummies Here, Brummies There…

Brummies every *******where la la la la la la la la la la went the terrace chant back in the eighties (that is the correct amount of la’s!)…

Of course, anyone reading this who has stuck with me since the start of this blog will know this is the same intro as the post on The Bagot Arms, The Smisby Arms and The Boat Inn.

The basic premise is that I stumble across an exiled Birmingham City fan in the pub trade running a boozer that isn’t in Brum.

It’s genius really but the fact that after 557 pubs I only have three entries thus far, shows you the limited appeal of this particular series.

Nonetheless, I am nothing if not persistent and, in this era of limited pub openings, then I can spot an opening like Howard Kendall passing to Trevor Francis at St Andrew’s in the seventies.

So, after a longer version of the walk I did with Mrs BB and the ankle biters on Saturday, I undertook a nine and a half miler from Milton to my new best local – The Milking Parlour – and back again.

You can read about my last visit –here – but as it was only two posts ago, there are probably easier ways to find it.

However, with a pair of my drinking walking pals, we also found time to stop off for another pint and to support local pubs by going to 122 – The Staff Of Life DE73 7JH

This is slap bang in the middle of Ticknall.   Quintessential middle Britain with three pubs (count them) a thriving cricket club with a bar and one of south Derbyshire’s biggest attractions – Calke Abbey.

The last time I blogged about this place was on December 28, 2017 –read it here – when the snow was falling heavily and I was drinking beer contemplating premiumisation.

Bizarrely, and proving that I am a creature of habit, I was drinking with Simon and John on that occasion as well and the pleasing news is that beermats are still on show.

(lacings and a mat, what could be better)

This has been a topic on Twitter recently after suggestions (from me) that one of the ‘new normals’ would be a beermat free world.  Thankfully, this isn’t going to be the case.

Medical professionals such as Tandleman,

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The Vaux Wanderer as well as Martin (a proper doctor)

assured me they are still fine and above board whilst BRAPA has made his own!!!

So, with a Timothy Taylor’s beermat and a fantastic pint of Landlord, the three of us sat down three quarters of the way through a near ten mile walk in grotty summer weather at The Staff Of Life.

Many moons ago this place had a reputation for a hugely unpleasant landlady who appeared to want to drive trade away but the latest incumbent was as friendly as they come.

(it was colder than this last time)

After about twenty seconds of chat it as clear she was a ‘native’ of Brum and revealed that she hailed from Edgbaston and had lived in Tamworth.

Not only that but she’d run a snooker hall/club in Tamworth for years, a pub in Lanzarote and then returned to sleepy Ticknall.  She also told us about the go to boozers in Hopwas and Tamworth and just oozed proper pubbery

Conversation soon turned to Blues after she’d questioned my credentials and discovered I was from the right half of the city! She mentioned how she’d watched a Wembley final in 1991 when heavily pregnant with her son, who was now a huge Blue nose and that she was often told ”you are going” as a youngster to watch at the Mecca, even if reluctant!

Another Blues fan in (relative) exile – that’s 4 in 557 now – and a pub that is open for business in Ticknall, a village of 642 inhabitants.

It was empty apart from us three on a grim Tuesday at 3pm but she said the weekend had been busy and the fact she had taken over just prior to lockdown meant she was just about hitting the ground running.

(a potent front three – like Latchford, Hatton and Francis)

Great beer, great banter, a proper pub landlady, sticking to the social distancing guidelines and a pub that needs your support – don’t be shy!