White Swan #2 & #3

I know Dave has been getting impatient and told me it was time for a new post as opposed to pictures of Bass on Twitter in Derbyshire hamlets.

Eagle eyed readers amongst you will have noticed I started a series on pubs called The White Swan which began in Spondon.

With excitement building I can reveal that today’s post will showcase not one but two (that’s right) pubs called The White Swan…

Littleover is a bustling Derby suburb, which, by Derby standards, is almost underpubbed.  However, its boozers are earthy, gritty and full of life.  What us oldies like to refer to as ‘proper pubs.’

You know the sort, places where you can sing a football song without being frowned  at or wear a hi-viz jacket with pride and not face a round of tuts from the staff when you walk in.  A pub where the banter is acerbic and it’s not for the faint hearted but the atmosphere is good and punters enjoy the craic.

714 – The White Swan DE23 6GA ticks all of the aforementioned boxes and was in cracking form on a Saturday afternoon with the live game between Chelsea and Leicester the focal point for a group of lads.

The home brew (Epiphany/Littleover Brewery) was in great nick and I perched myself by some blokes who were dishing out stick to a fellow Brummie. 

“You must be really p****d off about the Wolves score our kid,” said one of the locals but the old boy Brummie wasn’t rising to the bait just yet.

(under the cosh)

They conversation was centering around Brendan Rogers but one of the lads kept on probing and was adamant the lad from Brum was a Wolves fan.

“What the f**k are you on about?  I’m not from Wolverhampton…”

Cue lots of giggles as the bait had been taken and so it began…I often like to share my Second City heritage but weighed up the facts and decided I’d keep my head down and watch the fun unfold.

The pub was nicely full and has an eating area too but felt very much like a locals pub where people would come and drink good beer and take the p*** whilst watching sport…it might just catch on you know.

However, Derbyshire doesn’t have the monopoly on decent White Swan pubs as Marty will testify too….

The 715 – White Swan WS7 0BJ is in good Black Country territory (yes, yes I know it’s not really) and Burntwood has some crackers.

Again, it was a Saturday afternoon…the day Birmingham beat Blackpool Jane’s mob 1-0, which was our last win ironically.

The pub was busy, a proper Burntwood local feel to it with punters of all ages in there, and a couple of blokes absolutely hammer, which is always a sign of ‘proper pubbery.’

I plumped for the Tribute but the very young barman told me it had gone so another youthful barman offered me the HPA (Wye Valley) with a smile and knew his stuff as was pulling it through the pipes.

The Villa/Palace game was on the box and the barmaid was shouting “Come on Villa” on a regular basis so, on point of principle, I stayed at the back end of the bar and read the beermats.

So, the much vaunted but ultimately disappointing series of White Swans draws to a conclusion after three pubs and two posts….

However, there are plenty more pubs and clubs to visit on this never ending tour of the Midlands although with my data storage nearly full, I need to secure a Martin style sponsorship deal to keep this drivel going for a short while longer!