Tamworth Totter Part 2: Stumbling Over The Line

I know how much you enjoy a cliffhanger, so I’ve milked “The Tamworth Totter” for all it’s worth and the final part has been on hold for a month.

Of course, a lot has happened in the interim period, Birmingham City have won another home game, England have won two T20 series in Pakistan and Australia, Martin has completed the GBG and Paul WME has seen Wolves drop into the relegation zone.

Exciting stuff indeed but, as Tamworth Mark will testify, Staffordshire’s third best town with a castle and beginning with T, has a lot to offer.

Four pubs in and I’d yet to pay more than £3 for a pint but that finally changed as I entered the 765 – Sir Robert Peel B79 7BA.

A cracking pub with a top class gaffer who was pulling through a pint of Steerage (Titanic) for ages before serving another punter so I had to go for it.

£3.60 is still good value these days and this was a proper pub with bench seating, dartboard and beermats…all that you’d expect and I can see why this is a destination venue in Tamworth.

Next stop was 766 – The Globe Inn B79 7AT, which I knew was going to sell good beer as there was a bloke watering the hanging baskets outside…Paul WME knows this is true!

I was sporting a 2-Tone t-shirt and a youthful chap (well, about the same age as me!) struck up a great conversation.

He’d been to watch The Beat in Bilston recently and waxed lyrical about most of the 2-tone back catalogue for the next ten minutes…with the Jam, Clash, Big Audio Dynamite and Kinks on as a musical soundtrack it was hard to see how this pub could get any better…

However, it also had Bass on the pumps!  £3.70 for some absolute amber nectar whilst listening to top tunes and talking about the Midlands’ greatest musical export (don’t tell Mudgie).

This pub didn’t make the Ale Trail leaflet but was a belter as was pub number seven on this monumental day.

767 – The Tamworth Arms B79 7QL is in close proximity to a handful of tower blocks and has the look of a proper pub although it has had a terrific refurb inside.

It’s a decent looking pub that also sells food but you could tell it was #properpublife as the barmaid and gaffer were great value.

I mentioned that some of my pals were at work, and she responded in true punk rock fashion by giving them the middle finger whilst cajoling me into a bag of scratchings and pulled the pint of the day.

Old Hooky (Hook Norton) was magnificent and just in case I thought I might start to flag, this was crisp and quaffable. 

The gaffer talked to me about how he likes to “keep good cask” and the fact they only had two on is a wise move,

as less is nearly always best in these edge of town centre pubs.

Last stop of the day before jumping on the train was768 – The Tamworth Tap B79 7LR.

This has become arguably the place to have a pint of cask in Tamworth and I decided to have a pint of Jaipur (Thornbridge).

A geezer from Lichfield CAMRA sat next to me and waxed lyrical about dark beer and what a good pub this was. 

He was absolutely right and set over two floors it is well worth a visit.

He was also excellent company and ensured the day ended on a good note in what is the Tap House for the Tamworth Brewing Company.

So, there you have it, eight pubs in Tamworth serving some top-class ale and all the associated punters you would expect in a town centre topped off by top notch barstaff…

…what more do you want from a day out?