Beer & Pubs Forum Day Out In Brum: Part 2

Is there a likeness with Stafford Paul and Stan Laurel? I’ll let you decide…

You left the Beer & Pubs Forum Big Day Out heading towards the Post Office Vaults after an introductory pint in The London and Northwestern.

We had to leave Tamworth Mark behind, which is a shame, as I believe he’s convinced Mrs TM to hold the wedding reception in the Post Office Vaults and wanted us to clarify it’s suitability.

However, he was replaced by Kentish Paul, who has since made a damascene conversion to number one Wetherspoons fan, after being spotted in Henley on Thames with his Wetherspoons news mag!

The Post Office Vaults has been covered by all the other bloggers and is still a great Brum pub was surprisingly quiet for around 12.30 on a Friday, maybe the punters are saving up for Tamworth Mark’s wedding reception bar bill.

The beer was good and the conversation flowing as we headed off to our next watering hole, The Queens Head.

Like the POV, I’ve blogged about this previously but it brings back great memories as I worked in the Birmingham Post & Mail offices for five years and this was often a Friday haunt as we warmed up for the weekend.

Davenports have done a grand job on restoring it and there was good trade with a nod to the traditional and modern all done very tastefully.

These four random blokes appeared to be having fun so pub three ticked the box.

Pub four on the itinerary meant a walk to Newtown on the outskirts of the city centre and 813 – The Bartons Arms B6 4UP.

This is a ‘must see’ pub for anyone visiting Brum and well worth the walk out.  Amazing architecture and it has been ‘saved’ on numerous occasions and it was good to see it in good nick.

I swerved the food here but Nick, Martin, Paul and Stafford Paul all gave it a huge thumbs up and I can’t really do this pub justice with the photos I took.

Snob screens, Minton tiling and all the grandeur you’d expect from a Grade II listed Lister & Lea pub…

…they even sold Citra (Oakham) as well!

The locals who were in were definitely on the Carling and I hope this place gets enough ‘tourist’ trade to supplement the locals…

and Villa match days to keep it going as it is truly a gem.

You’re not often spoilt for a choice of pubs in Newtown these days but Nick and I had spotted a potential locals bar on the main drag back into Brum and we persuaded Martin to join us in the 814 – Big Smoke Steakhouse Bar B6 4HG

Low lighting, no cask but a great welcome, particularly after Martin had ordered some kind of medicinal 16.5% drink!

This picture is blurred, it’s nothing to do with the drink! 

I settled on a Peroni and Nick had a Madri and chatted to the locals.  There was a Shisha place out the back I think, but, undoubtedly, the best demographic mix of punters all day.

This shows that pub life can thrive anywhere given the right environment and even a Hi Viz jacket to boot – it’s not spit, sawdust and cask anymore but red lights, shisha and bottles or Peroni but a pub is none the worse for that.

It’s open over 100 hours a week as well so Duncan and Si will have no problem getting here when this is in the GBG 2025…

Kentish Paul and Stafford Paul walked in to assess the possibility of GBG 2024 inclusion and then promptly walked out due to the absence of Stone’s Bitter and we were to join them at our next stop…