Tryanuary trail from Waterloo to London Bridge

On Saturday 25 January 2020, Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) members from branches in the Central Southern region gathered met in South London to visit pubs on an itinerary planned by John McLaughlin (Milton Keynes & North Bucks CAMRA).
A group from West Berkshire followed the itinerary for the first three pubs before making a detour and then rejoining the main group at Harvey's London pub - the Royal Oak (RO).

Waterloo Tap (WT)

Allan Brooke (W Berkshire CAMRA) & Allan Willoughby (Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead CAMRA)

The Waterloo Tap, underneath the railway arches to the south of Hungerford Bridge, was the first bar for a rendezvous. Six cask ales are served from taps in the central area behind the bar. The pale hazy Moor Nor'Hop was a popular choice.
This was a good opportunity to hear from Allan Willoughby about arrangements for the 2020 Maidenhead Beer & Cider Festival which will be held at Maidenhead Rugby Football Club, Braywick Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1BN, a 10 minute walk from the station, on the 24 / 25 July.

Various German beer signs and and a row of traditional beer steins are displayed in the arched space.
There was also an opportunity to meet Carl Griffin, Central Southern CAMRA's Regional Director.

Richard Scullion & Andy Pinkard

There was a chance for Andy Pinkard, West Berkshire CAMRA Chairman to meet up with his predecessor, Richard Scullion, now mainly resident in Eastbourne, who also adopted our modified itinerary for the day.

The route from the Waterloo tap to the second pub was via Roupell Street, featuring terraced houses and several classic Citroen cars.

Kings Arms (KA)

Having arrived earlier, Simon Grist (Berkshire South East CAMRA) took the opportunity to photo bomb the West Berkshire CAMRA group photo from the entrance to the pub! The others featured in the photo and not previously named are Chris Reynolds and Frank Jesset.

Inside, the beer range included Flying Monk Brewery's Dark Lane milk stout from Malmesbury and Kent Brewery's Apollo single hopped ale.

Berkshire South East CAMRA stalwarts Barry Garber and Terry Burrows found a warm place to stand near the fireplace in this traditional corner pub that was soon filled with CAMRA members.
The pedestrian route to the third pub, goes along Windmill Walk, underneath the platforms of Waterloo East station and then past the side of the Old Vic theatre along Webber Street.

Stage Door (SD)

Brewed in the Cuckmere Valley, Sussex, Long Blonde from Long Man Brewery was the hoppy beer chosen by most of our group guided by Richard Scullion who plans his visits to the brewery's tasting room on Fridays to benefit from a free welcome pint.

Seen at the bar, Tony Girling and Mark Thompson made two more members from West Berkshire to join our group. An interesting feature of the Stage Door's decor is retro home movie cameras, adapted as light fixtures, on side walls.
Breaking from the main group on leaving the Stage Door, our walking route followed Webber Street as it arcs eastwards.

This led to Southwark Bridge Road and then Mint Street into a small park and then north on Ayres Street passing the Lord Clyde, a traditional corner pub, regularly featured in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide but closed for refurbishment after a change of ownership.

Rose & Crown

Richard, Mike, Mark, Tony, Allan and Frank

This longest walking stretch led us to the Rose & Crown on the corner with Union Street.

Neon signs for PubLove and Hostel indicate that this pub is now part of the PubLove chain of seven pubs which feature upstairs hostel accommodation and a Burger Craft kitchen - Beers, Burgers and Beds.
Mike Avery perused the menu at the bar before ordering 'Fries' that were served in a dimple pint mug.
Mike was disappointed to miss the Five Pound Lunch offer which is only served from Monday until Wednesday at lunchtimes.
Three cask ales were available including Titanic Plum Porter.
A short walk east along Union Street and across Borough High Street into Newcomen Street led to the fifth pub.

Kings Arms (KA)

The Kings Arms features polished brass details and five cask ales. It featured in John McLaughlin's itinerary but our out of turn arrival avoided any congestion. St Peter's Hop It reached the end of the barrel with our order and substituting Harvey's Sussex Best acted as a taster for the beer range at the next pub we would visit.

The pedestrian route via Tennis Street led through an estate of flats and then into Tabard Street. We passed a workshop where Master Woodcarver Hugh Weddeburn could be seen carving with chisels. Andy went inside for a brief chat with Hugh before we arrived at our sixth pub.

Royal Oak (RO)

Allan, Andy, Mike, Richard, Tony and Frank outside The Royal Oak, Tabard Street.

Despite our plan to arrive at the Royal Oak before the main group, we found that others had beaten us to claim the tables in the main bar area.

Retreating to the smaller back bar, a wait for beer followed as only one member of staff was available to serve beer and perform cellar tasks.
As well as the deservedly popular Sussex Best Bitter, a range of other beers from the brewery included Armada Ale and Christmas Ale.
As members from other branches arrived but no relief beer staff, we decided to cut short our planned longer stay at the Royal Oak and fit in one more pub from the original itinerary instead.

Old Kings Head (OKH)

The Old Kings Head is accessed through an archway on the east side of Borough High Street into Kings Head Yard. There was a chance to get a photo of the outside of the pub with its stained glass windows in the remaining daylight before being invited to enter.
In contrast to the Royal Oak, the Old Kings Head was teeming with staff behind the spacious bar serving area and service was quick and efficient. The beer range included beers from St Austell Brewery and Harvey's Brewery.
There was music playing on the sound system and quite a lively atmosphere which would perhaps appeal more to young customers.

With some needing to catch trains from Waterloo and others from Paddington, the nearby entrance to London Bridge underground station provided the easiest access route to start the journey home after an enjoyably social day of tasting beers and discovering some 'off the beaten track' streets of South London during 'Tryanuary'.

Wordsley, Sedgley and Dudley

The day's beer highlights would be The Beacon Hotel, Sedgley (Sarah Hughes), The Britannia Inn, Upper Gornal (Batham's) and the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre.

On Thursday 28 November, after breakfast at the Talbot Hotel, Stourbridge, our first bus of the day took us north towards Wordsley. Our famous five (Mark, Bod, Graham, Trevor and Tim) alighted just after the bus crossed the Stourbridge Canal via Glasshouse Bridge. We recrossed the arching bridge on foot and crossed the road to visit the Red House Glass Cone and Stourbridge Crystal Glass Centre.

Dudley Council now manage the Red House Glass Cone as a free tourist attaction.

Inside, remnants of the once thriving glass industry include the Lehr (annealing oven) where glass items could gradually cool as trays were slowly moved away from the hottest area. It is the only remaining example in the world.

Travelling by bus to The Beacon Hotel involved changes in Dudley and Sedgley (near the Clifton). The Clifton originally opened as a cinema in 1937 and became a Wetherspoon pub in 1998.

The Beacon Hotel, Sedgley

We arrived later than planned, more than an hour after the noon opening time.

On arrival at The Beacon Hotel, with 'Doc' Robert having joined en route, I took a photo of Mark taking a photo at the front entrance of the traditional Victorian Public House!

Inside we found the remaining 'Farnham Trubbelers' installed in a far corner of the large back room and they had saved some space for us.

My first beer here was Sarah Hughes Pale Amber which was pleasantly sweet. (£1.40 1/2 pint).

View from counter for back room [Photo: Mark Geeson]

The small central bar has three small counters including one to serve the back room.

There are two chimney breasts where coal fires were burning with a minimal Christmas tree decoration on each mantelpiece, in the back room.

This is a large building with a new conservatory at the side overlooking a lawn and the car park.

Passing through the conservatory leads to a broad hall with the entrance to the Sarah Hughes brewery and decorated with framed CAMRA award certificates..

The toilets are found on the other side of the hall.

Lunchtime closing is 2.30pm from Monday to Thursday at the Beacon Hotel but there was still time for me to enjoy a half pint of Sarah Hughes Surprise (£1.45) served with a creamy head and reminiscent of a Belgian Tripel. This went nicely with a pork pie.
Our group enjoyed a conversation with John (75) a local regular customer who told us 'You're in the Black Country, everything's brilliant!'.

Of course, no visit to the Beacon Hotel would be complete without a dimpled glass of the glorious Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (£3 pint)!

The Britannia, Upper Gornal, Sedgley

It was still raining outside so we caught buses to reach our next destination - Batham's The Britannia Inn.

Inside the pub, after ordering our beers at the main front bar, we chose the back room, on the left side, to sit in. CAMRA's Historic Pub Interiors describes this room as having the, now rare, arrangement of a servery without a counter.

I enjoyed my pint of pale Batham's Best Bitter with a cheese and onion cob (roll) for £4.55.

There is a patio garden area behind the pub, better suited to summer weather! Another idea for a fine day is to follow Mappiman's four mile circular walk from the pub to gain far-reaching views and a chance to sample Holden's beer at the Chapel House (Miners Arms) in Lower Gornal.

Before leaving there was an opportunity to take a photo of the carpeted room at the front which is situated to the right of the main entrance.

The bull's head tiles that feature in Batham's pubs were spotted in the passage leading to the toilets at the back.

Dudley Winter Ales Fayre

Mark Geeson and Tony Lea needed to arrive at Dudley Town Hall by 5pm, as CAMRA volunteers, to help prepare for the opening of the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre at 5.30pm.
After the bus ride back to Dudley, some of us walked to The Full Moon, a Wetherspoon pub for water, coffee or beer according to individual tastes and appetites.

Tim with festival glass - early doors - Cheers!

We returned to Dudley Town Hall for admission to the festival soon after opening time.

The admission package included a programme, a half pint glass (refundable) and a sheet with tokens to pay for beer and cider. Thursday was 'quiet night' but there would be live music on other nights.

Gerald Daniels (Crookham Travel) at top left with 'Farnham Trubbelers' at Dudley Winter Ales Fayre

As relatively early arrivals we were able to join a friendly table that included several locals. Philip Wildsmith (on right of photo) has been involved with Yapton Beerex, a CAMRA beer festival held at Yapton and Ford Village Hall in West Sussex. Visitors arrive from several different countries to attend this festival and I hope to visit the 31st edition in 2020 (15-17 May).

Most of the cask beers I sampled were 1/3 pint measures priced at £1.10 or £1.20. My favourites, as recorded on Untappd, were: North Riding US IPA V32 (ABV 5.5%) a hoppy beer brewed with Citra and Loral hops and Kinver Quindecim (ABV 4.5%) with honey sweetness, brewed to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brewery.

I also enjoyed a third of Green Duck Wheach, a peach flavoured wheat beer, from the Key Keg bar, priced at £1.60.

The Little Devils food menu for the festival included local favourites: Samosas (£1.20); Gray Paes and Bacon (£2.50) and Bread Pudding (80p).
After spending £10 worth of tokens and sampling a variety of mainly pale beers, it was time for me to leave at 10pm and catch a bus back to Stourbridge.

Now a routine, I ducked into the Duke William, my favourite Stourbridge pub, for a nightcap after the bus journey. A half pint of Craddock's Troll, pale and fruity, would be my final Black Country beer on this visit.

Destination Bloxwich

A northbound bus from Walsall dropped me in Bloxwich on the evening of Wednesday 27 November, 2020.

I was keen to visit The Bloxwich Showman since reading about the Wetherspoon pub in Martin (retiredmartin) Taylor's 'A wet Wednesday in Walsall' blog post after his visit a week previously.

The photos I took, including one of the unique carpet (above), should complement Martin's to give a bigger picture of the converted cinema!

With plenty of space inside, this was a good place for a meal break with a soft drink after an afternoon of drinking beer in historic Walsall pubs as a member of Tony Lea's tour for the 'Farnham Trubbellers'.

A framed print shows the front elevation of the Grosvenor Cinema dated 1921. A Commissionaire is illustrated standing in a uniform at the entrance. Pat Collins (The Bloxwich Showman) had the cinema built to replace the Electric Palace Theatre which he had operated. The premises were purchased by JD Wetherspoon and opened as The Bloxwich Showman in January 2015.
The pub appears in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2020 (replacing the Wheatsheaf which was featured in 2019) and this explains the reason for Martin's recent visit as part of his mission to visit all the pubs in the Guide.

The Turf Tavern

Martin did not have time to visit 'the legendary Tinkie’s (the Turf Tavern)' but this is where I had arranged to meet up again with the 'Farnham Trubbellers' after its 7pm opening time.

28/11/2019 The Turf Tavern, Bloxwich - Crookham Travel's Gerald Daniels (nearest to entrance)

The exterior does nothing to dispel its reputation as 'the last truly unspoilt terraced pub left in the country' quoted in CAMRA's historic pub interiors entry which includes a few rare interior photos.

The weathered sign over the entrance refers to Doris Hiscott-Wilkes. 'Known as Tinky's, the pub has been in the same family ownership since around 1875.' Tony Lea's tour notes mention 'Zena the landlady asked us if I had been before and gave us the 'no photos' warning'. My Google search revealed a family announcement from the Express & Star that Doris Hiscott, nee Wilkes, 'Sadly passed away in the Walsall Manor Hospital on Sunday, May 3, 2015'. Zena is Doris's daughter.

Before I was served at the bar I was asked if I was with 'the group' and reminded that no photography is allowed inside the pub. There were boxes of small sheets of scrap paper (for betting purposes?)  and I used one to make a rough sketch of the interior room on the right of the entrance hallway which was the only room open. There is a central pole supporting a beam where a load bearing wall may once have stood.

I enjoyed a pint of Hobson's Town Crier (£2.90). Tony Lea enjoyed Beowulf Dark Raven and commented on Untappd 'What an absolute gem of a pub. It’s stuck in a time warp so glad I got to see it. 3 beers on and this ones another classic stronger mild.'. David 'Tankard' Bunyan also logged his beers at this 'Classic Grade II listed pub known as Tinky's served by Zena' on Untappd.

[Photo: David Bunyan]

Tankard obtained permission from Zena to take a photo of a certificate presented by Gerald Daniels of Crookham Travel after a previous visit to the pub in December 1998. I can't imagine that Gerald noticed many changes to the interior of the pub since this previous visit.
With no photos allowed my notes included: William Morris floral wallpaper on chimney breasts, varnished wood benches of wooden strips, red and black tiled floor, cream-coloured embossed wallpaper, two chimney breasts one mounted with a clock (C) and the other with a mirror (M), low bench in front of the bar.
The only lighting was from two bare light bulbs above each end of the bar. During our visit a lamp standing on the bar counter near the rear window was also switched on for some additional light.
Before leaving, a visit to the Gents toilets, reached via a dimly lit yard, was rewarded by the sight of the 'massive 100 year old urinals'.

A trip to Tinky's is recommended for anyone wanting to enjoy beer in the traditional fashion, with no intrusive music or TV. Don't leave it too long for an opportunity to travel back in time at Tinky's!

A 25 minute bus journey on the National Express West Midlands 60 service took us from the stop near the pub to Wolverhampton. We changed here for a bus to Stourbridge.
See separate post for details of Stourbridge pubs visited later.