No, we haven’t been to Manchester. We caught a bus (one of National Express WM’s fancy new ones with theaircon and leather- not like the scabby old Metrobuses we get on the Brownhills routes) into Birmingham, and got to Aston Junction, went along the Digbeth Branch, on to Bordesley Junction, and what was the Birmingham & Warwick Junction canal, but now the Grand Union. This passes up through Small Heath, Bordesley, and Aston, ending up at Salford Junction, under Spaghetti.
We had several stops on the way up and back: First was The Sportsman, in Garrison Lane, Small Heath, then, having reached Salford Junction and making the return leg on the Birmingham & Fazeley canal, a revisit to the Swan & Mitre, a visit to Shanahan’s in Rocky Lane, then, having completed the loop back at Aston Junction, the Gunmaker’s Arms in Bath St. Final call was the Bartons Arms once again for Thai food with friends before making our way home.
It’s remarkable that you managed to find your way to the computer after that lot, I’d be legless!
I’d need a week to get over the walking let alone the beer!!!!! 🙂
Well, it was yesterday, and I blogged it today, also, it was a wide spread of time, from early lunchtime until evening, with a lot of squash drunk as well, as well as a good meal, so we were comparatively sober. It’s only one pint in each pub en route, for a start.
The walking was a shortish one for us: we’re building back up. A long one is 10, 12, or maybe 14 miles, this being (we reckon) about 6ish.
I love the trip from Spaghetti Junction out east and northwards along the canal towards Tamworth. Plenty of industrial history there – Cincinnatti Milacron etc. The canals in Brum are a wonderful walk!
Haven’t been there since about 1990 but I used to love the Swan and Mitre, beautiful back-street big city boozer. Used to like the Vine, too, up the backstreets behind broad street = Grosvenor Street West, if I recall. Cracking one-room hostelry that hardly anyone seemed to know…
Keep up the hard graft
Bob
Well, I just had a Google, and the Vine seems to be in Ruston St, and in Grosvenor St West is the White Swan, both near where you say- pics are here. Added to my list…
We intend to do the route out towards Tamworth one day, having gone out every other way from the city.
Yeah, cock-up alert. It was the Vine in Rushton St. – quite a footie pub as I recall, but don’t let that put you off. There are some genuinely horrid pubs in the area – The Ivybush (bogs that would choke a buzzard at 250 yards) the 19th Hole – never again. Loved the vine, though… used to like the New Talbot up in Bearwood, too, but don’t know what it’s like now.
If you get out as far as Bodymoor Heath on the canal (10 miles or so, decent bike ride) there’s the Dog & Doublet, which seems a nice place.
Bob