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Permanently Closed, Revisits, Walsall, Walsall Wood

CLOSED: Post-Covid Revisit: The Royal Exchange

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My first post-covid pub visit, and the first time back in a pub since March 20. First new pub since March 14, and less than a week after pubs were allowed to open.

It was nice, if a little odd. Sensible setup, good cleaning regime, reduced food menu, forcibly reduced beer choice as the delivery hadn’t pitched up. Most people were obeying distancing guidelines when we arrived, and hell, it was good to be in a pub again. Food was decent, and even if it had to be Guinness, we were in the pub.

A few members of the traveler community turned up (well, actually lots of them), which was fine, but they didn’t seem to be adhering to guidelines, which is something I’d feared from anyone after a few drinks (and a subsequent visit proved this with a few locals). Still they were in another room and the landlady kept a lid on it, to her credit.

2 more visits and the cask ale isn’t back on still, but I suspect that reduced footfall is the reason; cask here is usually excellent.

Birmingham, Permanently Closed

Permanently Closed: Pint Shop

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Birmingham City Centre:

Right next door to The Wellington, it’s a bit of a different thing, so they’ll probably co-exist quite happily.

This place is definitely towards the hipster craft beer end of the market, (faux-industrial light fittings, scaffold poles, a la Brewhouse and Kitchen) but it’s still a pretty Ok place to drink, or at least, it was on a Thursday afternoon- I think had it been a busier time I’d have liked it less. Great choice of beer, nice staff, outside space. Only real disadvantage is the (vertical) distance to the toilets, though there is an accessible one on the ground floor.

Lichfield, Permanently Closed, Staffordshire

Permanently Closed: Bitter-Suite

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Lichfield:

[edit: now closed, and re-opened as a Black Country Ales pub, The Bridge Tavern.]

A micropub that almost isn’t! It’s larger than some non-micro pubs, with 2 rooms and proper toilets, and outside space. What did make it feel like a micro was the welcome, the absence of noisy, awful music, the conversation, the shelf of Good Beer Guides, and the excellent beer.

This was a micro that was like pubs were and should be like; a comfortable, welcoming place with great beer, great staff, and social interaction if you wanted it. Very close to the bus station and Lichfield City rail station too.

Closed, Norfolk, Norwich

CLOSED: The Prince of Wales

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Norwich:

We dropped in late morning, for soft drinks, I hasten to add. The pub was just opening, and we were the only customers, but I suspect this would be busy at night: the road was dominated by pubs, clubs, and takeaways, and the this place was following the spoons/goose model of cheap food and drink. Ale was available, and the food really was cheap, though we didn’t try it. Barman was friendly and helpful too. pat of a chain I’ve not seen before, but it seems the Cat & Fiddle belongs.

Closed, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

CLOSED: Kings Wine Bar

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Great Yarmouth:

It’s called a wine bar, but it’s a pub, clearly.

Not too bad, either. No ale, but respectable lager. Only real disadvantage being the UKIP-supporting racist idiot gobshite up the corner, who upon learning we were from near Birmingham, proffered “I’ll bet it’s spot the white man”. He proved to be a veritable mine of information, most of it wrong, and had his car keys in one hand, brandy in the other. What’s not to like?

Beside that, a nice enough bar. No food, friendly staff.

Permanently Closed, Revisits, Walsall, Walsall Wood

CLOSED: Revisits: The Royal Exchange

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Original post here.

A while ago, the pub had a half-hearted makeover that made it worse: it felt even more like a clubhouse. I’m glad to say that’s been fixed: the pub looks smart and feels modern and welcoming, and there’s new outside furniture too. It’s also gained real ale, which is very welcome, and food.

…which is where I was disappointed.

At time of writing, the website says food is served 12:00-20:00, and I’m told if you view on an iPad, it says light bites available up to 14:30. The sign outside says “food every day”.

Either way, having settled down with an (to be fair, excellent) pint, it was dissapointing to be told the kitchen had closed when I tried to order food at 14:01, so we drank up and went back down to the bustling centre of Walsall Wood and the Boatman’s Rest. Shame really, we’d have been set up for the afternoon…

[edit Dec 2016]

To be fair, now things have settled, it’s a great pub with decent food and excellent beer, and you can usually hear over the music or TV.

Norfolk, Permanently Closed, Wells

CLOSED: The Ark Royal

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Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk:


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This pub doesn’t look encouraging: it’s a frankly ugly 60s building in an otherwise pretty town, with benches set out on a patch of tarmac in front. However, looks can deceive: there’s real ale, decent cider, and all the nrmal tat, decent food, and friendly staff, so it pays to ignore the appearance.