Halloween Post - The Grenadier, Belgravia

We've reached that time of year: pumpkins, trick or treat, and Michael Myers terrorising Haddonfield, yet again.
To mark Halloween 2021 I headed into London to search out one of the capital's most haunted pubs.

This was located in Belgravia, past a host of embassy buildings and into the mews, the 'private road' signs making you question for a moment if you're going the right way.
Somewhere down here was my destination apparently...

This is a pretty well hidden pub.
Not the kind of place you'd just happen to be passing.

Grenadier (18 Witton Mews, Belgravia, SW1X 7NR)

The pub was built in the 1720's and was originally an officers mess for the first royal regiment of foot guards, their barracks being next door.
It opened as a pub in 1818 as the Guardsman, later becoming the Grenadier.

Ghostly goings-on...
Many years ago, the guards would play cards in the basement room. 
A subaltern in the Foot Guards made the mistake of cheating, or more crucially getting caught cheating.  Fair to say his fellow players didn't take his dishonesty very well as they proceeded to beat him to death.

Although we don't really know his name, this unfortunate chap has become known as Cedric.
Being the victim of a somewhat harsh punishment, Cedric has hung around in the spirit world ever since.

There are reported icy blasts in September - thought to be the time of his demise.
Furniture moving of it's own accord.
Cat's paranormal senses being triggered,
and footsteps in empty rooms.



In recent years visitors have taken to pinning bank notes to the ceiling in the bar - supposedly to pay off Cedric's debt.

A 1982 TV crew rocked up to try their best to catch some evidence of the spooky goings-on, but didn't have much luck. 
But the pub owners had hired a photographer to take some shots of the TV crew in action.  Showing the staff the pictures, they were surprised to see the faint face of a young man with handlebar moustache in an upstairs window of an unused room.

Missing the September haunting dates, all was quiet and normal on my October visit.  I really should make these trips on dark, misty evenings.
The only chill that ran up my spine was upon hearing the cost of a pint of Timothy Taylor 'Landlord'.

Being a Greene King pub, GK IPA was the other cask ale available, whilst house-badged 'Grenadier' and 'Cedric's Debt' were 'coming soon'.  I'll wager they both tasted pretty much the same as the IPA.

There's not really much room for the drinker - just one high table by the front window and a few stools to perch on by ledges.  The rear rooms are fully set up for dining, but do look very stylish and cosy.  The pub has apparently been a bit of a fave of various celebs over the years.

A quick glance at WhatPub spoils the ghost story somewhat...  They attribute the tale of the disgraced card player to another pub of the same name nearby, which was closed by the 1830's.
But let's pretend we didn't see that.
The Grenadier is one of London's intriguing traditional pubs and deserves a good ghost story.

Forest Hill to Brockley

On a Sunday afternoon in the capital, I headed south-east to walk between Forest Hill and Brockley stations.  With a handful of pubs on the way, of course.

It's a long time since I visited the leafy suburbs of Forest Hill, worth the trip for one of Wetherspoon's best pub conversions and the quite superb Horniman Museum...

Unfortunately the scaffolding rather scuppered my picture of the pub...

Capitol (11-21 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3TW - web)
Underneath the scaffold is an impressive 1929 Art Deco cinema which normally looks great from the outside and is equally spectacular within.
It screened it's last film in the early 70's, then was used as a bingo hall until 1996.

Through the front doors is the old ticket booth, retained as a coffee station.  Then up a couple of steps is the first bunch of tables and WCs with retro lighted signage.  The real joy is stepping beyond this into the cavernous heart of the old cinema.

Grade II listed interior of the Capitol, with the
original upper circle looming above the bar

I grabbed a table at the side, next to signage on the wall celebrating Bela Lugosi who lived nearby.
OK, so my pizza and Twickenham - 'Honey Dark Mild' were both just OK.  But this is a magnificent place that I was very happy to have made it back to.  

Leaving the Capitol, I took the underpass beneath the railway lines at the station, then began walking along the main road eastbound in search of Forest Hill's sole Good Beer Guide entry.

Reaching the pub I was struck by a sense of doom as I caught a glimpse of an A4 sign on the door. 
A4 white paper signs on pub doors tend to bring bad news of unexpected closures.
But I could cope with this one, even if I wasn't about to partake...

Blythe Hill Tavern (319 Stanstead Road, Forest Hill, SE23 1JB - web)
This is a superb community local with it's layout and 1920's wood-panelling giving it a place on the Heritage Pub list.

It has a three-room layout, unusual in that you have to walk through the bar to get from the front room to the back (I asked beforehand, lest I get in trouble yet again).

There were a ton of pictures throughout with an Irish theme.
A top-notch pint of Harvey's 'Sussex Best'.
Smartly attired bar staff.
And all walks of South London life in the pub. 

The couple at the table next to me seemed to be on a first date, the conversation covering all sorts of random topics.
As they were talking about the current Everton match Mrs FirstDate noticed that they didn't have to look across the other side of the room to check the score, as it was showing on another TV just above them. 
"Wow. That just shows how good the conversation is," she said earnestly.  "The conversation's been so good that for the whole first half we didn't even spot the match was on the TV right by us".
Well, actually, what you didn't spot was the gaffer popping out from behind the bar with the remote control a minute ago and switching it on, but who am I to spoil a lovely moment.

    

Leaving the Blythe Hill Tavern behind, I walked back the same way, then turned up Brockley Rise.
For the second time in the day, scaffolding obscured my chosen pub...

Honor Oak (1 St German's Road, Forest Hill, SE23 1RH - web)
This was something of a random pub pick and one which I regretted almost instantly, but I decided I was going to stick it out.
The Honor Oak appears to have been decorated with the intention of creating a pub that appeals to people who don't like pubs. 
Arty light covers, big leather sofa's and that thoroughly horrid horticultural wall.

This is operated by Brighton brewer and pubco Laine's. There was a bank of 4 hand pumps, but nothing being dispensed from them, so I opted for a pricey half of Laine's 'Mangolicious' on draft.

Yikes!

It's obviously a popular eating spot and the Sunday lunches being delivered to tables did look good.  Yes, I did covet thy neighbours Yorkshire pudding. 

The music was a notch or two too loud for Sunday afternoon (heck, I'm getting old) and I was happy to drink my fruity craft murk quickly and move on.

I kept heading up Brockley Rise, past the fine Maxi Priest mural...

And the spectacular looking Brockley Jack pub...

My destination, in a row of shops by Crofton Park overground station, was the London Beer Dispensary...

Handy for the bus stop

London Beer Dispensary (389 Brockley Road, Brockley, SE4 2PH)
From one Brighton run pub to another - this is the sister pub to the Brighton Beer Dispensary.
It was previously converted from a wine bar by Late Knights Brewery of Penge.  That brewery ceased to be, only to be reincarnated as Southey.  It was their 'Pale Ale' that I picked here - a very smooth, easy-drinking beer. 

The London Beer Dispensary is well worth a visit, the kind of comfortable place with plenty of choice which you could settle down in for the whole afternoon.
But I'm a restless soul...

Checking what else was in the vicinity, I spotted the chance to visit a brewery tap.
This provided another moment of expected disappointment, as on first glance it looked distinctly un-open.

But not so - the door is hidden along the little alley to the side.  

Brockley Brewery Tap (31 Harcourt Road, Brockley, SE4 2AJ - web)
This proved to be a pleasant little brewery tap, drinking the ales right next to the shiny brewing kit, whilst sat on German beer garden style benches.

And settled at the side of the taproom, with my very agreeable 4.3% Brockley porter, I decided to be sensible and call it a day.  
It's been a long time since I've made a trip to London and this part of town had proved a bit of a winner - Spoons in an incredible building, heritage pub, beer bar and brewery.  
Hopefully it won't be quite so long before I'm back in the big smoke again.

Stourbridge Pub Crawl

A sunny Saturday trip to Stourbridge, with a plan to explore the town, visit the current Beer Guide entries, a brewery tap, and anywhere else that took my fancy.

- With a population of around 64,000, Stourbridge was originally a Worcestershire town but was nabbed in a smash 'n' grab by the West Midlands in 1974.
- It was a major location for glass making during the industrial revolution.
- Every NME reader had heard of Stourbridge in the 80's thanks to it being home to the Wonder Stuff, Pop Will Eat Itself and Neds Atomic Dustbin.
- It's not on the main train line, but is instead served by the shortest branch line in Europe.

The trip from Stourbridge Junction to the town station is just 800 meters in length.
Wikipedia has a list of accidents that have occurred on it, which you can read during the 3-minute journey.  Gee, thanks Wikipedia.

Just a few short strides through the underpass from the train and bus station, is the Red House Boutique, which is indeed pleasingly red.

Red House Boutique (21-26 Foster Street East, Stourbridge, DY8 1EL - web)
It's also handily open pre-noon for us enthusiastic early-birds.
There were half a dozen blokes in, half of which were on their way to the Villa Wolves match and were discussing in great detail their pre-match routines.
They were all on the lager, so I figured whichever of the six cask ales I picked would likely be the first poured of the day.
Although I was provided with glassware to fit in with the crowd...

I haven't been converted to Euro-fizz - that was the Three Tun's 'Cleric's Cure', a traditional 19th century style IPA brewed over the border in Shropshire.

Leaving the Red House, I crossed the busy ring road (does everywhere in the West Midlands have a busy ring road?) and made a short stroll to the next pub...

Waggon & Horses (31 Worcester Street, Stourbridge, DY8 1AT)
I'm quite liking the dark green frontage and the very artistic pub signage. 
The small bar through the left-hand door had a number of people already in, with a young finely bearded farmer perched at the bar and talking of the current crises facing the industry.
"Seriously, if you've got too many lambs, I'll buy 'em," said the chap next to him, "I've got a lot of lawn to keep short".

From a great selection of ales, I picked a marvelous milk stout brewed by Wilde Child Brewery of Leeds.  Instead of sitting slap bang in the middle of the conversation and accidentally agreeing to buy a dozen lambs, I took my beer through to the other front room which turned out to be the cider bar.  Branch cider pub of the year.  No mixing beer and cider for me, as it almost always curtails the best laid plans.

There seem to be lots of pubs worth visiting in Stourbridge and I realise I missed out on recent beer guide entries and back street Batham's boozers.
Instead, I navigated the side streets to the south of the centre and found my way here...

The Garibaldi (19 Cross Street, Stourbridge, DY8 3XE)

The sole reason to pick the Garibaldi was a deluded bit of superstition that visiting here would lead to a Nottingham Forest win on the day.
Not that they play in garibaldi red very often - what the heck is that third kit all about?

Despite being very quiet on a Saturday afternoon, the Garibaldi was a superb street corner local - one of those spacious multi-roomed pubs that are a bit of a rarity these days.

The Garibaldi is Grade II listed as a fine example of a 1930's 'improved pub'.  This was an era where licensing authorities pursued a 'fewer and better' policy, closing inner city pubs of ill repute and transferring licenses to suburban premises.  These new improved pubs were designed to be spacious, contain family and function rooms and central service areas which, apart from being efficient, allowed for easy monitoring of customer behavior.

You know it's spacious when there's ample room for table tennis

The choice of beer wasn't anything to get excited by - Banks's 'Amber' of 'Sunbeam'.  But the Amber was eminently drinkable, the bench seating along the wall comfortable, the early afternoon match on the TV above the display of 50th birthday flowers, cards and balloons.

And did the footballing superstition work?  Yes, of course it did!
Sorry Blackpool Jane.

Back on the mission of visiting the current Beer Guide entries, I made a five minute walk to Enville Street where a Black Country Ales pub was waiting.

The Queens Head - taken over by Black Country Ales in 2018

Queens Head (111 Enville Street, Stourbridge, DY8 3TQ- web)
In the Wellington in central Birmingham, the TV screen listing the beers was always a welcome touch thanks to the place being rammed and the chances of being able to see all the pump clips slim. 
But I don't quite know why they insist on this being a feature in all their pubs.

Maybe there's often a line of punters along the bar at the Queens Head, making it necessary to peruse the digital beer menu on the screen.  But not today.
Just a dozen or so folk in, most sat watching the closing stages of the early Premiership match. 
I guess it must be busier in the evenings otherwise they'd never be able to keep the big range of real ales in good condition.

Rare 2020's local CAMRA magazine

But in good condition it was - I went for the Beartown 'Peach Melbear', a bit of a novelty option although it's fruitiness made for a nice refreshing pint.  Accompanied by a fine cheese & onion cob - never come to the West Midlands without having a cob in a pub.

A bit of refurbishment in the gents led to an excursion through the back patio and into the skittle alley to use the alternative facilities.

Rare skittle alley appearance on the blog

On a quest for foolishly strong craft beer, I headed to a recently opened bottle shop and taproom in the heart of town, on the lower High Street.

Haul! Beer (15-16 Lower High Street, Stourbridge, DY8 1TA - web)
Haul! had a shelf of European beers on one side and several fridges of tantalising cans 'n' bottles on the other.  In between is a nice colourful bar and five high tables with stools for those wanting to sit in and enjoy the half dozen key keg beers.
It may have happened to be the strongest of the lot, but there was no way I was going to miss the Phantom/Tarturus collab 'Sticky Toffee Pudding Stout', weighing in at 10%.
A five star beer ***** ...an absolute stunner.

With friendly staff and cheery punters, this is the kind of place that I find myself wanting to stay for more.  But if I wanted to make it to the local brewery tap (and still get home in one piece) the sensible thing was to move on.

How about a micro pub?  There was a newly opened one conveniently close to the train and bus station...

Dog House Micro Pub (2 Vauxhall Road, Stourbridge, DY8 1EX)
This occupies part of a building that was at one-time the Vauxhall Tavern.
It consists of the one room with a jumble of varied furniture squeezed into it and a bar area to one side.  Not the strict Kent-variety micropub drinks range here - there is the opportunity to knock back Fosters, Guinness or Warsteiner before catching your bus here. 
On the hand pumps was a Lilley's cider and Bewdley 'Worcestershire Way'.  

 

Peaky Blinders, you've got a lot to answer for!

I suspect I could have walked from Stourbridge centre to the Green Duck brewery quite easily, but I was very happy to hop back on the dinky single carriage service up to the Junction station. 
Giving me an excuse to include another picture of the train...

Class 139 Parry People Mover - definitely not becoming a transport geek

Whatpub had a very dull looking picture - I figured I could do better until I reached the brewery and took exactly the same shot...

Not the most photogenic brewery

Badelynge Bar (Rufford Road, Stourbridge, DY9 7ND - web)
Step inside through that Shakin' Stevens green door though and you instantly forget the plain exterior.  The brewery is a good sized beer hall, with wooden floors and gabled ceiling.  There were rows of large bench seating with the bar to one side and the brewing kit behind a screen at the far end.

It's a great space and serves up some great beers too.  Around six Green Duck beers on cask, if I remember rightly, and a fair few more on draft.
I went with the very drinkable 'Bostin' Mild', followed by a keg 'Proper Porter'.

And with that it was time to catch the train and make my way back home.

Crikey, this has become a bit of a mammoth blog post.  
Yet there were so many pubs and bars I didn't get the chance to visit around Stourbridge this time.
Maybe that's how the Wonder Stuff came to be drunk a thousand times.

Bewdley Bound

In which I explore the Worcestershire town of Bewdley, drink something far too strong in the Brewery Tap, then forget everything about the rest of the pubs I visit.

I took the early train from Oxford - just enough time in Worcester for a Spoons breakfast -  short hop on a West Midlands train - then a local bus from Kidderminster, touring the housing estates on it's 3-mile trip to Bewdley.

A bit of sunshine would have been nice, but never mind

The view of townhouses lining the River Severn as you cross Thomas Telford's bridge is gorgeous.  Just a pity that he didn't design the bridge for 21st century traffic, the over-sized cars whizzing by perilously close to narrow pavements with pedestrian 'no stopping' rules.

My first pub visit of the day, on the town's main thoroughfare, was the Black Country Ales owned Real Ale Tavern...

Real Ale Tavern (67 Load Street, Bewdley, DY12 2AW - web)
I arrived here early doors at 11:50, ambling into an empty pub and managing to startle the landlady who hadn't spotted my entrance.
From the usual extensive choice of cask in a Black Country Ales pub, I picked the Pennine Brewery 'Blackcurrant Porter'.
"Ooo..that's popular today" she said whilst pouring it, which seemed a bit odd looking round at the empty place.  I'm not sure if some folk had been and gone after a really early session, or if the landlady's days were all blurring into one.

What's not to like about the Real Ale Tavern. Beer in fine condition, cheese & onion cob, and an easy-going pop rock soundtrack which peaked with Dire Straits 'Walk of Life'.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the town's brewery tap.  To get there involved a pleasant walk along the riverside past the smart Georgian buildings to Lax Lane. The brewery occupies a Victorian school building...

Bewdley Brewery Tap (Bewdley Craft Centre, Lax Lane, DY12 2DZ - web)
It's a pretty ordinary entrance to the brewery tap, through the car park, round the back of the building, into a concrete yard with a marquee in it.  But reaching the brewery bar it's is a bit of a gem.

There are two rooms, one containing the bar and a little window through which you can see the brewing kit.  Both rooms are filled with lots of old breweriana and railway bits n bobs.

Brewery tap, with the fermentation tanks visible through the window

Items advertising all your favourite beers of the past...
And a fine (complete?) collection of Good Beer Guides...

  

At the bar were five Bewdley cask ales, plus a number of kegs including their own Laxford Lager which most of the locals standing outside seemed to be quaffing.

I went straight in for 'William Mucklow's Dark Mild' without spotting it was 6% until it was being poured.
Cripes, that's Sarah Hughes mild strength.
Lovely, but it did go straight to my head.

Leaving the Brewery Tap, I made my way through the town centre, then steadily uphill on my way to the Black Boy pub.

It's a fair climb, likely to deter many a casual visitor strolling around Bewdley who'll probably be more inclined to stick to the centre.

Black Boy (50 Wyre Hill, Bewdley, DY12 2UE - web)
This is the oldest pub in town, dating back to 1466.  Stepping inside, it's a characterful building with wooden beams, a bit of trad bench seating and a proper pub carpet.
There are three rooms, initially confusing me with the bar fronting onto a more modern extension at the back.  

  

Decisions, decisions, with ales from Three Tuns, Hobson's and Wye Valley available.  But I decided to stick with the Bewdley, my order of 'Worcestershire Way' getting the mumbled approval - "good choice" - from the local sat at the nearest table.

At least its downhill on the way back, this time crossing the river and heading along Kidderminster Road.
The Great Western pub is just beyond the Severn Valley Heritage railway station, so little surprise to find it's decorated with a fair bit of railway memorabilia.

Great Western (Kidderminster Road, Bewdley, DY12 1BY)
The Great Western have elected to maintain 'no service at the bar', so it's a peer at the hand pumps from a distance, with the beer and credit card machine brought to the table.
That kinda curtailed my wandering around the pub and checking out the mezzanine level.

Keeping it local, I sat with my third Bewdley beer of the day, this time 'Baldwin IPA', named after the former PM who was born nearby and served as MP for the town for many years. 

The log fires were burning - the first of winter 2021 - although not strictly necessary as I was still in my summer jacket.

The final Bewdley beer guide entry is a further 0.3 miles along the road.

Old Wagon & Horses (91 Kidderminster Road, Bewdley, DY12 1DG)
This must be something of a Wolves outpost, even though I reckon there's three closer league teams to Bewdley.
There's the Wolves-shirted fella sitting in front of the pub, looking suspiciously at the idiot hanging about across the road waiting for a gap in the traffic to photograph the pub.
And this bit of decoration in the bar...

The beer choice is no-nonsense: West Midlands fave Butty Bach; Shropshire Gold; and (oh yes!) Batham's Best or Mild.
That's a solid range, from which I opted for the mild - a more standard 3.5% strength this time, which was just as well.

Bewdley also has a couple more pubs that looked well worth a visit, but I can't do 'em all.
From the stop near the Waggon and Horses I hopped back on the bus to Kidderminster where I made an ill-advised visit to the Weavers, therefore guaranteeing I'd fall asleep on the train on the way home.

But not before hatching a plan to return to the same train line and visit Stourbridge the following week.  More of which in the next post.