Birmingham Tour 2016

The day began, as usual, in Tony’s Café about 09:45 for a slap up breakfast to see us on our way to Redditch, via Leighton Buzzard. The Regiment traveled to Redditch last season on the train and were looking forward to another interesting day out.

Redditch United had postponed a game on their pitch the previous Monday, so there was some doubt among the Regiment as to whether the match would be on. As we approached Milton Keynes, the sun was shining and phones started chirping that there was a pitch inspection due at 11:00. As we pulled into Rugby, it was clear the game was off and a back-up plan needed plotting. Connor Calcutt’s father, informed us of a German market in Victoria Square in the city centre. Now this sounded like a plan!

 

We had already sourced a new pub to try near to Birmingham New Street for the journey home, so made our way towards the Post Office Vaults on New Street, literally a two minute walk from the station. A pub for real ale connoisseurs, it has an excellent range of eight real ales, with 10 ciders and perries and hundreds of bottled beers from around the world.

   

We sampled The Titanic Stout, Bateman’s Mocha and the excellent homemade mulled cider. We then ventured into the German market, where we had some excellent German pilsner in proper glass steins. We were slightly glad the game was postponed at this point.

A stroll round the market to eat two foot German sausages and cheese stuffed pretzels was followed by a visit to the Wellington on Bennett’s Hill. The pub was packed and once served we found ourselves a table and raised our glasses in our normal salute. “TO THE REGIMENT” we cried, when from a rather sozzled lady on the next table came the reply “I WISH I WAS THERE” as half the pub erupted in a huge cheer. The Regiment keeping a low profile, as always.

With 16 hand pumps there was plenty of choose from and we had the Left Hand Brewery’s Black Jack Porter, the excellent Wye Valley H.P.A. and Oakham Citra.

Once back in Dunstable, we met with a few more Regimentals in the Wheatsheaf, where we rocked into the wee small hours of Sunday with a great band and a few more beers. Football was long forgotten, as was the trip to Redditch on a Monday night in February.