18th September - The Wharf at Welford

Wanted a place to break a journey back along the A14 and the old GBG I had included reference to the small town / village of welford in Northamptonshire at the north end of which apparantly was the Wharf.

On arrival we found what appear to be a number of cotteges joined together ajacant a boat yard come wharf.

Inside a good choice of beers from which I selected a beer not featured on the brewer's web site (Langton's) in the form of Lock Keeper (a search o the web revealed it was once a festival special at Leicester - wonder if its an house beer these days?) <-- email sent to brewery to find out.

14th September - Tamworth

In town late tonight and in need of a nightcap finds me at the Bolebridge where they had Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven.

along with RG who was with us, I cooked up a devious plan to spend an evening soon working down one of the sides of the drinks menu - watch this space...

10th September - Dave P's Whatever, Whenever Tour

Out with the Friday Night Birmingham Beer Intakers (aka GP and co albeit no GP this time). Severla others were absent (with leave) so we had decided to take things easy.

D, bro' of the aforementioned erstwhile G, had been in planning mode earlier in the week and so I joined him, TH and BJ at the Black Eagle in Hockley for his Whatever, Whenever tour. The pub, an oasis in the industial wilderness these day, was packed and so we sat outside for a while until the rain came down. Excellent beer as always in the Black Eagle with the following sampled:

• Brewdog Trashy Blonde
  
• York Guzzler
• Bathams Bitter
• Three Tuns XXX (James Bond reference at this point lead us onto the Drawf hanging falicy in Wizard Of Oz and the bit in Star wars where the trooper banged his head on the door.)

We moved back into town to the Old Joint Stock for Fullers Red Fox prior to finishing at the recently opened Colmore Bar and Grill where Wychwood Hobgoblin was the only real ale available. We played a coin based game where last placed has to acquire and down a single and totally failing to be last placed I still took the penalty having noticed they had Highland Park whisky on offer (shame the raspberry vodka was sold out.)

8th September - Tamworth

en route home from a meeting finds me in the Bolebridge - Titanic Triple Screw went down well.

4th September - Lichfield

A saturday afternoon (and evening!) social outing with members of the BBC finds us first at the recently opened Malt in Lichfield. Decide to concentrate of the ABC beers as I don't get chance to try them round my neck of the woods. Rotunda Red (4.8%) is first with its subtle toffee aftertaste. A less strong Dizzy Blonde (4.4%) next. Luke was raving about one of the guests so Beartown Peach Melbear follows and to finsish the strong 6% Aston Distressway was consumed just in time to move on.

We considered visiting the Lloyds Bar and sent Paul in to research the beers (or lack there of) and so ended up instead at the QueensHead and Timothy Taylor Landlord.

One of the most improved pubs in recent years next. The Horse and Jockey used to be run down but no longer so and some excelent ales on offer including Enville Ale and Blythe's Bagot's Bitter (nice one Robert!)

Round the corner to the Kingshead which had Ringwood Showman's Tipple on.

time for some culture and a chance to visit the Captain Smith staute in the park and a review of the cathedral and Minster pool before a rest stop at the Earl of Lichfield (aka The Drum.) Marston's Bitter here (they also had the Ringwood beer as above.)

Acorn next for Shenstone's Evo followed by come tastry fish and chips on Greenhill (not been here for years, certainly the internet had not been heard of back then.)

Final port of call was the Duke of York for Bryson's Hurricane Bitter and a Trashy Blonde from Brewdog.