17th June 2011 - "Its gone all keg and karaoke..." and that's no Lye

This evening finds me attending the monthly Friday night outing with GP and the boys (except GP wasn't there.) His plan, when he was going to be there was to sample the delights of the Black Country towns of Lye (somewhere I've never been before) and Halesowen (where I have.)

Wikipedia tells me that Lye is actually a corrosive alkaline substance used for curing food, but then disambiguates to inform us that its famous for very little except being the birthplace of the actor Cedric Hardwicke and today has several balti houses. Halesowen on the other hand, once bigger than Birmingham, is most notable for some of its former residents (including Rex Williams, Robert Plant, Frank Skinner and Bill Oddie.)

Knowing that GP wasn't going to be with us I made a note of his proposed route for the evening and said I'd meet every one at the Joint Stock in Birmingham. By Friday this had changed and so I arrived at the Old Contemptables just in time to receive BJ's txt to say meet there. Only time for a quick half on Titanic Centenary.

Over to Snow Hill for the train out to Lye and thence the short walk to the Windsor Castle. This is a Sadler's brewery tap so I concentrated on some of their beers (with free samples of some very chilli crisps), including:

• JPA (a low strength pale ale)



• Red House (advertised as a Black Country mild bu getting past its best)



• Hop Bomb



• Samurai (their monthly special)

Time to move on and the number 9 bus towards Halesowen which soon deposited us at the Whitley. Recently acquired by Black Country Ales this features the order by number system that they also have at their other places like the Wellington in Birmingham. Two ales here, Blue Monkey Ape Ale and Traditional Scottish Ales Ginger Explosion.

A short stroll next to the Hawne Tavern for Ossett Excellsior.

Next port of call was due to be the Wagon and Horses but I remember there used to be the King Edward VIII which used to sell Enfield and other ales and which was half way. The hand pulls are still on the bar bur enquiries revealed that they had abdicated from serving real ale so we had to sample the keg Brew XI and suffer the karaoke ("Come on boys, free shots...")

Onward to the Wagon and Horses. An excellent, famous pub in ber circles, I went for Ellend Born to be Mild watched over by a friendly Jack Russell. JF had become wound up by the beer choice at the last place, so I tamed the savage beast via the purchase of a copy of the New Imbiber.

Back into Birmingham, so off to the bus stop, "We've lost DP..." but ending up at the final port of call at the Wetherspoons by the library for Butcome Gold finds the said DP waiting for us on arrival. After that it was back to New Street for me just in time for the train home.