Honey to the Bee (Hive) - Swindon Pubbing Part 2

A second 2021 trip to Wiltshire's largest town to tick off the remaining Good Beer Guide pubs.

From XTC in the blog title last time round to Swindon-born Billie Piper this time.

Turning right out the station, a short walk takes you to the 'railway village', several streets of two-storey Victorian terraces built for the railway workers and arguably Swindon's nicest bit.
The development contained three pubs, only one of which is still in operation...

The Glue Pot (5 Emlyn Square, Swindon, SN1 5BP - web)
The unusual name comes from the glue pots which folk working on railway carriages would bring with them on their lunch-break, leaving them on a central stove to keep warm.

It's a fine grey stone corner building, with large windows letting the light in to a simple room with a handful of high-backed wooden benches.

The local Hop Back brewery feature here, alongside one beer from Downton.  It's been a while since I've encountered Hop Back, so I was happy to relax with a well-kept pint of the 'Citra'.

We had a short walk from the Glue Pot into the pedestrianised shopping streets to get to our next destination.

Nope, not Power Lounge.
We were headed to it's next door neighbour, the Wyvern Tavern.

This seemed an odd choice for the Beer Guide - a lively modern town centre boozer.  Even more surprisingly it was also in the guide when it was a Yates' wine lodge, so they must be doing something to impress the local CAMRA.

Wyvern Tavern (49-50 Bridge Street, Swindon, SN1 1BL - web)
"Usually has a better-than-average interest in and sale of real ales and ciders", says the Guide.
And it was a limited but satisfying selection at the bar.  Several boxed ciders, including the 8.4% oak-aged 'The General' which I tempted Mrs PropUptheBar into having, thereby being responsible for her Sunday morning headache.
On the ale front: an Otter, or Arbor 'Rocketman' - no lightweight itself at 6%.

The Arbor was delicious - a solid proper IPA, with piney smell and tropical flavours - thoroughly enjoyable and justifying the beer guide listing.

Top marks for the friendly bar staff who also knocked off a CAMRA discount despite me not having my vouchers with me, making the drinks here the bargain of the day.

There was a reasonable lunchtime crowd with lots of lager drinking and cricket watching going on.

A bit of food was in order to soak up the strong beer/cider, so we made our way to the prettier of the two central Wetherspoon outlets...

The Savoy (38-40 Regent Street, Swindon, SN1 1JL - web)
I'm a sucker for a Spoons cinema conversion and this one is a cracker.  A super-cinema, built in 1930, it would have once offered around 2,000 seats for Swindon movie-goers.

Entering into the old lobby area, you drop down a few steps with a montage of movie posters above, into the old stalls area.  Pictures around the walls show the place in it's glory days.  

We may be finding many pubs quiet these days, but The Savoy was doing a good trade with a very varied clientele and most tables taken.
The Flack Manor 'Catcher Pale Ale' seemed to be the most unusual beer on offer, so this is what I had accompanying lunch.

Fed and watered, we made the short uphill walk into the terraced streets to the south of the centre, doing a touristic loop thanks to my wholly inadequate scribbled map and directions.

When we did find the Beehive, it was in a wonderful location, straddling the intersection of two roads.

The Beehive (55 Prospect Hill, Swindon, SN1 3JS - web)
Being on a hill, the pub is spread out over several levels, with the bar itself at two heights.
Built in 1871 by Belle Vue Brewery, it went on to spend many years under the ownership of Oxford's Morrell's Brewery.

And it's got a Dr Who police box style doorway...

The Beehive is a popular spot for live music and my choice of beer, West Berkshire '5 Knuckle', was brewed specially for the Swindon Shuffle, a festival featuring bands playing at this and several nearby pubs (sadly not on the weekend we visited).

Whilst I probably wouldn't be overly keen at seeing the Wyvern Tavern at 9pm on a Saturday evening I would be happy to see the Beehive in full swing.  Bet it's superb with a bit of live music playing and a good crowd in.

On our last Swindon visit we'd called in to the Hop Inn, but not the Little Hop.  And being as it was open this time round, we figured we may as well pop our heads in to the micro pub...

Little Hop (7 Devizes Old Town Road, Swindon, SN1 4BJ - web)
Puritanical local residents may have been happy to see the sex shop in this location close down, but instead they now have to put up with drunkards staggering out of the place (oh, that was just me).
This was the original Hop Inn micro, reopening in August 2019 as the Little Hop.

From a good choice of beer on cask and keg, I picked the GWB 'Old Higby' because it was billed as a  'modern bitter'.  I'm still none-the-wiser what was modern about it.

With that we felt we'd completed all the central Swindon pubs we needed to for the time being.  Although we did make a couple of slightly unwise revisits to the Tap & Brew and Tuppenny being as we were passing and it would have been rude not to.

For too long I judged Swindon on it's bus station and believed all those unkind things Oxford United fans said about the town.
Turns out it's not bad after all.

Life Begins at the Hop (Inn)

In which we explore a handful of Swindon's pubs in the Old Town/Devizes Road area.

Hopping off the train on a sunny morning, we made the 20 minute walk uphill to the Old Town area and straight on the hunt for craft bar...

Stylish finger over corner of lens effect.

The Tuppenny (58-59 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BD - web)

As we arrived the solitary staff member in the bar was

apologetic that things weren't going well this lunchtime.  The mishap, it turned out, was a snapped key in the cellar door.
This meant he had to explain which beers were 'pouring' and which weren't, as they needed the magic tweaking that beer professionals undertake in the cellar.
The till drawer was also locked up somewhere down there, so he politely asked if we could avoid paying by cash.

What's cash?

One of the two hand pumps on the bar dispensed West Berkshire 'Good Old Boy', but we were dazzled by the array of craft taps, which included a sour by Double Barrelled and strong IPA from Verdant.
I started on the dark stuff, with 'Voodoo People' a dry Irish stout brewed by Leviathan of Birmingham. 

The Tuppenny opened in 2016 after being converted from a hairdressers.  It's a intriguing place with musical instruments and gig posters on the wall and it's own little stage in the corner.  

Just around the corner and along Wood Street, lined with appealing cafes and eateries, our next pub was impressively shrouded in foliage at the end of the road.

The Goddard Arms (1 High Street, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 3EG - web)

In size, layout and style I couldn't stop thinking that the Goddard Arms had an air of a Wetherspoon's about it.  Albeit without the cut-price deals of Wetherspoon's.
Even our burgers were similar, except that the chips were served in a nice little bowl instead of being plonked on the plate, and we got posh sauces, which I guess was what we paid the extra fiver for. 

There were multiple different areas in this grand place, meaning the modest number of punters were spread out across a range of rooms and the pub garden.
Regrettably, the beer choice wasn't very inspiring, especially after the crafty offerings we'd left behind us at the Tuppenny.  So, I found myself with a rather dull pint of Ringwood 'Forty Niner'', which I'm not sure why I picked as I always grumble about it.

I also grumble about excessive displays of mirrors

Next up, we walked back to Devizes Road and to the Tap & Brew.
The picture chosen for the bar on WhatPub left me intrigued as to what the bottom half looked like...

Where's the rest of it?

Here it is!..

Tap & Brew (51 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BG - web)
I'm a bit of a fan of the Hop Kettle brewery - not least because they always seem to manage to supply something strong and/or unusual to the Oxford Beer Festival.
The brewery started behind a pub in Cricklade, with a Swindon site followed as demand increased.
The Tap & Brew is the latest addition, a modern bar with it's own micro-brewery, opened in December 2019.

It's simple and functional inside, chunky wooden tables, blackboard listing the beers, fridges for takeaway bottles and intriguing bit of brewing wizardry at the back of the bar.
They have a nice outdoor area to the rear, but we decided to stay inside, grabbing a table by the window and enjoying a tasty 'Supernova Mosaic' hoppy pale.

They also pride themselves on experimental lines here.  I can't resist a Russian Imperial Stout and, as luck would have it, this is what 'Experimental #10' was.  A delicious and decadent 9% sipping beer.  And my head would feel every bit of that 9% clouding my vision by the end of the day!

When it's pouring with rain and I want the next pub to be 30 seconds across the road it never is.
When I would benefit from a bit of fresh air and the opportunity to walk off the strong stout, the next pub is straight across the road...

The Hop Inn (8 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BH - web)
This attractive pub dates back to 1847 when it used to be the Britannia.  I think it's safe to assume that they'd gone downhill over the years by the time it became the dreadfully named Pig on the Hill.
The Hop Inn, meantime, was a micropub a couple of doors away, which got an upgrade, moving into the pub premises.
The micro's still there operated by the same team and called Little Hop, but was closed on this particular visit.

The Hop Inn offered up a heck of a lot of beers to chose from.  I was happy to switch from the imperial stout to a much more sensible mild, brewed by the local Kettlesmith Brewery.

As one last attempt at adventure, I spotted the chance to take a bus ride out to the south of Swindon into the village of Wroughton.
There were a fair number of pubs in Wroughton, probably worthy of further exploration, but by this stage we just stuck to the beer guide entry...

The Carters Rest (57 High Street, Wroughton, SN4 9JU).
This turn-of-the-century building with a bit of mock tudor on the first floor wasn't especially enticing me from outside - not helped by the roadworks slap bang in front of it.

Within, though, it's a fine, basic, welcoming ale house.
According to the guide you can sometimes find a choice of up to 12 beers on offer, but this was reduced on our visit.  Still, no complaints about another local brew - Ramsbury's 'Belapur IPA' is always an enjoyable tipple and was on top form.

This is where we called it a day.
But we promised to return soon and tick off a few more Swindon pubs - and that's what I'll report on in the next post.
Cheers!

Full Steam Ahead to the Colmore

A quick round-up of four more central Birmingham Good Beer Guide pubs...

The rail route from Leicester back to Oxford doesn't logically take you through Birmingham.  But there is no logic to rail travel on a bank holiday weekend...
After a cancelled bus replacement and diversion to Derby (alas, too early for the Brunswick), we found ourselves in Birmingham early afternoon.

This gave the opportunity to break our journey and tick off the remaining central beer guide pubs that I hadn't visited (or didn't think I had).

Starting with the Head of Steam...

Head of Steam (36 Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 5DP - web)
I'm afraid the Head of Steam had a bit of a depressing end of the bank holiday feel to it.

It's a spectacular place: a bit of an Oktoberfest theme in the entrance hall, then stairs leading to a central bar with plenty of vertical drinking space and seating to the front and back.

The barman was in that mode where he looked thoroughly bored, but having to serve us was still an arduous task.
The beer range was depleted, with a row of 'coming soon' labels and our first choice Magic Rock keg had run out.

Eventually I ended up with a Hobsons 'Town Crier' golden ale, which was in good enough condition, but the beer wasn't going to turn this into an exciting pub visit.

We walked back past New Street station and under the ring-road to the Mailbox and this rather striking piece of street art...

Big lamp or miniature post box?

Just around the corner in an area of old and new buildings and vacant lots, is the pretty and pleasingly symmetrical Singers Hill synagogue...

And a little further on, the pub...

Craven Arms (47 Upper Gough Street, Birmingham, B1 1JG - web)
This is one of those pubs that looks splendid with its glazed wall tiles, etched windows and hanging baskets, whilst changes to the rest of the street have left it isolated with less appealing buildings either side.

Once we walked it in it clicked that I'd been here before, although last time it was bustling with activity, whilst this time our arrival doubled the number of punters.

Part of the Black Country Ales chain, there is the usual extensive range of cask ales and a slightly unnecessary electronic screen listing available beers. 
I opted for the Welbeck Abbey 'Vanilla Portland Bill' which was a cracking pint and thoroughly enjoyable.  But it was a little sad to find the place so quiet, when it really needed a crowd of beer swilling folk and a hubbub of conversation.  

Moving on, it was back into the centre and to Colmore Row...

Colmore (116 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 3BD - web)
The Colmore is part of the Thornbridge & Co venture with Pivovar, which also includes the Market Cat in York and Bankers Cat in Leeds.
Guess they balked at calling this the 'Colmore Cat' then?

The building previously housed Lloyds Bank and it's a bit of a stunner.  It's a long single room with plush leather bench seating, tub chairs and stools, chandeliers and marble-topped tables.

I was beginning to regret lunching on cheese & onion cobs in the Craven Arms as we sat close to the small kitchen which was dishing out scrumptious looking pizzas.
From a fine choice of beers at the bar my pint came from the local Burning Soul Brewery - a tasty single hopped pale ale that the landlord joked I couldn't have 'cos he wanted it all to himself.

Mrs PropUptheBar was excited at the chance to visit Pint Shop, still mourning the loss of our Oxford branch.
She was, sadly, to be disappointed, as we discovered it had closed down early this year, the site now being turned into a restaurant-bar called Nude.
I did a quick web search to check I'd got that right - always remember to ensure safe browsing mode is on when web-searching 'Nude Birmingham'....

Our alternative was just next door, the ever-reliable real ale mecca that is the Wellington...

The Wellington (37 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5SN)
But again, where is everyone?
I've never seen the Wellington anything but rammed on all my previous visits, but here we were with a handful of folk in and a vast choice of seats.  
The usual choice of fine ales was present, with my pick being a Bespoke Brewing Co. 'Money for Old Rope'. 

A chap from Banbury settled himself at the next table and struck up a conversation about the best 10-pint pub crawls in the Birmingham.  D'you really think I'd ever be able to find my way around New Street station to catch the train home after ten pints?!

We kept it to a sensible four pubs before making our way home.
Everywhere had been good, but everywhere would have provided a different experience with a few more drinkers.  

Stewed to the Gills - Leicester Pub Crawling Pt2

Day two in Leicester.
The plan for this day included a micro pub or two, a bit more Everards beer and a revisit to the craft beer fest, all topped off with a fine curry.

For starters we were heading out of the centre so that we could take in a couple of Beer Guide pubs in the suburb of Aylestone.
Here's the route...

Late morning, we trekked down the riverside path along the Soar, the King Power Stadium across the other side of the water...

Nope - I preferred Filbert Street

The path took us past graffitied light industrial buildings, before we reached a peaceful, leafy nature reserve.  
Leaving the river at the point Braunstone Road East crosses it, a five minute walk took us to the thriving (well, they've got a chip shop and a Tesco Express) centre of Aylestone.

Ale Stone (660 Aylestone Road, Aylestone, LE2 8PR - fb)
This micro pub, converted from a shop in 2017, is owned by the same folks as the Blue Boar in the city centre.
We arrived just after noon on a Sunday, with a couple of tables of regulars already settled in and giving us a cheery welcome.

There were five cask ales on hand pumps, with another half dozen pump clips stuck to the upraised bar hatch, which the barman told us was part of bank holiday beer festival.  
Ooof - too much choice for the first pub of the day.

I eventually plumped for a half of 'River Runs Free' from Liverpool micro-brewery Neptune. 

The festival beers were poured straight from the barrel in the temperature controlled room through a glass door behind the bar.
And with a great choice and beer in good condition, I figured I should make the most of it and popped back to the bar later for a chocolate orange stout by Ossett Brewery (a nice stout, but strangely devoid of both chocolate and orange flavours).

We back-tracked towards the river again, then down a side street to the Black Horse, nicely visible from a distance thanks to some fine painted signage on the brickwork.

The Black Horse (65 Narrow Lane, Aylestone, LE2 8NA - web)
The pub was looking great, even with the ominous grey clouds above it. 
Other than the usual Everard's ales there was a Castle Rock 'Elsie Mo', which was my pick having not had this beer for some time.

A bit of Sunday lunch later we were ready to move on, but not before a visit to the facilities provided a bit more un-PC artwork for the blog...

Mild smut in the Gents, no.47 in an ongoing series

Leaving the Black Horse we had a fair bit of walking ahead of us, through streets of suburban Leicester that don't see many tourists.
Some 45-minutes or so later we found our second micro pub of the day...

Queens Road Tap (109 Queens Road, Clarendon Park, LE2 1TT - web)
As with the Ale Stone earlier - this micro also opened in 2017 after conversion from a former shop unit.
In this case it's owned by Derbyshire brewer Tollgate, who have a small chain of outlets handily shown on a painted map on the pub's wall.
We're in proper micro territory here: one small WC to the side of the bar in which you could probably carry on your conversation with those outside; a single basic room with half a dozen tables and no TV or other distractions.

It was a straight-forward walk from here, up through Victoria Park and past the De Montford Hall.

A youthful PropUptheBar squeezed down the front 
to see Iron Maiden and Motorhead in here. 

There are a couple more beer guide pubs in the vicinity of Victoria Park, but we decided to leave these Everards pubs for another time.
Instead, I fancied the Parcel Yard...

Parcel Yard (48a London Road, Leicester, LE2 0QB - web)
At a glance, this appears to be another micro pub, with it's unassuming single shop unit frontage right outside Leicester train station.
But pass through that first room and a quite magnificent interior reveals itself.

This was formerly the sorting office and parcel yard for British Rail.  With high ceiling and skylight to the rear, the main bar room is a pretty spectacular place to have a drink.  There's a range of different decor with booth-seating to the side, tall tables at one end and the odd bit of quirky rescued furniture dotted about.

This venue belongs to the Steamin' Billy pub co who have a number of outlets in the East Midlands.  As one of the founders is Bill Allingham (the youngest brewer in the country when he was at Leatherbritches in the early nineties) they've complimented the pubs with their own Steamin' Billy beer range.  This was once brewed in the back of one of the pubs but is now contract brewed at Belvior.
As such, I figured I'd have on of their own beers whilst here.

The previous day we'd discovered the craft beer festival that was happening in the market square and, never ones to turn down a beer fest, we headed back to Brew Beat for a second visit.

The choice of beers had changed a fair bit since the previous day, with the numbering system becoming increasingly complicated.

I'd sensibly turned down the strong beers so far on this trip, so it was time to put an end to all that and order the strongest on the list: Clocking Off brewed by Grimsby's Docks Beers.
They actually had this labelled at 11% but further investigation (and taste, and the fact that I was still walking straight at the end of the night) revealed this to be an 8% chocolate stout.

A DJ encouraged a rather entertaining bout of dancing before Liverpudlian/Mancunian band SuperGiant took to the stage with some decent funky sounds.
Good enough to encourage me to stay for another - this time local brewery Round Corner and their 'Hopping Spree' American IPA.

The arrival of a wedding party brought some stylish dress sense which put my old clobber to shame

Enough craft beer - we made our way to Welford Road and a curry house recommendation.

It's unusual that I ever make it for a curry - the contents of this blog may give a clue that I generally tend to fill myself up with beer.
I was glad I left just enough room to made it to Shivalli.   
We ordered a fine spread of food which was all thoroughly delicious and satisfying.

So, still space for one last pint?

Kings Head (36 King Street, Leicester, LE1 6RL - web)
Another Black Country Ales pub.
They've appeared in the past three posts and they'll appear in the next one too.
I should get a loyalty card.

The Kings Head was the kind of comfortable, laid-back pub in which you could sink into the cushioned corner seating and take your time with your pint.
Because you're full of curry.

There was a Sunday evening poker game taking place on the other side of the room and a good number of other customers, some making use of the roof terrace.

Sipping my Black Country Ales 'Chain Ale', I figured this was a fine pub in which to finish our Leicester weekend.  We'd ticked off 11 of the cities 16 current Good Beer Guide entries - just enough left to necessitate a return visit.  I'd fully re-evaluated my grumpy teenage assessment of the city - it's turned into a pretty fine place with plenty to keep the weekend visitor entertained.  We'd had two days of varied venues and great beer, making for a rollicking bank holiday weekend success.