Spalding United Away Day

Saturday 15th August: The football season was getting underway for most of the 72 league clubs, Reading and Luton providing the early-kick off 7-goal thriller.  Don't expect the same excitement from the billion pound Prem teams when they get going next weekend.
It was already week 2 for the National League North and I was on the road to attend Oxford City FCs first away game of 26/27 in the southern reaches of Lincolnshire.

Spalding sits in the Fens between Peterborough and Boston, is home to just over 30,000 folks, famous for tulips and pumpkins.
Wetherspoon's would inevitably be my first port of call being as it's in the 2026 Good Beer Guide and I was arriving early and am quite partial to a second breakfast. 
Forget mobility scooters outside pubs.  This was parked outside the Ivy Wall...

Sadly the pub itself is less photogenic than the horse and cart.  The glass-fronted affair will disappoint anyone hoping for an ancient market town building or a wall of ivy for that matter.

The Ivy Wall (18-19 New Rd, Spalding PE11 1DQ)

Inside, it's one of those long narrow 'Spoons with lines of regimented tables and the bar towards the back.  I reckon Tim Martin himself would be hard-pushed to identify some of the locations if faced with 'Where in the World of Spoons Am I' contest. 

There is a separate room to the back which was proving popular for families with pushchairs, plus an outdoor patio where a fair few customers had settled despite the overcast morning.
The search for something a little bit different ended in the smart toilets, where you get a glass-fronted display of no-lo beers to peruse whilst at the urinals.

The guest cask ales on my visit were Hadrian Borders 'Northumbrian Gold' or Ilkley 'Ruby Jane'.  The Northumbrian for me - a malty 4.5% ale, more brown than golden.

My breakfast wrap picture comes solely for the purpose of my continued grumble about the size of extra baked bean portions.  50/50 recently for me, as to whether £1.08 buys a decent size bowl or the thimble-sized ramekin.  Thimble-size in Spalding...

Moving on, a short stroll round to the market place took me to the Red Lion hotel, complete with 'Jimi Hendrix Stayed Here' blue plaque.

The Red Lion Hotel (Market Place, Spalding, PE11 1SU)
The Red Lion is a smart 18th century inn with a seating area in front of it providing people-watching opportunities in the heart of the town.  Hendrix's stay is the big claim-to-fame, his visit made during the Spring Bank Holiday in 1967 when the Barbeque '67 festival took place in the Tulip Bulb Hall.  Hendrix reputedly hung out in the hotel bar with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, before sharing a bill with Geno Washington, Zoot Money, Cream, Pink Floyd and The Move, amongst others.  Tickets £1.

Passing the busy outdoor tables, the marvellous tiled flooring in the doorway makes for a good first impression...

Which just gets better...

A rare outlet for Bass in this area, apparently.
The building looks big from the outside, although the public bar just takes up the front room with seating either side of the door, a dining room glimpsed down a corridor beyond the check-in desk.
If you don't fancy the Bass, Sharpe's 'Cornish Best' or Black Sheep 'Best Bitter' were available. 

A good pint of Bass in a cracking pub.

With a fair number of 'No Cask Ale' venues in the town centre, the remaining place that I really wanted to visit was the Priors Oven, achieving top pint-pot marking scores on the CAMRA website.

The Priors Oven (1 Sheep Market, Spalding, PE11 1BH)
This was once part of the Priory of Spalding, the structure dating back to around 1230.  With its distinctive shape and vaulted ceiling, this bit of the building once served as a monastic prison, becoming a bakery in later years, then the first micropub in Lincolnshire in 2013.
It looks great, not needing many folks to fill it up with just four tables and a couple of stools at the bar.

There were three cask ales available: Humpty Dumpty 'Hathor' alongside 'New Mexico' pale ale or 'Dr Fox's Cunning Linctus' bitter, both brewed by local Tydd Steam. 
All priced at £4 a pint and served on gravity from casks behind the bar.
The cask coolers must have been doing their job throughout the recent hot weather, as the New Mexico was on great form - a crisp hoppy pale ale. 

With plenty of time on my hands, I strolled to the historic Ayscoughfee Hall which houses a small museum of local history and curios.  Well worth a visit.
The gardens to the rear of the house were playing host to a festival with music and games and deckchairs, but sadly Shake It Off Stage, the Taylor Swift tribute act at 15:40 clashed with the football.
Probably not a line-up which will go down in history like the Barbeque '67, so I departed for the peaceful environs of the River Welland.

The riverside walk took me past some grand Georgian houses and Dutch-style architecture, leading me to another pub about 10-minutes walk from the town centre.

The Moorings (123 Commercial Rd, Spalding PE11 2HD)
This one-time coal wharf used to be a boat hire centre from the late nineteenth century before being converted to a pub in the 1980's.
You get checked carpet, sofas and armchair and Notts County v Leicester City in the front room, the casual bit, then dining tables to the rear and side.
Fullers 'London Pride' or Timothy Taylor 'Golden Ale' on the bar.
Lots of cheery luncheon trade.

I  took my beer out onto the two-level decking at the rear of the pub, where the floating algae on the water beside me made it feel like we were moving on a boat and made me a little queasy.  Or perhaps that was the Golden Ale.  Not on the best of form.

🕝Two-thirty - time to head to Spalding United's Sir Halley Stewart Field and join the throngs at the turnstiles.

Spalding United were promoted via the play-offs from the Southern League last season.
They've spent a fair bit of money improving facilities during their rise to this level, including the installation of a smart 3G pitch.

The club bar served a cask Batemans 'XB', the converted shipping container served cheesy chips, and picnic tables provided a spot to sit in the afternoon sunshine awaiting kick-off.
Dropkick Murphy's, AC/DC and Guns 'n' Roses made up a rock soundtrack on the tannoy system.  Then someone gave a speech about this being the first game Spalding had hosted at this level of the football pyramid.
A bit like Tom Cruise before the World Cup final, but better.

I'd love to provide all the details of Tyrone Marsh's goal for Oxford on the 40th minute and the controversy surrounding it.  But that was the exact moment that I picked to pop to the loo.
Oxford City don't have enough travelling fans to provide a roar which can be heard in the gents, so I had no idea we'd gone 1-0 up until glancing at the scoreboard a few minutes later.

Spalding had enjoyed the lion's share of the ball during the first half and looked threatening, so it was tough on them to be behind at half time.

The second half was a bit more even, both sides creating some good chances, leading to an exciting finish and a few nerve-wracking moments for City when the ball bounced around the box and could have gone anywhere.
Not as exciting as seeing Britt Assombolonga come on for Harborough Town a few days later in a Tuesday night home fixture for Oxford, though.

Good luck to Spalding for the rest of the season.
The town had made for a top lower league away day - sunshine, Bass and tulips...what more can I ask for? 

Coventry Part 2 - Bass, Batches and (Sky) Blues

A second post from sunny Coventry on the Beer & Pubs Forum big day out. 
We'd done the historic inns with wooden beams.  We'd drank Bass and been non-members in the members club.
Next up was a micro, followed by a walk out to a trio of pubs in Chapelfields.

There were also rumours that a rogue visit to the Sky Blue Tavern was on the cards.
Something that seemed a good idea, with it being eleven days until Coventry City would return to Premier League football - easing in with a gentle start away at Arsenal.

So here's how the rest of the rest of the day panned out...

Hops D'Amour (67 Corporation Street, Coventry, CV1 1GX)
This city centre micro opened in an old Singer's Sewing Machine store in 2021 and didn't take long to start picking up awards.  It's a single rectangular room; lots of light wood; lots of pictures filling the walls; sensible seating where your feet touch the floor.
A signed picture of London blues-rockers Dogs D'Amour confirmed my suspicions as to where the pub name had come from.

More micros named after late '80s hairy rock bands, please.  Surely there's a Motley Brew somewhere?

Hops D'Amour had lots of tempting options on both cask and keg...but who needs other options when you've got a chocolate brownie stout called 'Caked'.

This 5% sweet dark beer was brewed in Galgate, Lancashire by Lune Brew and proved to be a marvellous pick.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea after the trad surrounds of the Windmill, but I was pleased to revisit this friendly micro where the chap at the next table wasted no time in striking up a conversation with us.

We had the longest walk of the day ahead, back down Spon Street, through the underpass and into the western suburbs.
No-one stopped for Moira's wet fish.

Marching on through the residential streets to reach the hanging baskets and parasols of the Hearsall Inn.

Hearsall Inn (45 Craven Street, Coventry, CV5 8DS)
This is a cracking family-owned backstreet pub, the decorations and Tuesday evening music sessions a homage to the landlord's Irish roots.
You get flags on the ceiling, Guinness mirrors, pictures, toucans...TVs offering horse racing or summer footy transfer news and a good crowd of folk for a Wednesday afternoon.

Cask beers available were Tring 'Doctor ABC', Church End 'Goats Milk', or Bass.
A second Bass of the day for me here - on good form and going down a treat.

We joined Stafford Paul, who'd spent his time whilst we in the Fairfax Club and micro taking a leisurely stroll to the Hearsall, bagging the best table and the pork scratchings.

The soundtrack was Patrick Hernandez and Billy Ocean from the TV in the corner tuned into Now 70s Hits 76-79.

Changing into 101 Best Disco Ever, which would require me to stay until around 10pm to hear number one.  That would mean missing the recent addition to the Black Country Ales empire, and - perhaps more importantly - the train home.
So onward we walked, the Nursery Tavern less than 5-minutes around the corner...

Nursery Tavern (38-39 Lord Street, Coventry, CV5 8DA)
I have been to this mid-terrace Victorian pub previously, but it's changed a lot since I was last here.  Black Country Ales have installed some chequered cushioned bench seating, busy wallpaper, patterned carpets and TV screens listing the beers, which will come as no surprise.

The bar counter has moved creating an open-plan layout, although it's a pokey place with distinct different seating areas.
And an extensive cask choice...

I opted for the Fixed Wheel session IPA 'Through and Off', priced at £4.40 a pint.  In decent condition, light and easy to drink.
Looks like they've got the usual cobs on offer too - Burts crisps 'in' rather than at the side as controversial as whether these are cobs or batches when served in a Black Country Ales pub in Cov.

Mrs PropUptheBar wants to know where the shorts and T-shirt are.
"Didn't he look at the weather forecast?!"

Just one more pub on the original plan - a short hop to a bit of a classic...

Broomfield Tavern (14-16 Broomfield Place, Coventry, CV5 6GY)
The Broomfield is wonderfully ramshackle - a lovely pub which looks like it hasn't changed in years.  It dates back to the mid 1800's when the city was rapidly expanding and the pub would have refreshed the workers from the new factories that boomed in this area.

On cask were four locals from Froth Blowers, Church End and A'J's, plus the Wiltshire interloper.

A Froth Blowers 'Riverside Stout' for me.
And whatever he's having...

The Broomfield offered proper snacks - good value rolls and pickled eggs.

A contender for my favourite pub of the day, although there were a few that we visited worthy of that title.
I've no idea if there was great background music or if we were debating the hot topics of the day in this pub.  I think I was too busy taking pictures of that dog.

We couldn't depart Coventry with just one curveball on our route. I think it was always a given that we were heading into the footy-themed Sky Blue Tavern on the way back to the station.

Sky Blue Tavern (Hertford Place, Coventry, CV1 3JZ)
There was once a Sky Blue Tavern on the corner of Thackall Street and Swan Lane - the football club renaming the former M&B Mercers Arms when they acquired it in 1994.  That's now long demolished and this version, looking out onto the dual carriageway ring-road, is less traditional.
It was opened by the local Dhillon's Brewery in June 2021. 

Somehow, I don't think Stafford Paul is going to be kicking himself that he'd left earlier to catch a train and missed this one.

It's keg only, with the most interesting beers being the Dhillon's 'Sky Blue Army' and 'Ghost Town Lager'.
Ghost Town for me...veering towards Coventry's music heritage rather than the football theme.

In this spacious bar you get table football, big screens, games machines, blokes in hi-vis, and a desi menu.
I'm a bit puzzled by the location - outside the centre in the opposite direction to the ground, but good luck to them.  And good luck to the Sky Blues in the Prem (except for two particular matches against East Midlands opposition).

My hapless thrashing at table football meant I had to hang my head in shame and declare it time to go home.
Great to see everyone - look forward to doing it all again in another location soon.  Probably in pouring rain.

The Coventry Beer & Pubs Day Out

I headed to Coventry on the 12th August, a day when the city was sweltering in 33° heat and the news was full of excitement about how many people would damage their eyesight looking directly at that evening's partial eclipse of the sun.

We were in Coventry for Life After Football's summer holiday curated West Midlands pub crawl (ably assisted by Retirement Martin's itinerary advisory service).
There would be Bass.  And there would be rogue diversions from the original plan.

After a delayed arrival on Cross Country (no, really...) I headed to the Golden Cross just before their 11:30 opening time.  Stafford Paul was banging on the door waiting patiently outside, having already made a first pub visit of the day prior to this.  The more professional bloggers than me were missing train connections in Derby or knocking back John Smiths Smooth in the Craft Union boozer.

The Golden Cross (8 Hay Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RF)
The Golden Cross certainly looks the part.  This classic timber-framed building with overhanging upper floors was constructed in 1583 and was officially documented as a pub in 1661.
Paul was pointing out the stained glass windows advertising NBC.  As they ceased brewing in 1974, having merged with Phipps 12 years prior to that, this is some pretty old glass.

We were first through the door, with a fair number of early customers following us within the next ten minutes, a healthy crowd of punters mid-week pre-noon.
Ales on offer were Ossett 'Silver King; Bath 'Gem', Titanic 'Plum Porter' plus a local golden ale from Warwickshire.

Deciding to drink local beer while I had the opportunity, I opted for the 'Lady Godiva', embracing Coventry's most famous legend.
We were soon joined by Life After Football, kitted out for the sunny weather with a National Lottery beanie (possibly a diplomatic blue hat option without the risk of antagonising the locals with Birmingham City headwear).
The Golden Cross made for a good start to the day, clinking our glasses together in a toast under the wooden beams.

Moving on, we took a moment to be tourists walking around the ruins of the old cathedral before making our way to the next pub of the day.
Here's a (very messy, arrow-heavy) map of the route ahead...

Sadly the Town Wall Tavern, which was on the original plan, had recently closed - hopefully to be resurrected in the not too distant future.
Stop number two (or No.1 or No.3 for some) was this superb red brick building at the top of Hill Street...

The Gatehouse Tavern (44-46 Hill Street, Coventry, CV1 4AN)
I do have a soft spot for the Gateway Tavern - a pub rebuilt by landlord Martin McKeown from the ruins of the gatehouse to what was once Leigh mills.
It debuted in the Good Beer Guide in 1996 and has been there ever since.
The single room consists a high beamed ceiling and stained glass windows with Six Nation rugby crests.  Proper pub seating; ski jumping pictures; a bit of breweriana on the ledges; and a cracking beer range are all features of this classic ale house.

Cask takes centre-stage, with local offerings from Twisted Tree and Church End, a North Cotswolds mild, Timothy Taylor 'Landlord', M&B 'Brew XI' and Bass.
🔺Bass please.
Along with a £10.50 plate of pub grub from a very trad menu which included faggots, pie of the day, sausage batches, and chips smothered in steak and gravy.
As the food took a fair while I popped back to the bar for the Brew XI which was on decent form. 

 

Plans were hatched to create a breakaway Brew XI faction from the Bass aficionados.

Retired Martin and Sir Quinno were already settled on a bench with pints in front of them in the Gatehouse when we arrived.  Sheffield Hatter followed a short while later, slightly out of breath having refused to let a delayed train deny him visits to the Golden Cross and Castle Grounds pubs.
Our half dozen Coventry pub researchers were now all present and correct..

It wasn't far to the medieval buildings of Spon Street, although everywhere felt far in the wicked afternoon heat.

Old Windmill (22-23 Spon Street, Coventry, CV1 3BA)
This is another great-looking ancient inn with walls that aren't quite straight, flagstone floors and wooden beams.
Entrance is via a corridor with a couple of characterful snug rooms leading off on each side, the bar counter towards the back of the pub.

Cask ales included beers from Nottingham Brewery, Thornbridge, Byatt's, Silhill and another Bass appearance, plus a whole board listing Lilleys cider varieties.

I picked the local Byatt's 'Hoplab Bitter V1.1' because I'm a sucker for anything with a version number in the name and can scoff with superiority when folks Untappd the wrong one.
The brewery plan to keep the same malt base but change the hops in each version:  Progress, East Kent Goldings and Fuggles in this one - a crisp, fruity brown bitter.
Although reports were that the Bass was on good form here, so I'm not sure I picked right.

Departing the Windmill, the striking frontage of the Fairfax Club caught our eye.  LAF, Martin and Will formed an advance party: myself and Quinno loitered outside to see if they'd be turfed out unceremoniously as non-members.
Just as we decided they weren't coming out (presumably due to being served rather than having befallen some terrible fate) a chap parked in his red Merc wound down his window and told us the club was open to all and worth a visit.

The Fairfax Club (182 Spon St, Coventry CV1 3BB)
I can find little information about this club, a Facebook page being under maintenance; one review on Pubs Galore and that was written by Will after our visit.
I did find this from Urbanary - Discover Your City...

There was little concern about exclusivity on a Wednesday afternoon, as five of us were served with a warm welcome and not a soul gave a second glance to our presence.
I'd be intrigued to see the criteria for selecting 'curated creative clientele'.

They did have cask ale available, one of two hand pumps serving a Greene King 'Abbot' for £4.30 a pint - all drinks lines handily adorned with post-it note prices.

No complaints about the Abbot - it may not be my favourite beer but it was in good condition.
Here are some of the curated clientele...

This was a great little additional stop - the kind of rogue venue that we hope - nay, demand - that Life After Football find.

I know long blog posts are all the rage these days, but I've realised waffling on about all the pubs we visited would make this a really long one.

So...more Bass, more grammatical errors, more Cov pubs & more reminding everyone that it was 33° and rising in the next post.