Issue 11 Spring 2003 Newsletter
Beer
Drinkers are often to be heard bemoaning the latest price rise
from one brewery, pub company or another. It's not very often that it's the
other way round, and a company reduces their prices. However, this was what
Holden's brewery did in 2002. They took a decision to share the benefits of the
government's reduction in excise duty payable by smaller brewers with their
customers.
Wolverhampton CAMRA felt that this decision deserved recognition, so on December 30th Keith Dawson, National Finance Director presented Jonathan Holden, Brewery MD with a "Value for Money" plaque. The presentation was held at the Great Western and was attended by some 50 people including members of the Holden family and brewery management.
The presentation was also an opportunity for CAMRA to pay their respects to Holden's Chairman and previous MD Edwin, who died two weeks previously at the age of 57, after a long illness. CAMRA members both locally and nationally will long remember Edwin as a pleasant, affable and approachable man who will be sorely missed. We express our sincere condolences to his wife Tessa, son Jonathan, daughters Lucy and Abi and their wider family.
CAMRA chalked up 30 years of
recommending the best real ale pubs in Britain with the publication of the 2003
edition of the Good Beer Guide, Britain's longest running and best selling
guide.
The Wolverhampton entries feature a number of changes from the 2002 edition. The Sir Henry Newbolt, the Wetherspoon's pub in Bilston High Street, makes it in for the very first time, while the Queens Arms in Graiseley Row returns after a lengthy absence, and for the first time as a Burtonwood house. Also returning after shorter absences are the Horse & Jockey, Robert Wynd, Woodcross and the City Centre's Moon under Water in Lichfield Street. Congratulations to all involved with the four pubs listed above, not forgetting the other GBG entries who have retained their places.
The guide is £12.99 in bookshops and many pubs.
Early last year Maurice Jones, a past Vice Chairman of the branch, announced he was getting married. I was given the task of organising his stag do based along the local Metro route. On Saturday 27 July 2002 a fine body of men met in the Tap & Spile, Princess Street, Wolverhampton. A 1400hrs departure from the nearby WOLVERHAMPTON ST GEORGE'S Metro station took us to our first stop, SOHO BENSON ROAD for the Black Eagle, Factory Road. This is an excellent traditional pub where Tetley Imperial and Cottage Mallard were sampled please note that the pub closes at 3pm on Saturdays.
The tram then took us to BIRMINGHAM SNOW HILL TERMINUS where
after a short walk we arrived at the Old Joint Stock, Temple Row. A
Fuller's pub converted from a bank with their full beer range available
Chiswick, London Pride and ESB were all sampled; though they were found to be a
bit expensive. Moving on to the nearby Briar Rose, Bennett's Hill, a
small Wetherspoon's conversion, we sampled a cheap pint of Spitfire. Catching
the tram to JEWELLERY QUARTER we reached our next two pubs. The Red Lion,
Warstone Lane is a traditional Banks's pub where we tried the mild and
bitter beware the Pedigree is keg. The White Horse, New John Street can
prove hard to find: it is now a Holden's pub selling the full range Mild,
Bitter and Special were all tried.
KENRICK PARK was our next stop for the Vine, Roebuck Street a corner local much extended to cater for the sale of its renowned curries. It offers one real ale, which was London Pride on our visit. Our next Metro stop was DARTMOUTH STREET for the next two pubs, firstly the Old Crown, Sandwell Street, West Bromwich where the beer range varies I had Black Sheep Bitter. We moved on foot to the Wheatsheaf, High Street, a traditional Holden's pub again selling the full range. As hunger had now set in, the tram took us to BILSTON CENTRAL and the Olde White Rose, Lichfield Street, Bilston. This is our current Pub of the Year, and serves excellent food and a wide choice of beer I had the superb Deuchars IPA. Finally, The tram took us back to ST GEORGE'S TERMINUS where some of us went to the Great Western, Sun Street for Holdens or Bathams.
All the pubs we visited were in the 2002 Good Beer Guide. The pubs featured are just a few of the many excellent pubs that can be reached by the Metro. Since our trip a free pamphlet, the Good Pub Guide to the Black Country has been published by Travel West Midlands in partnership with CAMRA. It is updated from previous Metro guides and includes recommended pubs on bus routes, together with nearest stop details.
Jim Laws
As this edition of Beerwolf was going to press, the GBG listed Posada, in Lichfield Street, changed hands. Management has passed to the licensee responsible for the Branch Pub of the Year 2000 and a wider choice of cask ales are promised over the coming weeks. Cardcarrying CAMRA members will receive 20p a pint discount on real ale. We hope to bring you further details in our next edition.
THE 28th WOLVERHAMPTON BEER FESTIVAL IS BEING PLANNED FOR
THURSDAY 29th
MAY SATURDAY 31st MAY 2003. Full details in the next Beerwolf.
For further details contact Social Secretary MARK SIMPSON
on 07903
100267 (mobile)
"A look back at some pubs I used to frequent" by Jim Laws.
Over the past 15 years the Great Western, Sun Street has
been visited by many thousands of visitors not only locals but also drinkers
from all around the country. It is a popular stop off point for rail users
through its reputation for serving excellent beer and food in a friendly and
convivial atmosphere. Its attraction was further enhanced by winning the "CAMRA
National Pub of the Year Award" in 1991.
By use of the subway (sadly in a poor state of repair) and across the forecourt of the long closed Low Level Station with its superb frontage which is also in need of urgent attention, we reach the pub which stands on the corner of Sun Street and Bailey Street. It is doubtful if any of the visitors of recent years would have heard of the pub prior to 1987 let alone drank in it. If it had not been for the foresight shown by Holden's brewery in buying it from Bass it would ultimately have suffered the indignity of demolition and become another old pub lost forever.
The pub was built in 1869 as the corner of two rows of terraced houses, Sun Street and Bailey Street. These streets provided its custom along with the increasing number of passengers using the Great Western run station opposite. The next hundred years saw the pub survive the demolition of the housing and the mid60's reduction in train services with little alteration to the building. The pub at that time consisted of what is now the bar area, a small alcove on the left side, and the area to the right (Bailey Street entrance), with the corridor passing private rooms to the outside yard and toilets. The area to the right was originally a separate room divided from the bar by the off sales facility, which had its own entrance to the left of the remaining door. A painting in the pub clearly depicts this.
My first visit to the Great Western was at Christmas 1976. My work transferred me to Low Level station as although trains had ceased running from the station the buildings were still used as offices. I cannot recall what I drank then; it would probably have been Springfield Bitter. I soon discovered that the pub carried on serving after official closing time so armed with this knowledge I occasionally popped in for a late afternoon drink after finishing work, but mostly used it at Christmas. In the early 80's the pub began a steady decline. At this time its main customers were workers from the nearby Qualcast factory whose workers needed to slake their thirst. In due course, a part closure of this firm together with the closure of the Low Level station offices sent the pub into terminal decline. My visit in September 1985 seemed likely to be my last as I was transferred to Birmingham.
I was surprised and delighted to hear that Holden's brewery had bought the pub. I visited it shortly after its reopening in September 1987 and have been a regular ever since. Under the control of Keith and Josie Walker it's mix of quality Holden's beers and excellent but inexpensive food proved so successful that an extension was built in 1991, followed 4 years later by the conservatory at the rear.
The Great Western, by now
a listed building, is a good example of how to make a success of a pub which
its previous owners thought had no future. When Keith and Josie decided to
retire in March 2000, some concern was evident as to who would take over and
what changes they would make. However, with the seamless transfer to Kevin and
Kath Gould, who of course have added their own touch, the high standards have
been maintained and the future of the Great Western is safe in their hands. The
proposed improvements to the subway and development of the Low Level site
should hopefully attract even more customers.
My journey now takes me out of the centre, to the Pyle Cock, Rookery Street, Wednesfield a small traditional Banks's pub built around 1861. My main visits to this pub in the early 1980's were on Saturday lunchtime. I remember that if you were not in the bar by 11am you were unlikely to get a seat, so popular was the pub. Drinkers were no doubt attracted by the excellent beers kept by Ada Loftus. The customers were predominantly male and they imbibed while their wives shopped in the nearby High Street, often joining their husbands later. No food or frills here but a pub so filled with characters that you were never short of conversation, a laugh and very often a singsong. Visits from people selling their wares from bacon and pork pies to vegetables were a regular occurrence on Saturday lunchtimes. One strange tradition followed by some of the regulars was to lie their glass on its side to indicate to the staff that they did not require any more drink.
The Pyle Cock, with its etched windows and wooden settle backs
remained unchanged during the long period under Ada and to her credit she
refused the overtures from Banks's to change to electric metered dispense. The
handpulls were another reason why the pub was so popular and indeed unique as
it remained the last Banks's outlet to serve the beer in the traditional way:
unspoilt by progress indeed!
In October 1986 when the time came for Ada to put her glasses on the side and retire, CAMRA were delighted to present her with a "Merit Award" for her services to traditional beer. I attended on her last evening in charge with the party going way into the early hours as we marked her retirement.
However the next day started a decline for the pub when the hand pulls were ripped out and replaced by electric metered dispense. The down turn was compounded by the appointment of a manager from Aldershot. Despite protests to Banks's, the hand pulls were not restored. Many regulars boycotted the pub and others like myself drifted away because of the poor beer quality.
After a period of time Banks's appointed local man Gordon Price as manager which led me to visit the pub again to see if the quality had improved. The beer passed the test and with Gordon's friendly attitude the old atmosphere returned together with some of the previous regulars as well as new customers. I returned on a regular basis, with my visits now usually being of an evening. The improvement was such that the Pyle Cock regained its place in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. In 1978 with standards at the Pyle Cock having remained consistently high, Banks's gave Gordon the task of reviving the Swan at Compton. This he has done successfully leading to its inclusion in the Good Beer Guide.
The nearby Falcon (Banks's) which had been compulsory purchased was closed and demolished in March 1997 to make way for road improvements. Landlord Tony Pugh traveled the short distance to take over the Pyle Cock in February 1998 maintaining the standards and earning a place in the Good Beer Guide in his own right. It's good to see a hand pull return to the bar, this time not for the Banks's but for the varied guest beers. The pub with its traditional bar, small snug and lounge has been altered very little over the years the only change being to the bar servery where the top cross beam was added. A frequent bus service (559) passes the pub so it is easy to get to by public transport.
The publication of the 2003 CAMRA Good Beer Guide sees one of
Wolverhampton's hidden treasures make a most welcome return to its listings.
The Queens Arms on Graiseley Row, just off the A449 Penn Road, has been absent
for a number of years. During this time the former Ansells house became a
Burtonwood pub and in Autumn 2000 suffered a major fire.
Shirley and Roger Allen took over the pub in June 2001 and although this is their first pub it is familiar territory as Shirley regularly worked behind the bar over the previous 1213 years.
The pub regularly serves three real ales in excellent condition, usually Burtonwood Bitter and Top Hat plus a guest beer. A pleasant beer garden is available during the summer months.
The pub is a centre of local activity with Darts, Dominoes and Crib teams and a Fishing Club. A Bingo Session is held each Sunday. The pub is also gaining a reputation for its popular charity and community events. These have included Fun Weekends, Halloween Party and this year's Jubilee Celebration. These events have gained excellent publicity and raised funds for charities including the "Beacon Centre for the Blind".
Shirley and Roger are particularly interested in the history of the pub. Research by our CAMRA historian has established that there has been pub on the site since 1869 as it was mentioned in a Wolverhampton Directory of that year. It has also been found on a map of 1871 and the census of the same year. Regulars of the pub have located the census for 1881, which lists the licensee as John Shelton who combined the two occupations of Publican and Engine Driver. The pub is renowned as probably the last homebrew house to survive in Wolverhampton: sadly brewing ceased in 1960. The pub recently received a visit from exlicensee Jack Shaw who presented them with a 1978 copy of Wolverhampton CAMRA's then newsletter "Firkin News" which was celebrating the award of January Pub of the Month to the Queen's Arms.
The pub, which is tucked away in the middle of industrial and commercial premises can be reached by car from the outbound Penn Road via a left turn into Graiseley Hill and left again. If you are coming from Marston Road take first left after Safeway's into Stamford Road which runs into Pool Street Graiseley Row is the first left after the Recreation Centre. Access on foot is left from Penn Road into the blocked off Sidney Street, right at the top and you're there. The pub is well worth searching out.
Drinkers around the country will have been delighted by the Queen's Speech back in November in which Her Majesty announced that the Statutory Closing Time in licensed premises would be abolished. This Proposal was originally included in a Government White Paper in 2000 and is expected to become law this summer.
It was included in a section of the speech that heralded moves to tackle antisocial behaviour. It is felt that this move will discourage "drinking against the clock" and ease the burden on the emergency services caused by a large number of pubs with "normal" licensing hours closing at the same time.
Critics of the move responded with hysterical reactions such as "Pure madness of 24 hour boozing" and "Round the clock drinking on the way". These are not realistic predictions, as what pub could afford to open 24 hours even if they wanted to? The staff costs and overheads would be overwhelmingly prohibitive. The major positive of the move is that
CAMRA NATIONAL PUBS WEEK "There's a pub for everyone"
Sunday 23rd February
Cellar Tour Hogshead, Stafford Street. 8pm
Monday 24th February
Presentation Evening, Homestead,
Lodge Road, Oxley. 8pm
CELEBRATING 21 YEARS IN THE GOOD BEER GUIDE WITH THE
SAME LANDLORD
Tuesday 25th Feb (TBC)
Cellar Tour Olde White Rose,
Lichfield Street, Bilston
Wednesday 26th Feb
Heritage Pub Tour of City Centre, 8pm
Thursday 27th Feb
Pub Games Evening, Queens Arms,
Graiseley Row, 8pm
Saturday 1st March
Pub Crawl of Brewood, Staffordshire
6.45pm
876 Arriva Bus Service from Wolverhampton Bus Station. Meet Swan
Hotel 7.15pm
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of CAMRA Ltd or the Editors.
© Wolverhampton Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale and CAMRA Ltd 2003
top of page | Wolverhampton CAMRA Branch Newsletters index page