Visited 22nd May 2012.
Something a little different today. I have been to visit an exhibition at the ExCel centre. The day started with a long train journey into London Docklands and was then followed by a very full day listening to speeches and generally being brought up to date with some of the latest Cloud technologies. By the end of the day I was more than ready for a beer. Just a few stops on the DLR followed by a short walk took me to 'The Ledger Building'. It was a warm evening and there were a lot of people standing outside having a drink so I had no problem getting a table in the much cooler interior. Today was steak night so I ordered the 8oz sirloin and a pint of Old Growler. As usual, whenever I've had a steak in a 'spoons, I was asked how I would like the steak cooked. Also as usual I replied medium and also as usual it arrived well done... Well, at least it's consistent! I would like to say a big thank you to the very nice waitress who took the photo for me, so much better than having to try and do a self-portrait. I was hoping that by the time I left the evening train rush would be over and that I might get a seat. Sadly this wasn't the case and I do worry how our train system will cope during the Olympics, I know I won't be trying to use it... I guess we'll find out soon...
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Our final pub of the weekend and the natives were definitely friendly. This was a big pub with lots of nooks and crannies to get lost in and in the centre a strangely shaped staircase. It was very quiet and we had the upstairs floor almost to ourselves. Having found a table I then had to go back downstairs to the bar to order. A burger and another J2O for me and a strange mixture of garlic bread, onion rings and a Malibu and Pepsi for Mrs S. This was probably my favourite pub of the weekend although it was a close things as I quite liked 'The William Tyler' too. We left the pub and headed back to the car with tired bodies and aching feet. It had been quite an exhausting weekend and Mrs S. never did get her keyring. Maybe on the next trip!
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Another short drive and we were in Solihull. Plenty of shops for a bit of keyring hunting but by now Mrs S. had pretty much given up the hunt for the day and just wanted to get home. How could I distract her? How about visiting a 'spoons (for a change). I almost got a smack in the ear from her handbag but despite my size I'm a bit more nimble than I look. Following the obligatory photo we went in. It was a modern style pub with an upside down swan hanging from the ceiling. I ordered a Pepsi for myself but once again Mrs S. went drink free, claiming to be unable to drink another drop. I had a chat with the bar staff and found that our last pub of the day was just a short walk along the road and round one corner. Would we make it? Would Mrs S's handbag find its mark? Stay tuned for the final thrilling installment...
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Another mile and a half down the road and we arrived at 'The Spread Eagle', which turned out to be surprisingly difficult to spot from the road. We ended up driving past it twice before we saw it set back and half hidden from the road. We turned round it and drove passed it for the third time before we found somewhere to park. Inside it was pretty busy but we found a table where we could sit and watch some of the Spanish F1 while drinking our large lattes. It was a bit scruffy inside but comfortable enough, although we left before the end of the race, hoping to make it to the next pub on our list in time to see the finish...
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Less than two miles in the car and we are at 'The William Tyler'. This pub only opened at the start of the year and it felt very new when we entered. There were a lot on nice touches that we liked in this pub, from the bow door handles, to the bottle lights and ornate dragons. Not sure what it all meant but we liked it. I was still on the J2Os but had an apple and mango one this time. Mrs S. had a Pepsi. It was nice and comfortable and we would have stayed longer but once again the lack of suitable shops nearby meant that we had to move on.
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Our second stop of the day was at 'The Hornet'. This one was fairly small and dark and once again there were very few women in evidence. It was however very busy and we thought it might take a while to get served but once again efficient staff soon had me sitting with an orange and passion fruit J2O in front of me. On this occasion Mrs S. had decided to opt out of the round. The lack of keyring laden shops in the neighborhood meant that we needed to move on...
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Visited 13th May 2012.
Day two started with a good fry-up at the hotel so by the time we reached our first 'spoons of the day we weren't really ready for a drink and definitely not ready for anything to eat. However we had to have something so Mrs S. had a cup of tea and I had an apple and raspberry J2O. The place was busy but there were almost no women in there. The service was good and friendly and we felt at home sitting in one of the booths. It would have been easy to remain there for a few hours but we had another five pubs to visit today and Mrs S. didn't want to be home late (and she was still looking for a keyring).
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