Pubs, Wine Bars & Carveries

Hello, I've been forum commissioned to try the Binley Woods refurbished pub, but that will have to be when we are in another mild dry period. Only one bus per hour in that forgotten land, so I won't be hanging around there in bad weather.

Hello, I've arrived at the Walsgrave Carvery where St Patrick's day celebrations are in full swing. I will post some pics recorded with permission on next page. What a delight. I honestly think, that for whatever reason, this is now my favourite pub in Coventry. They've got the balance right of fabulous food but not losing the identity of being a local pub.

Hello, A Monday morning/lunchtime delight. The staff almost rushed off their feet serving & keeping the hum of celebration that made everyone so welcome. Seeing all of the lovely ladies, I tried to tell them that I was only 22. I think that they saw through that. I explained a bit of the local history & the significance of an Irish presence in Wyken/Walsgrave/Stoke off our forum. Anyway, have a good day all on our forum, as well as our friends in the Walsgrave. Brill, brill & brill. As someone said to me a while ago. The cooked onions in my dinners, I can throw away all my cold medications.

Coventry Telegraph Advert 13th February 1976. Wine Bar opened on the next day, Valentines Day. Thanks to Annewiggy for helping me source the advert, also the Gentleman at the Herbert who found it and printed it for me in a few minutes.

Pubs seem to be struggling in Coventry at the moment. To the disappointment of some of us on here The New Inn recently closed, The Nursery Tavern has also closed again. The Old Ball is shuttered and the Aardvark is also closed. The Spongate is closing shortly. Work is still ongoing at the Old Dyers, with a decontamination team in. The Old Clarence is re-opening under a new pub group.

Another great share from The Herbert today on FB - The final round at The Albion on Thomas Street before bulldozers moved in for the Ring Road -

Just to let you all know, our pub website now has a shiny new unique address all to itself.... www.coventrypubhistory.co.uk The old address (which was only a sub-domain of historiccoventry.co.uk) will continue to work in parallel, so old links will still work, although I'm in the process of updating them, gradually.

I rarely go into central Coventry these days, but did so on Saturday evening. As I rounded the corner of Hearsall Lane into Spon End, I was gobsmacked - nay, chagrinned - to see that the Black Horse has gone. Disappeared. As in demolished. It's now an overspill car park for the car showroom on the corner. More than a 25% of British pubs have closed since 2000. And now closing at the rate of one per day. (Source: Money Week.) I poked my nose into the Larkin. There was loud music and several women dancing. I did not stay. I walked over the road into the Downtown. There was extremely loud noise coming from the speakers (some would call it music) and again, a few women dancing. (It's a girly thing, isn't it, dancing. Not a blokey thing.) I was in a bitter mood. (Not a lager, or cider, or Guinness mood.) So I fought my way to the bar, where four bartenders were on duty. Just my luck, the youngest one, who looked like she was still in the sixth form, came over to serve me. I had to shout my order out: "A HALF OF WORTHINGTON PLEASE." She looked bewildered, so I had to repeat, this time shouting into her ear, "A HALF OF WORTHINGTON PLEASE". Nothing difficult to comprehend. She did not seem to understand Worthington. I pointed to the Worthington tap. She walked up to it, still looked flummoxed, then walked over to a young male bartender for clarification. He confirmed that, yes, this was the Worthington tap. So she then walked up to another Worthington tap at the other end of the bar, and started to pour a full pint. I had to dash over and signal to her to stop, then shouted "A HALF!". She then poured a half. I was charged £2.10. I gave her the correct change, which she took, then started to serve another customer, leaving my half on the drip tray. I leaned over the counter to retrieve it. Didn't understand Worthington, didn't understand the difference between a half and a full pint, and failed to hand the drink to the customer. I thought "can't get the staff". But the half tasted fine. My next call was the Cross, a much quieter place. And cheaper. I had a half of Smiths (I would not call it excellent; Smiths is not in Abbott territory) for a mere £1.30. Then a half of Bass in Ma Brown's before going back to my one-horse town of Kenilworth. Yesterday it was the anniversary of my DOB, which I had completely forgotten about until enjoying a pint of excellent lager, Weissbier, in my London office, the Coach and Horses on the corner of Greek and Romilly streets. No speakers or music. A proper friendly hostelry. Weissbier £8.25 per pint, Guiness £7.25. Worth every cent.

Sadly I'm hearing the Town Wall Tavern is set to close again - greedy brewery owners is what I am seeing via the comments on FB. Grab that last pint in there whilst you can. Shame as the current Landlord was really trying with the place.