27/12/20 - Feeling Blessed with a Dodgy Doom at Alvechurch's Red Lion

Distance - 5.25 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Wikiloc

Geocaches - 1

Significant Meals - 1

The Walk

The route was found on Wikiloc - an online walking community - where people upload their favourite routes.  90% of them are nonsense, but this particular one seemed reasonable - starting in a village I've not visited since I developed the Brummie Ring back in 2013.  Nice to see Weebly still hosting my efforts after all these years, when even I haven't logged on to it since about 2014.

It picks up the Birmingham-Worcester Canal, passes Lower Bittell Reservoir and then through Hopwood Kings Norton RFC and bizarrely for a ramble - the Services at J2 of the M42.  Near post walk refreshment could have been a KFC.

Picking up the Birmingham - Worcester Canal at Withybed Green

Brummie Art

Lower Bittell Reservoir

M42 Services

The Pub(s)

For the next three days, Worcestershire remains in Tier 2.  This is about as far as you get in Worcs before it turns into Birmingham, who are suffering with no pubs in Tier 3.

In these strangest of times, I was thinking of visiting Hereford, primarily for Barrells Pub.  This won't be happening as even though they have been dropped back to Tier 2, they are insisting on photo ID with address validation.

Sometimes, even a post walk pint can be too much trouble.  I wondered if I would have any issues in these borderlands.

There is the potential of two pints meals - The Hopwood House is a large Marstons venue where we leave the canal.  On this occasion, I did not fancy a Pedigree.  And it was 11am on a Sunday.

Hopwood House

The Red Lion in Alvechurch is the other choice.  It claims to be a freehouse but my Untappd check in tagged Vintage Inns.  A sign outside welcomes dirty boots and muddy paws and I have two of those items, so enter, check in, sanitise and get a wing to myself.  

Without need to show my papers.

Alvechurch's Red Lion

My request to see if there were any substantial meals that weren't Sunday Lunches was met with "Is it Sunday?".   I confirmed and they seemed genuinely concerned.  Easy to lose track of days in this week between Xmas and New Year, but you hoped the chef was on top of the roast for those who hadn't feasted enough.

There were food alternatives - so I ordered, along with the only hand pull available - the ubiquitous Doom Bar.

The image was worth far more than the pint (too cold, too vinegary) but it would be churlish to complain.

The view was an outstanding nod to past normality, currently denied to millions at the moment - and I am sure to all of us from the next review on the 30/12/20.

One Sip and I was unsure which liquid to put on my chips.  But what a view!