11/09/21 - Digbeth Street Art, Ruin Bars and a Biergarten

Distance - 2 Miles

Pubs - 3

A Saturday Morning in Birmingham, looking for pre-Baggies entertainment.  It's fair to say there was little entertainment at the Baggies but that's a different story.

Google Digbeth and you are likely to find references to the Graffiti Art trail - which is a 2ish mile walk underneath the railway arches.  Walls and buildings have been spruced up with daubings to take the rambler's mind off the rubbish and the distinct lack of people.  It's eerily quiet for just a five minute walk out of a major city centre.

Meriden Street

Urban Space Man

Also an Adventure Lab Cache Location

All this culture can make a man thirsty.  From a previous visit, I've visited the pubs on the opposite side of Deritrend High Street.  It's 11am but Google allows you to search for pubs that are open now.  The Old Crown - Birmingham's oldest building does not fall into that category.  The Kerryman is reported open but isn't - giving the air that it may be closed until at least the major roadworks are finished.

This leaves the Big Bulls Head - which has "Opening Hours Unknown".

When you see a pub with all the curtains pulled to but the doors open, you do wonder what will be revealed.  Whatever it is, its probably safer than hanging around outside Digbeth Coach Station.  I venture in and am delightfully surprised by it's classic interior.

There's a mirror to google

Mysteries to be solved, even by this veteran pub goer.  There is one other punter, who is drinking Carling from a can, even when they have it on draught.  I watch him order his second, where he asks for a glass with a dash of lemonade.  Personally, I'd have had to have crawled across a desert for three days to order Carling (although there was that day at the Hawthorns when they stopped selling the Bathams) but surely its better on draught than out of a can?

My staropramen was fine and at least 30% cheaper than the next destination.

It would appear that Birmingham has its own Little Budapest, complete with a Ruin Bar.

The Ruin

It follows the ruin bar template to a tee - all mismatched furniture and ancient technology nailed to the walls.  Lovely staff, who if were not interested in my ramble, did a great job of pretending to be.

More Staropramen

But that's not it for the European adventure - saving Birdies for another day - I found the Zumhof Bier Garten - Birmingham's attempt at Munich, with a Millennial edge

Deck chairs and Decks

As if I wasn't spoiled by the street food options, they have a Pilsner Urquell Tankovna.

Unpasteurised beer delivered fresh within 48 hours of manufacture, to be consumed within 5 days.

Like the location, it was a delight.

Tankovnas

Match days aren't going to be the same again.