Pubs Galore Meet Up - Friday 12 November - Birmingham

[RogerB]

I do seem to have gained myself a reputation somewhere along the line.

[Quinno]

I do seem to have gained myself a reputation somewhere along the line.

Well I'm no slouch myself but you frightened me the time before last!

[Evil Gazebo]

Still have to see if Gazebo can get a permission slip.

Oi! The Good Lady Gazebo is extremely tolerant of my beer-fuelled antics, as you well know.

Anyway, I can now declare myself as ‘very probable’ for the PuGathon (previously thought my upcoming Central European odyssey was going to overlap, but will be back in time). I'm relying entirely on others for local pub expertise, as my only trip to Birmingham was to see Sunderland lose to Aston Villa many years ago - too busy being oppressed by the lunatic fringe of the West Midlands Police to enjoy the local hospitality.

[Andy Ven]

Allow me to enlighten those of you who are unfamilar with Birmingham and need directions to the Briar Rose.

There are two exits from New Street Station.
1. If you take the long stairs or escalator from the platform up to the main concourse (where you may see the toilets, the Shakespeare pub, WH Smith etc) then you will need to exit via the manned barriers and go up the escalators in from of you into the Pallasades 'shopping centre'. When you get to the top of the escalator, turn left and keep going (taking a staggered course left/right, keeping the Perfume Shop and Holland and Barrett on your left) exiting the Pallasades past McDonald's and down the ramp to New Street itself (the paved street). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp and walk past Tesco and turn right at Barclays Bank up Bennett's Hill. The Briar Rose is just on the right, next to the Sun on the Hill. (Google Streetview covers this stretch of New Street between Tesco and Barclays).

2. If you find that you have exited New Street via the shorter staircase at the end of the platform (one that bends back on itself half way up), turn left at the top of the stairs and you will exit the station where Navigation Street meets Stephenson Street. Once on the street, turn right and walk with the currently closed NCP multi storey on your right. Cross the road at the crossing opposite the new Ladbrokes and walk up the paved street (Lower Temple Street) with another pub called the Shakespeare on your left. After less than 100 yards, this brings you to the intersection with New Street. Turn left into New Street then next right up Bennett’s Hill. (Alternatively, you could take a short cut from Stephenson Street to the bottom of Bennett’s Hill by walking through the Piccadilly arcade). The Briar Rose is just on the right on Bennett’s Hill, next to the Sun on the Hill.

If your train comes into Moor Street or Snow Hill, get off the train at Snow Hill if possible. Exit Snow Hill station and turn right onto Colmore Row, passing St Philip’s Cathedral on your left. Turn left at the traffic lights, down Bennett’s Hill, past the Wellington on your left. The Briar Rose will be on the left hand side, just after you have crossed Waterloo Street.

If you are coming by coach into Digbeth coach station. Mmmmm. Exit the coach station into Digbeth and walk up past the Dubliner towards the Bull Ring. When you see Selfridges (the big space ship type building with lots of silver discs on the outside) walk up the left hand side of it (you can go either side of St Basil’s church) and continue up the steps and the slope in between the two halves of the Bull Ring shopping centre. Turn left and walk along paved New Street (in between the Rotunda and Phones 4 U) past the Odeon. Go straight across Corporation Street at the pedestrian crossing and continue along New Street. Pass Tesco, then turn right at Barclays Bank up Bennett's Hill. The Briar Rose is just on the right, next to the Sun on the Hill.

[hondo]

as the smiths sang

Panic on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?

[Delboy20]

as the smiths sang

Panic on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?

Now you are talking my language

They also sang

And , so I drank one
It became four
And when I fell on the floor ...
...I drank more

[RogerB]

Now you are talking my language

They also sang

And , so I drank one
It became four
And when I fell on the floor ...
...I drank more

Sounds like the PG National Anthem.

[Dave M]

Right so just over a week to go till the Birmingham meet and I have just been looking through the thread to work out exactly who is going and who still needs a little nudge!

So far I think the definites are:-
aleandhearty
an_ecumenical_matter
Andy Ven
Conrad
Dave M
Gillhalfpint
Millay
Oggwyn Trench
oldboots
PaulOfHorsham
Quinno
RogerB
rpadam
Trainman

As for the unconfirmed:-
Evil Gazebo (very probable)
Delboy20 (maybe)
Soup Dragon (needs to come to initiate me and Conrad in the way of the MILD )
ROBCamra (who I still think might be tempted after trainmans efforts!)
dannyorevey (contributed some useful info to the thread, are you joining us?)

Does anyone have any advances on that list?

[Andy Ven]

Should we have a firmer plan? It appears that the Briar Rose will be the meeting place and people will start arriving from 12.00 onwards

but

How long should we stay there in order to give most people a chance to meet up with everyone else? (I only work a few hundred yards away so it's not an issue for me but it might be for those travelling from much further afield)
Where should we go from there? (I suggest not far so that any late comers can still find us easily - Wellington or Old Joint Stock?)
Is there a contact for the late late comers to text to find out where we will be?
How will we know who the rest of us are? (Pubs Galore on Tour T-shirts anyone?)

[ROBCamra]

ROBCamra (who I still think might be tempted)

It's not the money, it's the time. It's still 4+ hours each way in total using the bus AND it won't be on time on a Friday!!

So, no I'll not be tempted.