Bus Pass Bandit - Part Twenty: TANWORTH-IN-ARDEN

Continuing to clock up the Warwickshire miles - both via the bus network and on foot - the Bus Pass Bandit tackles Hockley Heath, Tanworth-in-Arden and Wood End on his twentieth trip...

His starting point is the Wharf Tavern in Hockley Heath on the northern section of the Stratford Canal.

A little something to slake one's thirst at the Wharf.

The red brick Church of St Thomas in Hockley Heath

Followed by Umberslade Baptist Church (above) and the old school building (below).

The Umberslade Obelisk is a Grade II listed monument close to the M40 motorway.

The tree-lined avenue and railway bridge approaching Tanworth-in-Arden.

A welcome stop at the Bell, a large pub on The Green in Tanworth-in-Arden.

The Bell comes up trumps for some Timothy Taylor's Landlord.

The Church of St Mary Magdalene is opposite the Bell in the village centre.

And a final stop at Wood End. A Warwickshire lad in the Warwickshire Lad!

The beer is from the Infinity Brewery and is now brewed on site.

Bus Pass Bandit - Part Nineteen: BIRMINGHAM

For this the nineteenth instalment of his travels, the Bus Pass Bandit ventures ever hopefully across to Birmingham on a wet and dreary Monday morning...

After reminiscing about student days spent in Perry Barr, the Bandit's first pub stop is the Bull on Price Street within the historic Gun Quarter.

Gravediggers Mild from the Church End Brewery is a regular cask ale at the Bull - an excellent drink!

The Bull is well known for its extensive collection of jugs and ceramics. Imagine having to dust all of those!

Next a rendezvous at New Street Station and a walk to Victoria Square. The Iron Man statue is by Antony Gormley and stands outside Birmingham Town Hall. 

Birmingham is famously at the heart of Britain's canal network.

The Malt House is overlooks Old Turn Junction and was once visited by President Clinton no less...

If it's good enough for Bill it's good enough for the Bandit! The Malt House used to be a venue for Sunday afternoon jazz; their Canalside Ale seems a good choice.

Black Sabbath Bridge is a notable tribute to Heavy Metal before the Bandit revisits Heidi's Bier Bar and Alberts Schloss, adding an enjoyable Germanic theme to the evening.

And finally down to the underground Post Office Vaults for some Kinver 1st Class Stamp - a beer with royal connections!

Bus Pass Bandit - Part Eighteen: WARWICK

The Bus Pass Bandit blog comes of age by reaching its eighteenth episode and an adventure which stays very much on the Bandit's home turf of Warwick...

For starters, an old favourite - the Old Post Office micropub on West Street - for some Cotswold No Brainer cider.

A visit to the Old Post Office is always memorable! The decor is eclectic to say the least, with mounted stags heads and a protruding boot.

Nearby is the much visited Lord Leycester Hospital.

The chair where King James I sat when he came to visit in 1617.

Then on to the Guy of Warwick Pub and Kitchen, recently opened in the centre of Warwick.

Guy of Warwick was a legendary English hero from the 10th century. The beer named after him is brewed by the local Slaughterhouse Brewery. 

Bus Pass Bandit - Part Seventeen: NAPTON

The usual mix of walking, pubs, ale (or cider) and general curiosity is on the menu courtesy of the Bus Pass Bandit's 'Friday Flourish' around Napton and Ladbroke...

Bus Pass Travels #17 takes place on Friday 12th April 2024 and sees the Bandit arriving at Napton to sample the wonderful Folly Inn by the Oxford Canal.

Locally produced cider is definitely a winner in the Folly, as indeed is the fireplace with its brasses, cooking pots and coal scuttle.

And here's where that lovely Folly drink was made - the nearby Napton Cidery.

Spotting signs of HS2 construction, the Bandit proceeds across the fields to Ladbroke with the aid of this very helpful stile!

The Bell Inn is the village pub and steakhouse serving Ladbroke. 

Purity Gold in the main bar of the Bell Inn.

And finally, the Church of All Saints in Ladbroke.

Bus Pass Bandit - Part Sixteen: FENNY COMPTON

Saturday 6th April 2024 sees the Bus Pass Bandit plundering the farther reaches of Warwickshire again, this time with an emphasis on Fenny Compton near the Burton Dassett Hills...

Fenny Compton is situated in south-east Warwickshire, close to the county boundary with Oxfordshire and about eight miles from Banbury. St Peter's & St Clare's is the parish church.

It would have been rude not to have sampled the Merrie Lion...

... so here's some Old Rosie and a fabulous fish tank!

An old disused Wesleyan Chapel at Knightcote dated 1837.

Onwards to Bishop's Itchington and a welcome stop at the Butchers Arms in shades of pale green.

Time for Timothy Taylor's Landlord at the Butchers Arms.

St Michael's Church at Bishop's Itchington looks charming in the April sunshine.

A view over Bishops Bowl Lakes, positioned on the site of a former limestone quarry which has been reclaimed by nature.

And a final stop at the Gamecock in Harbury, a village the Bandit knows very well.

London Pride as accompanied by a suitable Piccadilly Circus artwork.

Harbury Village Hall is the location for many memorable beer festivals!

Bus Pass Bandit: Part Fifteen - BLACK COUNTRY

All aboard for Bus Pass Travels #15 whereby our noble Bandit will engage in some Wolverhampton and Black Country wanderings, revisiting four favourite hostelries and celebrating 10 contented years of happy retirement...

An invigorating walk over Sedgley Beacon is rewarded by a pint of the sublime Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild, as all gather in the Beacon Hotel.

Dark Ruby in the Beacon Hotel, with hints of conservatory plant life.

A bus ride to Bilston for fish and chips is followed by a visit to the timeless Trumpet, the venue of many memorable evenings listening to jazz.

Musti's bongos take pride of place beside a collage of musical luminaries.

As for the ale in the Trumpet, it just has to be Golden Glow.

Next is a bus ride to Wolverhampton and the much loved Great Western, located near the site of the old Low Level Station.

More Golden Glow here to enjoy the railway themed surroundings - note the 'Pure Black Country' Holden's branded glassware.

And a final stop at the Lych Gate Tavern, a Black Country Ales pub which is a mere stone's throw from St Peter's Church in the centre of Wolverhampton.

Stout Brummie in the upstairs beamed function room completes the celebrations.