In search of S.B.A.

For the last three weekends, my partner PJ and I have been cycling around some very picturesque parts of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. PJ recently bought the cross bar version of the electric cycle that I purchased last year. This weekend was the first really warm and sunny weather we have had this year, so we decided to make the most of it.

My partner is an experienced cyclist and motorcyclist, he has travelled extensively around England and Wales, so he knows all the picturesque (and safest) routes to travel along. We decided to cycle to Broadway, calling in at other pubs along the way. Our first port of call, was The Mount Inn at Stanton, which is a Donnington pub. Stanton is notable for it's lovely buildings and stunning views of the surrounding countryside, especially from The Mount Inn. The pub was fairly busy on our arrival, so we sat outside by one of the back entrances. Another reason for doing this, was so that we could keep an eye on our bikes! We stayed for one round of drinks, because it was becoming fairly busy, unfortunately there was no S.B.A. which was a pity. I took some photos of the pub, but although it was sunny, the light was rather harsh.

The Mount Inn at Stanton

A view from The Mount Inn, December 2012

Our next destination was Broadway, we called in at The Crown and Trumpet. There are still tables outside, so we positioned ourselves at a table at the front. We wondered whether the long serving landlord was still running the pub, we did not see him. During our visit to the C&T, we were approached by quite a few people, enquiring about our bikes, we get this quite a lot. Even though they have been around for a fair while, I guess electric cycles are still a bit of a novelty. Personally I think they are the best innovation since digital photography.

After we had finished our drinks, we decided to visit The Snowshill Arms in Snowshill, which is another Donnington pub. A rather random piece of Trivia about the Snowshill Arms, is that it was featured in the opening episode of the third series of the ITV drama Unforgotten. In the scene there are tables set up on a small patch of lawn opposite the pub. In reality the lawn does not belong to the pub, and has never had tables on it.

The Snowshill Arms 2015

We parked our bikes by some benches in front of the church, and ate our lunch which consisted of sandwiches. We had arrived at Snowshill at exactly the right time, because the sun was glistening on some of the buildings, creating a very tranquil and scenic place to sit. In fact it was so tranquil, that I did not want to move from this ideal position. Unfortunately the pub was due to close at 3.pm (opening again later on) so we didn't go in. We will never know if they had any S.B.A. – well until our next visit!

The Snowshill Arms, March 2022

Our final port of call, was The pheasant Inn at Toddington, our final Donnington pub along the route. We travelled along a really picturesque route, riding along narrow country lanes, and roads surrounded by serene fields. At one point, we travelled along a rugged country lane, with nothing but the wind blowing through the trees, it was rather soothing to listen to.

We arrived at the Pheasant, and sat in front of the pub with the glaring sun in our eyes. The Pheasant used to be a freehouse, but was taken over by Donnington in March 2016 and given a splendid makeover of the interior. It now resembles a country club, which is quite appealing. If it hadn't been so pleasant outside, I would have enjoyed sitting in the comfortable surroundings. We ordered drinks, but alas S.B.A. was not amongst them!

The Pheasant Inn pub sign 2014

I have photographed the Pheasant over the years, there used to be a shop attached to it, it has now been integrated into the fabric of the pub. A more recent photo taken in 2016, was published on a fairly well known travel website, and subsequently ended up on the cover on The Pheasant's Christmas menu! Of course it would have been nice, if they had asked my permission before using the photo.

The Pheasant Inn, May 2016

It was not our intention to have a Donnington themed pub crawl, but I am glad that it worked out that way, because it was a very enjoyable day. Ironically the best drink of the day, was Lilly's Mango Cider, which was purchased at The Crown and Trumpet in Broadway.

 

Getting from A to B

One of the few advantages of being in lock down in 2020, was that I managed to save enough money to upgrade my mode of transport to an electric cycle. I have had it since August 2021, and I love using it. I have been on a few long distance journeys, some with my partner and some solo journeys. We cycled to Cirencester, which is about a 30 mile journey, there and back, it was really enjoyable.

On Tuesday I ventured out on the cycle on my own. It was still quite gusty from Storm Eunice and Franklin. My intention was to cycle to the House in the Tree, which is a pub on the outskirts of Cheltenham. I have fond memories of the House in the Tree, it was one of the first pubs that I visited as a teenager. I owned my first Mo-ped, it was a Garelli quite a horrendous thing really, but I managed to upgrade after a while!

The journey to the pub was a little precarious, because the road was closed. Apparently some trees had blown over and caused an obstruction. Luckily as I approached the no entry signs, some men were in the process of removing the signs to allow traffic to use the road. I was a little nervous travelling along the road, because of the possibility of more fallen trees, but it was OK. The journey didn't take long at all, but when I arrived there the pub was closed.

Maybe I will attempt the journey again, I hope there will be some more interesting long journeys in the near future, I'm still getting used to my bike.

The House in the Tree, February 2022

Stepping out of the comfort zone

There are times in a person's life, when you have to push yourself to the limit. Up until now, I've never really done this, its possibly down to lack of ambition, or just plain laziness. Last week, I “geared” myself up to go on a long cycle ride, little did I know that it would end up being the longest Journey by cycle, that I have ever attempted.

My journey began in Gloucestershire, I intended to follow the same route that I had taken in October last year, but I took a slight detour to photograph The Shutter Inn in Gotherington. I have photographed this pub on quite a few occasions, even visited it a few times. There have been quite a few different owners since I first photographed it, I'm glad to say they seem to be doing well at this time. It is certainly the most picturesque that I have seen it.

The Shutter Inn, July 2021

After I had finished photographing The Shutter Inn, I cycled out of Gotherington, and along the Evesham Road. I cycled along this road until I reached the Ashton-under Hill turn off, it is at this point in the cycle ride from last October, that I decided to turn back. But I wanted to photograph The Star Inn, I didn't have too much trouble finding it, I asked someone for directions. I was relieved to find that the sun was in the right position, so I took a few photos, well more than a few, I went into machine gun mode as my partner often says. It would have been nice to stop here for a while, and visit the pub, but I was not certain if they were open at the time of photographing it.

The Star Inn, Ashton Under Hill

My objective at this point, was to cycle to Evesham, the road that I had been travelling along, was extremely busy – more so than when it was last October. I spotted some cyclists and asked them if there was a safer route to Evesham, they suggested that I took the Sedgeberrow turning and find the cycle path. I found the turning, and rode into Sedgeberrow village which is quite pretty, but I didn't find the cycle path. So I cycled to The Queen's Head to photograph it. I have passed by this pub on a number of occasions when I was using the 540 bus service, from Tewkesbury to Evesham. In fact I was trying to use this route to get to Evesham.

The Queens Head Inn, Sedgeberrow

After leaving Sedgeberrow, I found myself back on the very busy road to Evesham. I am not confident enough to cross over busy roads whilst cycling, so I tend get off the bike and walk across the road. It was a nightmare trying to cross, I must have stood there a good 10 minutes. I finally managed to cross, and continued cycling along the road, but then I passed the turning into Childswickham and Broadway. So I decided to alter my plans, and take a safer route. I spent another 8 minutes trying to cross the road again! I travelled along the road, until I reached The Childswickham Inn or The Inn & Brasserie at Childswickham, to give it it's proper title! I have been to this establishment before back in May 2019, I don't often visit pubs because of the great reviews they've received, but I broke with tradition and decided to try it. I was quite impressed. 

Up until now I had been engrossed in my long journey and had momentarily forgotten all about Covid 19, but the reality of it hit me when I was confronted by the safety precautions one has to adhere to. They were nothing extreme, just a reminder that Covid is still lurking out there. I complied with their precautions and was shown to a table in their marvellous beer garden. The trip to Childswickham is worth it for this alone! Once again, the food was excellent, I wish that I had brought my partner here, I'm sure he would have enjoyed it. Although I enjoyed the meal, and sitting in the beer garden, it didn't feel the same as my pre-Covid visit. I think people are under a great deal of stress at the moment, whether this has been eased by “freedom” day remains to be seen.  

The Inn & Brasserie at Childswickham

The pub was becoming quite busy, which is good, but it was my cue to leave. I set off along the long road to Broadway, I had abandoned my plan to travel to Evesham. I reached Broadway, found a bench and rested for a while. As everyone is aware, Broadway is a lovely village with honey coloured stone buildings – the stuff chocolate box covers were made for. I've travelled here quite a few times, firstly with my partner and his brother, more recently using the bus service from Cheltenham to Broadway. It was on this journey, that I first discovered the Childswickam Inn. The highlight of my epic cycle ride, had to be cycling along the main High Street in Broadway, passing the lovely shops and hotels. I felt like Rocky ascending the steps after he had completed his fitness regime! I rode to the top of the High Street, and photographed The Horse and Hound pub, it looks wonderful with the sun on it.

The Horse & Hound, Broadway

My final task was to photograph the legendary Crown & Trumpet pub, which meant travelling back down the High Street and turning off into Church Street. The pub was renowned amongst other things, for it's long established landlord, I'm not sure if he is still there, but we were lucky enough to meet him, when we visited several years ago. The pub usually has cars parked outside, making it difficult to get a reasonable photograph, but on this occasion there were socially distanced tables outside. I may have captured a rare moment in the pub's history!

The Crown & Trumpet, Broadway

By now, my legs and thigh were aching significantly, I didn't feel like I could travel much further, so I headed off in the direction of Cheltenham. I took a few wrong turns, and ended up on a long and arduous journey through Winchcombe and down the Cleeve Hill Road. Later that evening, my partner calculated that I had cycled 30 miles. I hope I get the chance to go on an equally interesting journey in the near future, Lets hope my photography skills are up to the challenge.

Take me home country roads

Since April I've been on a few excursions to some of our favourite places, both with my partner and solo. A week or so ago, we travelled to Weston-super-Mare by train, I will write a separate post about this on another occasion. For now I will concentrate on my very recent bus trip to Stroud. I began my journey with the intention of travelling to Devizes via Swindon, but due to time constraints I opted to catch the connecting bus to Stroud, from Cirencester. The journey was enjoyable for two reasons, the helpful bus driver and the lovely country roads filled with wild flowers. I was unable to stop and take photos, because this particular service is infrequent. Thanks to Cotswold Green for a most pleasant journey.

I got off the bus at Bowbridge, which is a short walk from Stroud town centre. I wanted to photograph The Bowbridge Arms, which has had quite a chequered history in recent years. When I first photographed the pub back in 2016, it was known as The British Oak and had been closed for a while. There were ambitious plans to reopen the pub and link it to the restoration of the nearby canal, hence the new name The Bowbridge Lock. The reopening went ahead, at the time of our first visit to the pub, there were 8 real ales available, we predicted that it would have a bright future. However it closed not long after, within a few weeks it was open again, but with a reduced range of ales.

The pub closed again in December 2016, but within weeks it reopened under a new name The Bowbridge Arms, new signage and management. I have speculated about what happened with the change of management in a very short space of time, but I am not in possession of all of the facts, so I will stay silent on this issue. After months of uncertainty regarding the pub, they seemed to put their troubles behind them. My partner and I visited on a few occasions during this period in 2018, and enjoyed good food in pleasant surroundings. I have no idea what the current situation is, because it was closed when I was photographing it.

The British Oak 2016

The Bowbridge Lock 2016

The Bowbridge Arms July 2021

Some of the original etched windows from 

when the pub was The Bristish Oak, are still in situ.

After I had finished photographing The Bowbridge Arms, I walked into Stroud to have a look around. I was dismayed to discover that The Little George micro pub, was closed. A little while later, I walked up to The Alehouse, another pub with an excellent choice of beverages and good food. Unfortunately The Alehouse was also closed at the time that I was photographing it, so I decided to travel a little further afield to Cashes Green, to visit The Prince of Wales pub.

The Prince Of Wales Cashes Green, 2013

The Prince of Wales 2021

 

The Lounge Bar at The Prince of Wales 

The Prince of Wales is a popular community pub in Cashes Green, which is on the outskirts of Stroud. Looking at it from the outside, it is rather deceptive, it is a lot bigger on the inside – rather like a tardis! It is basically a two roomed pub, the main bar and lounge bar which proved to be a pleasant surprise. There is a charming stone fire place and wood burning stove, it must be quite cosy sitting here during the Winter months. As soon as I walked into the pub, I was greeted by a friendly bar person, I was made to feel welcome, even though I had never set foot in the pub before. I ordered a meal, and a drink, It was then that I began to realise how difficult being a bar person actually is, they have to be friendly and polite all of the time which isn't easy.

After a thoroughly enjoyable meal, I left and attempted to photograph the pub, the sun had gone in so the photos that I took were rather dull. I narrowly missed the bus back to Stroud, so I decided to walk to Ebley to photograph the Coach and Horses Inn which has been closed for quite a while. There are two pubs in Ebley, the aforementioned Coach and Horses, and The Old Crown Inn which stand almost side by side, separated by a car park. I photographed both pubs, and caught a bus back to Stroud, then headed back to Cheltenham. All in all, it was a very enjoyable day.

The Coach & Horses Inn Ebley 2015

Coach & Horses pub sign

Swings and Roundabouts

Many pubs reopened on the 12^th April, but because of the hours that I work in the care home, I was  unable to visit any pubs until my day off later in the week. My partner and I took a bus to Cirencester, but most of the pubs were still closed, opting to reopen in May. A week or so later, we decided to bicycle to The Mill Inn at Withington, which was as delightful as it was last year, though they don't have real ale at the moment. Their Covid-19 procedures were uncomplicated and easily adhered to – if only this were the case with some other venues.

I had to travel to Gloucester this week, to receive the second part of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine – I even got a little sticker to prove it! I have had varying thoughts about the constant Covid testing at work, and the vaccine itself, but I will confine those thoughts to another place. Thankfully the care home in which I work, is slowly recovering from the devastating effects of an outbreak of Covid, I really feel for the residents and their families.

Whilst waiting to receive the vaccination, I took a little trip around central Gloucester to photograph some of the pubs. The Nelson Inn was a traditional pub in Southgate Street, with a beautifully tiled facade, it closed last year and is now being converted to flats. It is yet another pub that I never went in to. Further on up Southgate Street is the Tall Ship, which has a To Let sign at the moment. It is a former Wadworth pub. I hope someone takes it over in the near future.

The Nelson Inn, April 2021

The Tall Ship, August 2013

Snow snow, quick quick snow!

This latest lockdown is proving to be very different to the one in Spring last year, it has been much more difficult. There has been little to celebrate, with the miserable weather, no places to visit and the devastation that Covid-19 has caused. So I rejoiced when it began to snow in the early hours of Sunday morning, It was the first significant snow fall that we have in in our area for a long time. I didn't get to see much of it, because I was working at the care home, it is only today when it has more or less disappeared, that I managed to go for a cycle ride and take some photos. For some reason, the lyrics to the song “Here comes the sun” by The Beatles seem very apt at the moment.

The Hewlett Arms, Cheltenham

From the photo, it looks like a harsh frost, but I can assure you its snow!

Face to face with Covid-19

 It has been a while since my last blog entry, there has been a lot of changes behinds the scenes – it has been a bit of a roller-coaster. In November I began working in a care home, not as a carer. They had managed to avoid the Corona virus right up until December, then it arrived with a vengeance. Many of my thoughts about the pandemic, have changed because I now have personal experience of working amongst those who have suffered with the virus, and those who are fighting to keep it at bay. I have complete admiration, for those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, for the people in their care.

So now we are in Lock down number 3, if the last two didn't have a devastating effect on the hospitality industry, this latest lock down certainly will. I dread to think how many of our pubs will have been lost forever, when this has finally been brought under control. To be honest, I have not given much thought to the pleasures of visiting a favourite pub, I don't think I will be contributing to my blog as often as I have done, but I will try. I long for the days of fine weather, and travels to our favourite places.

Best wishes everyone.