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Branch Trip to Derbyshire,
March 2002
We had a dull and
damp start for the branch trip to Derbyshire, leaving Birmingham just turned ten
in the morning. It was a relief to climb aboard the minibus and get out of the
wind for a while.
A good turn out of people helped
fill the minibus and we were soon heading for the first stop of the day. After
some back seat navigation, we arrived at the Olde Gate Inn, Brassington, which
had a welcoming fire and proved a comfortable and popular place. The pub was
very attractive and was selling Banks's Top General and had an extensive menu of
tempting food.
Early arrival at the Gate allowed us to find seats and settle down to a couple
of pints and to relax a bit after our journey. As it was Saturday lunchtime, the
pub soon filled up with locals and visitors, including walkers who needed to
remove their muddy boots - Not usually a problem in Birmingham.
Next was the Yew Tree at Cauldon, which we visited on our day out to the Leek
area. We thought a return visit to the pub was justified, and there was an ample
stock of pies and pickled eggs, as we'd hoped. (Note the small photo on the far
left below - We didn't think a
larger image was appropriate.) We spent a couple of hours talking, playing darts
and table skittles and watching certain people over-indulge on the pickled eggs.
When you visit
several pubs in one day, it's interesting to see what a wide type of pubs we
have, often with good features all of their own.
My personal preference of the day was the Dead Poet's Inn at Holbrook. It seemed
to be a bustling and friendly pub with good staff.
The gaffer was very helpful and maybe this influenced my opinion about the pub,
as he invited myself, Dick Nickolls and Dave Beard down to the cellar for a
tour. Fascinating stuff, and a chance to sample two or three forthcoming brews -
A ticker's paradise.
The landlord (sorry I didn't note his name) is genuinely enthusiastic about the
beers, and seems to take great pride in running his pub. We returned to
Birmingham at a reasonable hour, giving everyone ample time for travel
connections, I think. These day trips are a great way of discovering pubs you
may not otherwise visit, so why not try one sometime?
© Phil Glover, March
2002
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