All hail the ale!

Just off the Stourbridge Ring Road, only a minute or two by foot from the main shopping area, lies Craddock’s Brewery.  Yesterday I paid it a visit.

Situated behind a quaint and cosy pub, this brewery defies all expectations, because for all its compact nature, it manages to supply the pub to which it’s attached, and three others owned by the company, with a constant supply of ale.

Now you know me, I don’t drink ale. But I had booked the brewery tour as a present for my partner, and so for that reason, plus the fact that I seldom turn down new experiences, I accompanied him.

To be truthful, I wasn’t expecting much. Our admission ticket included pie and mash at the end of the tour, and prior to the event I thought that would most likely be all I got out of the experience.

I was wrong.

The owner of the brewery, David Craddock, conducted the tour himself and proved to be witty, approachable and exceptionally knowledgeable, not just about the process of making good beer, but the history of it.

Along with the others in the tour I sniffed hops, tasted some of the ingredients used to flavour the drink and asked numerous questions. All were answered with ease and appreciation.

At the end of the tour came the sampling. Generous volumes of ale were handed out and I did take a sip of each one and even as a novice and proclaimed wine drinker, I had to admit that there were subtleties of flavour I hadn’t expected.

And I was particularly interested to learn that David plans to open a bar right in the heart of Birmingham, funded by Crowdfunding, where profits will go to charity. As a true believer in giving back to the community, I think it’s a great idea and wish him well.

So if you like ale, or you’re just looking for a novel day out, take the Craddock’s Brewery tour. Oh and by the way, the pie and mash was great too!

A little gem of a place.

Being around and about Stourport recently, I have been introduced to the Bay Horse public house, on the Hartlebury Road, much to my delight. 

In a day and age of pubs which sprout false plastic beams from every juncture of ceiling and wall, here is a pub that's the real deal. Quaint and traditional without being either tatty or old-fashioned, it has that warmth of yesteryear with none of the heavy-handedness of deliberate retrogressive interior design. The pub looks cute and quaint because it is exactly that.

Likewise the attitude of the management and bar staff belong to another era, one where customers were warmly welcomed without being intruded upon, where diners and drinkers alike were free to have as much camaraderie and rapport with the staff as they wished, without feeling as if the smiles were fake and the opinions proffered were bland pleasantries. Wish that it were so in all pubs. 

Who hasn't nowadays visited an establishment where the staff are almost indifferent to the needs of their customers, where the queue at the bar comes secondary in importance to finding out what Jim did on his night off? Where walls have been pained an off-white to look older than they are, and where leather sofas have been bought with that 'worn look' to add to the fake ambiance? 

And that's where the Bay Horse has it all going on for real. Add to this a full and varied menu from which there seems to be almost too much choice, and I was captivated. Twice now I have eaten there, and twice I have been more than pleased with my meal - large flavoursome portions which were complimented by crisp salads and tasty chips.

So when I'm back down that way, guess where you will find me... That's right, tucked into a warm corner, knife and fork in hand.

Until then - Happy Reading! x  

Calling All Black Country Bibliophiles!

On Friday I will be live with the wonderful Fizzogs, on Black Country Radio, 102.5fm. We will be  talking about my published books and my forthcoming release, Ascension, due out early next year.

Acerbically witty and wickedly talented, these ladies have become a world-wide hit and have productions to their credits as diverse as Freezin'  [a comedic take on the animated film Frozen], Fifty Shades of Fizzog, Kippin Beauty [ Black Country  colloquialism for sleeping],  as well as their hilarious routine as the Dancing Grannies.

It was as these alter egos that I first encountered them. Loud cardigans pulled over cavernous, drooping chests, they were a sight to behold. When they danced, the whole room became still and focused. Not a single glance was stolen away from their performance, and the applause was raptutrous.

So what will they make of me and my books? Of all the interviews and talks I have given, they are probably the most likely not to bat an eyelid when I tell them that in my dystopian science fiction series, humans are kept as pets by other, larger, feathered creatures called Eyons.

And I am sure that they will love the premise of Split Decision, where the main characher has a life-changing decision to make, even if she doesn't know it at the time.

But of Ascension, dark and brooding and beautifully dystopian - what might they make of that?

Well if you are keen to find out, join me at 9.10 on Friday, live on the radio. I'm so excited!

Until then, as ever, happy reading!