Digbeth is Good
Culture, pubs and a whole lot more.

Sunday: Rhubarb Radio and Digbeth O’Lympics!

Written by Nicky Getgood on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 ( 2 responses )
Tags: alexhughes, Big Bull's Head, Custard Factory, digbetholympics, fionacullinan, John Tighe, johnmostyn, karenstrunks, michaelgrimes, peteashton, rhubarbradio, shonamcquillan, spotteddog, sundaysocial, the crown, the fountain, TheRainbow, wagonandhorses

The last post about my uber-busy Digbeth weekend.  I started Sunday off in the Rhubarb Radio studio presenting Sunday Local with Michael Grimes.  It’s a weekly show we do at 12-2pm every Sunday about all things local, be it news, events, music or whatever takes our fancy.  John Mostyn popped by to fill us in on the imminent Digbeth O’Lympics, which cartoonist Alex Hughes, who likes to come in and document the proceedings, captured nicely.

Digbeth O'Lympics by Alex Hughes

Karen Strunks and Shona McQuillan also joined us in the studio.  After the show we filled up on a nice big dinner at The Big Bulls Head before facing the games.  The slideshow of Pete Ashton’s photos above documents our day, which was gloriously anarchic.

We missed the Opening Ceremony, so joined the fun at the Cardboard Coracle Race in the Custard Factory pool.  Unfortunately, paint had been spilled into the water the day before so it looked like chemical waste, but at least it hid the fag butts, beer bottles and Christ knows what else was floating around in there.

From there we moved onto The Old Crown, where John Tighe was placed in the stocks for Noise Crimes, and pelted with water balloons.

We moved onto the Spotted Dog, where rumour reached us that someone had thrown an egg 60 feet in The Anchor’s Egg-a-thon and caught it without it breaking.  In other news, children were seen running around in custard-filled wellies outside The Wagon and Horses.  The Tug-of-War at The Fountain was sadly cancelled due to lack of rope.

Next came the Soapbox Race, which seriously surpassed itself this year for having the sheer gall to take place on Bradford Street, traffic be damned (to listen to their beeping, you’d have thought they were).  There were some brilliant creations, such as the Penguin Carrier and a weird Grandad Armchair-Trike hybrid.

After that the children went off to enjoy a Snail Race at The Spotted Dog, whilst the more rebellious amongst us headed to The Rainbow for the Rock ‘n’ Roll triathlon of Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.  I couldn’t resist taking part in this one, which included necking sambucca, blowing up a sex doll and snorting a (legal) line before downing a pint. Unsurprisingly, I was crap.  But the humiliation was worth it for the sheer satisfaction that is chucking a telly out of the window.

'Nicky Getgood Housekeeping' says Katchooo

It must of been even more satisfying for those who hit the bullseye target that was Martin Mullaney’s face.

The games ended back at The Spotted Dog with a bizarre Awards Ceremony (I haven’t a clue who won, or why John Tighe drunkenly beat up a penguin) and an extra-special announcement from John Mostyn:

The Free State of Digbeth has no constitution. It has no geographical boundaries. It is the most powerful of all states – a stare of mind.

Oh yes.  The Free State of Digbeth is born.  We are independent.  These streets are ours.  We are free. Free to use our roads to race sopaboxes down and throw tellies upon.  Free to use our paint-filled pools to sail in boats that sink like lead balloons.  Free to wang wellies.  Free to lob eggs.

Be proud, comrades.

Tweet This Post

Brum vs Belfast #12: Old Pubs

Written by Nicky Getgood on Friday, July 10th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: belfast, Big Bull's Head, brumvsbelfast, crown liquor saloon, mchugh's, robinson's saloon, Spotted Dog, the anchor, The Lamp Tavern, The White Swan, white's tavern

Answering Michael Grimes’ question, ‘which is the oldest pub and which is better’.

Now, there’s actually a bit of debate around this in Belfast.  McHugh’s, near the Albert Clock, boasts of being the oldest pub as it opened in 1711.

Me and Karen Strunks had a peek whilst we were there and to be honest, the funky interior makes it pretty hard to tell its old age until you look at the walls.

However, the more traditionally decked-out White’s Tavern lays claim to being ‘Belfast’s Oldest Tavern’, proudly sporting the date 1630.

Photo by mikemuryn1

Not nearly as old, but lovely all the same, is National Trust owned Crown Liquor Saloon, which opened in 1885.  Me and Karen had lunch in one of their famous snugs and sank a pint or three of Guinness.  Here’s my bad photos, which don’t really do the gorgeous interior justice:

The Crown is next door but one to Robinson’s Saloon, established in 1845, which my Uncle Ernie seems to spend every possible waking hour in, so I’m guessing it’s good.

Of course, Birmingham has its fair share of old pubs too.  By far the oldest is The Old Crown in Digbeth, which claims to date back to 1368.  However, there are worrying rumours that The Old Crown isn’t as old as it says it is.

But even if it isn’t quite as ancient as it purports to be, The Old Crown is still a ripe old age having opened in the late 1400’s, and older than any of the pubs in Belfast.

In this video clip Ben Waddington talks about the vast array of old Digbeth pubs, some of which still remain – like The Spotted Dog, Big Bulls Head, The Anchor, The Lamp Tavern and The White Swan.

So the pub telling little porkies wins it for Birmingham. It’s not that old, but it’s still bloody old.

Tweet This Post

Christmas at the Big Bull’s Head

Written by Nicky Getgood on Wednesday, December 24th, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Big Bull's Head, nikkipugh

Many thanks to Nikki Pugh for sending me these photos of the Big Bull’s Head, which right now looks like the inside of Santa’s Grotto.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Tweet This Post

Digbeth Pub Closures

Written by Nicky Getgood on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 ( Start discussion )
Tags: Barnard Hobbit, Big Bull's Head, Birmingham It's Not Shit, Cleary's, Getgood Guide, He Man's Grill, Market Tavern, Monsoon Nights, The Mercat

One of the reasons I love living in Digbeth is its multitude of pubs, especially old man drinking establishments.

Before Digbeth is Good was born, I wrote a post listing the top ten Digbeth pubs on my personal blog The Getgood Guide (makes for a great crawl, if you have the inclination). In it I lamented the loss of Cleary’s and The Market Tavern, which may yet be reborn as a gastro-pub. How it hopes to beat the culinary competition of the Big Bull’s Head He Man’s Grill pictured above I don’t know.

Now more Digbeth pubs are closing. Barnard wrote that The Spotted Dog (no, the other one on Bordesley Street) called last orders on 6th July. In the same week Birmingham It’s Not Shit announced Monsoon Nights on Bradford Street (previously The Mercat) is set to close to make way for the wholesale markets. You never know, I might just pluck up the courage to drink a pint in there before then.

Tweet This Post