The Bull, Birmingham

Amazing, how a city can change by taking a few steps. Move away from the shopping area around Snow Hill Station and get over the ring road and its a different world. Sparse population - junkies shooting up in the gutter. Hobos fighting with broken bottles. A young man approached in a car by a couple asking "if he was looking for action". 2:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and all this was observed. The pub is old school, all toby jugs hanging from the ceiling and partitioned rooms. I loved it - except (and perhaps unsurprisingly from my description of the area) it was completely empty apart from an old guy who had donned his suit to pop out for an afternoon drink. GBG 2021 entry and no complaints with my Oakham Citra.

Good looking pub and great traditional interior. I like a pub with loads of stuff hanging up - here it is mainly jugs, hundreds of them! I had Darwin's Origin which was just OK but not great.

Looks likes a cracking pub, unfortunately it was closed on a Saturday afternoon so I shall have to wait to find out.

A real good traditional pub. 2 roomed with traditional seating in the room to the left and large table and bench seating to the right. 4 handpumps dispense a rather pedestrian selection of Broadside, Doom Bore, Pedigree and Bombardier on this visit. There are about a million teapots, milk jugs, cups and plates decorating the place. It was also a bit pricey. And 8 for the pub but a point knocked off for price and poor selection.

Proper old school pub as described below. 4 real ales and food served.

Another Gun Quarter survivor (this pub was apparently where 19th century gunmakers received their wages), the Bull is a classic traditional pub that is well worth exploring. On approach, the bold etched glass 'Ansells' windows are very prominent and appealing. You enter to a carpeted bar area with a central servery to your right. The bar has a dark wood counter, mirrored pillars and an unusual wood and glass fitted fridge on the end of the counter. Padded bench seating can be found in the front corner underneath an etched glass porch and a partitioning screen which has a top carved to look like bull's horns and a bright stained glass image of a bull depicting various cuts of meat. Some padded bench booths run opposite the bar towards the rear, supplemented with low stools and standard tables and chairs further into the room. A fireplace with a nice mantle and a mirror in a fine frame dominates the back wall where there are also some beautiful large paintings on show. The whole room is covered in the most remarkable collection of ceramics, with ceiling beams and the bar canopy barely visible behind jugs, mugs, cups, teapots, plates and the like. The fireplace has a collection of tankards and vases and I also noticed sizable collections of glasses and thimbles. The right hand bar is up a single step and offers a smaller room, partly carpeted and with upholstered banquettes and standard chairs. Shelves with more plates and dishes, cups and bells run around the room, with large old framed maps hung beneath. In the rear right corner there is a small, dark snug called the 'Gun Room' with one long table and some plush comfy chairs. There are lots of black and white photos on the walls here, many of which are gun-themed. There were three ale options on this visit - Adnams Broadside, Sharps Doom Bar and Marstons Pedigree. I tried the latter which was £3.00 for a pint and in excellent condition. Thatcher's Gold cider was available as part of a fairly mainstream keg range. The landlady was very friendly and I found there was a really nice, laid back feel to the place. I really liked this cosy, homely pub and would happily have stayed here much longer had I not needed to head off to St Andrews to watch my team beat the Brum 8-0. There's lots going on here which repeat visits will reward so I'm sure I'll be back here before too long.

An old two bar pub on two levels, bursting with character in an area that otherwise looks rather run-down. Terms like ‘country pub in the city’ or ‘your nan’s living room’ bandied around elsewhere to try and sum up the atmosphere and décor are quite correct. Enter through a lovely old part-lobby, complete with ‘cuts of a cow’ stained glass illustration (see photo). Hundreds (thousands?) of old jugs, crockery and plates hanging and leaning from all angles, as well as an impressive thimble collection. It’s an unashamed old mans kind of place along with (on my visit) a few blokes in suits who had sloped off from the office for a liquid lunch with no intention of returning. No music or electronic bleeps, just the hubbub of conversation. Three ales; Adnams Broadside, Marston Pedigree and Banks MILD (ok but a bit flat - what is it with Brum and flat beer?). Hot food served, huge portions and I’d definitely be up for getting lunch in there next time. Overall, it’s a lovely little place well worth seeking out (although the walk there is a bit grim, not one I’d fancy on a dark night).