Kingstanding, Birmingham

Closed, boarded up and up for sale.

This is a detached, modern pub. In fact, the original Kingstanding pub was at angles to the 'circle' and built around 1930, as the estate grew up. It was replaced with a typical square 1960/70s kind of build in, yes, the 60/70s. This was repalced somewhat more recently by the current biuld and the old pub area has been turned over for shopping use. The current pub, if it wasn't for the finials and crest of a knight, would be pretty anonymous, in its dull brick with some green paintwork (which make it look like a large, front window was boarded-up). The interior has a couple of rooms, but the lounge was empty, dark (punchbag machine not switched on) so i used the connecting door into the bar. This room, in blue, cream and claret tiling has pool, darts, a TV showing sport and a jukebox blaring out mixed music to which the two merry gents in the corner swore eternal friendship. Bare, with no real pictures, it has ripped seats and a very much local clientele. The service was functional. Beer; no real ale, just the basic keg taps -so I had a shandy, which was fine. One for the locals, nothing for the real ale fan.

Extremely basic locals pub on side of Kingstanding shopping centre. Bare walls, an almost bare bar, scruffy seats, its dark and a rather threatening 2 roomed pub Unfriendly service and people and not a pleasant experience at all! No real ale, keg Brew 11 only