The Queens Head, Wordsley, Stourbridge

Black Country Ales pub with the usual traditional multi-room layout given a thorough but sensitive refurbishment. Very traditional, but there were a couple of televisions on during my visit showing the coronation ceremony from Westminster Abbey. Anyway, back to the beer, where I found seven real ales and a couple of ciders on from the various handpumps on both sides of the island bar. After the usual prevarication, I went for the M&B Brew XI (now brewed by Brains in Wales, £3.60) as a reminder of the past.

Formerly an Enville house, this is currently a lovely BCA pub over two connected rooms with classic BCA decor. My Fireside (NBSS 3.5) slipped down easily. Notes sparse otherwise!

Another decent Black Country Ales pub, with three BCA ales and two guest. We went for the guest beers, Listers Pride of Sussex and Backyard 1898 dark mild. The mild was superb I have to say, plus the barmaid was very welcoming and chatty.

Another good solid pub from the Black Country Ales group. The 3 regular ales plus AJ's Dukey's Delight, Sharps Atlantic and Bastion Big Hand. Also a good selection of cobs behind the bar. Well worth a visit.

This is a smaller BCA pub. It was showing the World Cup on my visit so I went over to the left away from it. It's open plan and carpeted with a peninsula bar and a darts area to the right. There is a patio at the rear. The bar has ten hand pumps which had a cider, the three BCA beers, Coastal Poseidon Extra & Cornish Cascade, Itchen Valley New Hampshire, Heritage World Cup Winner, Tres Bien Orbit and 4Ts English Stout. I went for the Cornish Cascade (£3.40) which was sour but was replaced by the 4Ts Stout. I had several problems with sour or warm beer on my two hot days in the W Midlands so won't mark it down. There are better BCA outlets around but this is OK.