The Charlie Hall (JD Wetherspoon), Birmingham

Called into this JDW 22.1.20 while updating all West Mids Wetherspoon bars and found it to be usual standard and had two Black Hole brewery beers which were ok.

Mostly unremarkable 'spoons bingo-hall conversion, but the front features a slightly curious raised covered terrace and the main part of the hall-like rear extension has a double-height ceiling for some reason. Usual furniture and decor throughout. Modest selection of real ales from the two banks of five handpumps, including some duplicated clips, with A Tall Christmas Tale from Wickwar (£2.19) being the most interesting selection.

This is an archetypal Spoons barn. It consists of a large high ceilinged rectangular room with the bar on the left. There are all the usual fittings but there is a small extension at the back with a wooden floor and some natural light. This area also leads to the patio and houses the toilets so there is not the usual climb up several flights of stairs. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps that on my visit had GK IPA & Abbot doubled up, 2 ciders, Doom Bore, B & T Crooked Hooker, Banks's / Arcadia Angler's Ale and Stonehenge Danish Dynamite. I went for the Danish Dynamite which was in first class condition. This is a fairly average sort of Spoons but it gets an extra point for the beer quality.

Typical Wetherspoons layout and food, with a decent range of real ales although a bit of a mixed clientele!

This is a Spoons conversion, with the back patio area. Usually, you get cinemas that become bingo halls, but this place is different, as in it was a 50s-ish pupose-built bingo hall, operated by Cascade back in the 90s. It is a plain, white building, with a loggia. It takes its name from the Ward End born (site of the Fire Station) bit-part, Laural and Hardy semi-regular. The interior is one long room, effectively. It is in blue, beige, red, white etc - the usual mix, with some wood panel and a hearth feature at the end where i sat. Books are also dotted around, as are lots of Laruel & Hardy stuff, and info boards. A few TVs had the footy on and there was no music. The service was fine and the usual Spoons mix of clientele were in. The usual Abbot and Ruddles were on, with the usual taps too, along with around 5 handpulls. I had a more than decent Flack Manor's Black Jack Porter - showing, to me at least, the Spoon's beers are improving in general. Yes, i would go back - it is, in effect, the best real ale place in the area.