The Britannia, Birmingham

A strangely narrow corner pub, with a couple of benches outside. It is a Victorian pub built to service the court houses and the Windsor Road Gas Works over the road, and as both are now gone, this place seems a little out of place now. It remains a nice building, which was originally all brick, but now has a lower render in white, with dark paintwork (it was a night-time visit!) around the door and windows and on the keystones. The interior once had a couple of small rooms, but these are now one. The bar section is at the front and widens out a little after the serving bar, although this area now has a dartboard - but also the few mirrors and pictures that liven the walls up. The decor is a cream artex look, with some fakey black beams. There is a TV, which had a soap on and there was no music. The service was functional and the place had several mature locals in telling colourful stories in colourful language. Beer; no real ale. Usual keg stuff, though no Banks's as the sign suggests. M&B MILD was on, but i had a shandy. Definitely one for the locals.