Merry Go Round, Oakwood Park, West Bromwich

1950s estate-type pub (mostly now branded as The Merry), although unusually set behind a walled enclosure with the car park at the front. Retains two separate bars; a basic public bar with bright lighting and dominant sports TV at the front and a larger lounge / dining area going back at 90° to one side (with a semi-open kitchen and South Asian background music). Unsurprisingly, no real ale, and the Franciscan Well Chieftain IPA proved to be off too, so I tried the Blue Moon (with a slice of orange, £4.50) for the first time in years.

This is a modern (1950's?) estate pub, built later to service what is mainly a 1930s housing estate. The pub is a Swiss chalet type - as in it has a steep pitched roof, with a dormer range. It is in cream render, with side extensions. There is a patio area. The interior has a couple of rooms. The lounge is to the right, but i didn't see this as it was 'Bingo Night', something a misery like me avoids at all costs. The bar is to the left. It is in white and a bit of brown, with 80's fake beams and a few brasses - i quite liked it. There is a wood floor and tidy brown perimeter seating. A few Jack Daniels items are on the walls. There is a dart board and a pool table. There was no music and the TV had the cricket on. They do Indian food, at a reasonable price (£4-5), but i didn't try it. The service was friendly enough and the bar was populated by locals. Beer; no real ale, usual tap stuff with a decent enough Ansell's MILD. Happy i popped in, but nothing for the real ale fan.