The Fellows, Dudley

It has been a very long time since I called in here! Used to be a regular last pint before going to JB's down the road. The same beer choice as the previous review - Golden Glow, Butty Bach and Enville ale. I went for the Glow which was excellent. I enjoyed my visit, it bought back some happy memories!

I've last track of how many years it has been since I was last in this place. It's a fairly large building on a road junction with a bright and modern bar on the ground floor and a function room upstairs with its own bar. I was here for a party and headed straight to the function room. However, the two real ales on in the ground floor bar were not repeated upstairs, as there are no handpulls. Holden's Golden Glow & Wye Valley Butty Bach were the 2 ales when I arrived. Later on, Enville Ale was also pulled through. Apparently some people were ticked off for buying drinks on the ground floor (where it was probably cheaper). Although, in my case I had no choice since handpulls are only downstairs. Luckily nobody challenged me. Not sure I'd rush back here, but with 3 ales, it's not a bad shout if you're ever in Dudley.

Having seen their facebook page, I decided to pop in for a pint of Special bitter; big mistake! Place was gloomy and not very welcoming, only four people in (the barperson looked bored out of her skull) and the beer was warm - obviously none had been served since the pub opened. You also have to pay £2 to park, this is apparently refunded in the pub but the sign on the parking meter is missing, so it can be a very expensive pint. Not somewhere I'll go again.

Not too bad a place. Its split into 2 with the rear part for "Diners Only". The pub part has the feel of a basement bar despite it being on the ground floor. A total of 11 handpumps in two banks of 5 and 6. Four Holdens beers on and a cider all doubled up. Real ales between £2.50 and £2.80 is a fair deal.