Coventry suggestions please ?

Out of the station door look left. See the pub? walk up *past* it and then cross the road. Walk down the road virtually opposite the pub you passed as far as you can, then turn right and walk for about 150 yds. Turn left and walk a similar distance past the kebab and curry houses.

Out onto the traffic lighted junction and look left along the main road about 200 yds away you should see a pub on the right which you also need to walk past and ignore.

When you've done that bit you are in Spon End.

You could follow the ring road around (sort of) but it's a longer route and you still have to do the run along past the Summerland Tavern/Fob Watch/

The Malt Shovel is worth drinking in, and the Black Horse a bit further up (just past the railway arches) if you carry on from there over the next set of traffic lights you're bordering on Chapelfields. Tucked away in the streets on your left are an assortment of pubs. The Coombe Abbey Inn, The Hearsall, The Craven, The Nursery Tavern... The latter two are at top and bottom of Lord Street (walk up as far as the petrol station and you'll find Lord Street)

I could say I hardly know the place and I've never been in those, but there is probably someone local(ish) who knows me better :-)

I agree with all the recommendations, but this is a fair distance to walk and there's some risk of getting lost. I'd spend a fiver on a taxi and save valuable drinking time :-)

Best regards, Paul

-- Paul Sherwin Consulting

1. T'ain't that far.
2. You could supplement the journey with brief sips in the less salubrious locations.
3. Multimap.

1. Most important, Coventry taxi drivers delight in being in the wrong place at the times you need them. You could find you waste more time waiting for one to appear than you gain with the (not a lot) swifter journey. (If they are there then the choice is open, if they aren't then I wouldn't wait)

*If* you decide on a taxi you have no idea how long it takes to walk back...

Steve, I think it all depends if you're a regular visitor or not. If Coventry is a relatively exotic town to you then I think it's worth using local taxi knowledge to get where you want to go. You could even splash out and get a taxi back, though if you plan the route you could be heading back to the station anyway, pub by pub.

If you know the place and visit it regularly, then you wouldn't

*think* of using a taxi for this sort of journey (I live a mile from Oxford city centre, and have used a taxi to get home 3 times in 16 years).

Best regards, Paul

-- Paul Sherwin Consulting

Oh yes I would...

Slightly off topic - forgive me Dave. Many years ago I was a student at Lanchester Poly. This thread got me wandering about all the pubs we used to go in. The common ones were the malt Shovel, Town Wall Tavern, Rising Sun and the one more or less opposite that I can't for the life of me remember the name of, Albany, Greyhound, Dog and Trumpet etc etc. Are those pubs still there and do they still serve a decent pint ?

Still there, different licensee still worth a visit.

Still there, despite planners attempts. The old licensee now has a newly created pub up against the ring road (left side of the multi-storey car park you look at from the door of the Town Wall Tavern[1])

Tarted up in various disgusting colours and worth avoiding.

The Shakespeare - used to sell good beer some days but frequently naff.More reliable but not outstanding now. Walk up to the Windmill instead - mostly OK.

Has brilliant periods and then occasionally disappoints - otherwise I might have directed people that way on the stuff from the station (it's only about 300 yards side trip)

Was rather good for a while, latterly rather disappointing.

Oh dear, you were around *that* far back (welcome to the old farts club :-)

Yes, I too remember the days when that and the "Lanch" were a good Friday/Saturday night out and did rather good Old Peculier and Ruddles County.

No longer.

[1] Depending on how long ago you were there you may or may not have seen the "Brooke Bond" exposed brickwork.

Steve, thanks for that. I was there between '75 and '79 so, yes, I guess I qualify for the old farts club. had some good nights out in those pubs... Do you go in, what was, the Lanch SU ? Used to serve Davenports but started doing Directors just before I left in '79.

In article , Tony Henley writes

The Lanch - blimey theres a name from the past - we used to go in the Rugby outpost to see bands and stuff - saw Jasper Carrot there in 76 and Jess Roden (who?).

Kev

Sad to say that the whole building is pretty much a waste of drinkers time these days. A few years ago we did the beer festival in there which for a few days improved the beer standard (says he modestly)

You probably remember the lower ground bar (the converted car park end bit) which last I saw was a conference space or some such.

Yes I used to go in there, during that time period and before.

That's sad. It was there I first found out abot Real Ale which was unknown in Pembroke at that time. Thanks for that.