Nostalgic Pictures of Old Brummie Pubs We've Loved and Lost Featured in New Book
A trip down memory lane awaits as journalist Mike Critchley publishes his memoirs of great boozers in Birmingham. Having lived in the city for over 12 years before returning north in 2001, his book Happy Hours – A Great British Pub Diary features 33 Brummie and Black Country pubs, many of which have sadly closed down. The 42-year journey through character-packed inns, bars, and alehouses—from spit-and-sawdust backstreet boozers to majestic Victorian drinking palaces—recalls classics such as The Barton Arms in Newtown and the Unspoilt by Progress at Five Ways.
Other beloved pubs include The Red Lion in Handsworth and The Red Lion in Kings Heath. Our gallery looks back at The White Swan in Deritend, The Bull on Loveday Street in the city centre (happily still going strong), The Lamp Tavern in Highgate, and The Old Moseley Arms in Balsall Heath. City centre memories include the Newt & Cucumber and the Fiddle and Bone. Priced at £14.99, Happy Hours is available from Amazon.
Gallery Highlights
- The Barton Arms in Newtown
- The Unspoilt by Progress at Five Ways
- The Red Lion in Handsworth
- The White Swan in Deritend
- The Bull on Loveday Street
- The Lamp Tavern in Highgate
- The Old Moseley Arms in Balsall Heath
- The Newt & Cucumber
- The Fiddle and Bone
Additional images feature The London Apprentice in Smethwick, The Waterloo's subterranean tiled grill room, Yates Wine Lodge on Corporation Street, The Duck on Hagley Road, and many more. The old Red Lion building is now an open market, while The White Swan reopened in Deritend in September 2021. Other nostalgic spots include The Black Horse in Sparkbrook, The Square Peg Wetherspoons (the chain's first Midlands venture), The Dubliner, The Old Crown in Digbeth, The Queens Head, The Woodman on Curzon Street, The Briar Rose, and The Old Contemptibles.
For the full story, read more on Birmingham Live.
