Plan B Forum

A group of real ale fans from the West Midlands have finished their challenge to visit every pub in Wales.



Their seven-year mission came to an end when they visited The Sand Martin pub next to Cardiff City stadium.

The self-styled Black Country Ale Tasters said they had notched up 3,905 pubs, and driven over 76,000 miles.

They have raised £11,000 for local charities along the way, with their last visit raising money for the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales.

The ale lovers consist of a dedicated group including Pete Hill, a machinist from West Bromwich, and friends John Drew and Malcolm Maynard.

They began their organised pub crawling in 1984 and by 2003 had earned a place in the record books after visiting inns in every county of England, Wales and Scotland.

It was the idea of Mr Hill's father, Joe, to turn their attention to Wales. He served in the army with a lot of Welsh soldiers and hoped he might "bump into some of them along the way".

They say they picked Wales because it has a manageable number of pubs whereas to do the same in England would have taken far longer.

Mr Hill said the pub crawl had taken up every weekend and holiday.

He said: "Every single holiday we've been to Wales for the last seven years.

"Around Cardiff there are 278 pubs so we had a half in a lot of them, until we stopped in our favourite ones where we stopped for a pint."

At each pub the team leave their Black Country Ale Tasters calling card and take a staff signature before they leave.

Sean wrote:I doubt it Jim... These people take their ale very seriously.

Also I've been on Black Country pub crawls with people like these. 20+ pubs in a day is easily done.

20 pints in a day?

Impressive even by my standards.

But what should the (Home Office) Guide be telling immigrants about the great British pub? Firstly, and most importantly, it is two shots on the black! It has always been two shots on the black! I have in my hand a copy of the official rules of 8-ball pool. Always carry these around with you. That might sound extreme but an estimated 75 percent of all pub fights could be resolved with this piece of paper. And by estimated I mean, number I plucked out of nowhere. Secondly, unless you are absolutely comfortable and open about your sexuality, never order a half pint. Thirdly, Real Ale. The Campaign for Real Ale is the number one pressure group in the UK. Yeah, it’s very much like the British equivalent of the NRA only… more angry. And if you find yourself in a Real Ale pub, this is my advice. Make a random pick and pretend that you like it – even if you don’t. That way you won’t look out of place. For added effect, don’t shave for 6 weeks. Don’t dress well. And don’t be a woman.

Sean wrote:Ah but you forget that what these boys were drinking was real beer and not the chemical piss that you lot call beer...

it’s very much like the British equivalent of the NRA only… more angry.

Sean wrote:Ah but you forget that what these boys were drinking was real beer and not the chemical piss that you lot call beer...

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Style: Eisbock
Aboyne, Scotland
Serve in Dimpled mug, Snifter, Stein




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Lord Jim wrote:The only thing I'm familiar with that's sold commercially for drinking purposes with a higher alcohol content would be Bacardi 151....