If you thought The Village Pub went out of its way to court controversy you’d probably be wrong. It’s a pub, it would be an odd thing for a pub to do. Having said that it always seems to be there, nibbling away at acceptable behaviour. Many had thought it’s transformation into an establishment sporting an odd line in decorative bicycles and a menu of culinary oddity would be signs that it is, at last, growing up.
It seems not, The Village has caused Moseley wide controversy by offering, what some experts are calling, a basic level of good service. This has not sat comfortably with rival pubs who are calling for an immediate change in Village practices.
As the Fighting Cocks told us “This just isn’t the Moseley way, when people come into a pub they don’t want a pleasant smile asking them what they want to drink. No, they want to spend ten minutes watching a pale youth texting their friends about a party in Kings Heath that will inevitably end up being quite disappointing. The Village might see this as raising standards but they need to realise that sort of thing might be alright for Sutton Coldfield but we won’t stand for it round here.”
We asked The Village for comment but they persistently kept asking us what we wanted to drink whilst emphasising some nonsense about not selling crisps.
got crisps now!
Imagine my surprise when our party was feeling flush and willing to splash a little cash on the Sutton Coldfield version of a gastro pub in my local Moseley! We wandered up from the O’Neillls local environment (from watching the Rugby – OK I admit that it’s quite middle class, not the game I played in Northfield when they crushed your face in the grass) but they moved us from table to table and then said that they were waiting for a 30+ party to arrive to take up the reserved (from 7.30) tables. At 7.50 you would think it would be OK to sit and eat there but no…. no food is served at the stools sir – unless it suits us on a less busy night. As locals, we were quite surprised when the manager told us he didn’t our custom and we could go elsewhere (presumably how the Cross felt just before it closed). Back to the Fighting Cocks then!!
I have gained much pleasure from the “new” Village when one can get over the fact that the old toilet location (as in just to the left of the main road entrance) has been removed to upstairs suites with fanciful fish clad wall decorations. For some it was a diabolical decision to move the suites up stairs. In its old form, The “old” Village, often proved a valuable stopping off point betwixt the hostelries in Kings Heath when one was making ones way to Moseley Bohemia (and I don’t mean the BoHomo Bar that replaced The Junction – a few tales floating around about that change!). Without the conveniences at the “old” Village and with the long haul between KH and MB many are often left with the embarrassment to pee in the grounds of Moseley Hall Hospital, the rear of the car park of the “new” Village or the bus stop.
Without such upbringing my preference is to stop off at the “new” Village, enjoy a real ale or two with the knowledge I can enjoy toiletting with exotic floral aromas, masculine hand washes and fish on the walls. Mind you it has had problems – the day all the windows and doors had to be opened with a foul smell evident throughout the venue – the day MY real ale was off – I was provided with pleasant alternatives and the evening when evacuation took place and fire crews attended with breathing apparatus to tend a kitchen fire. I firstly thought the crew was a Moseley group fancy dress gang on tour but the fire man’s lift given to me to exit the building briskly proved this not to be the case! No doubt many other happenings will ensue to further liven up a visit to The “new” Village!!