A real classic local, until its refurbishment, in the 1990s. Many characters, male and female (ladies taking snuff) ,could be found in the front room: ‘Hogarthian’ would be a way of describing it. Lunch time I liked the best. I don’t think it changed in one hundred years, nor its customers: its Victorian servery and bar back, a real delight. Never aggressive, unless you wanted to argue. One of my favourite pubs but to my dismay the photos I took have since been lost: either that or I forgot to take the lenses cover off my camera, after observing the ‘crac’ in there with a few pints of Bass, I can’t be sure. One saving grace was that I rescued the bar back, when it underwent its refurb, which is still in place in the restaurant of the Cow & Plough, Oadby (2015)
Barry Lount
If left alone would rank high in CAMRA’S National Inventory.
Above taken from Drink & Damnation by Barry Lount and Robert Spurr.
For a time it tried to become trendy, changing its name to Kings. Out went the Victorian décor and its customers: snuff sales plummeted.
The Kings Head was one of the Bass pubs jettisoned to new ownership in the ill fated Monopolies and Mergers Commission. For a time it sold Gibbs Mew products.
This picture from 2000 shows it as Kings. It didn’t last, later reverting to the Kings Head. At the time of writing owned by Black Country Inns.
Steve
And
Simone plews owned this pub around 2000, fantastic customer base and brilliant food offers. Never been the same since. And I’m saying that myself! Awesome customer base, love the punters who made our life brilliant, thanks to all of you x
Thanks Steve, yes I remember as I called in occasionally when in town, good comment.