By
Rob
Continuing our attempt to visit every pub/polling station on election day, we headed to the
Everest in Handsworth. The penultimate stop on our list, it wasn't
too far from the White Rose and we arrived in good time.
Slap
bang in the middle of a housing estate, the pub looked pretty drab
and dreary from the outside. It wasn't much better on the inside,
either. There was a slightly shabby taproom to the left of the main
doors, which hosted a few local punters, some worn furniture, and two
newly arrived Pubquestrians.
 |
| Andy, putting on a brave face |
The
drinks selection on the bar was every bit as lamentable as it was
predictable, being extremely modest in scope. We scanned the pumps
and, to our dismay, found that we'd already drank one of each. With
no other options available to us, we went for Kopparberg Mixed Fruit.
Of course, one bottle doesn't quite add up to a pint, and so we ended
up taking three of the bastards back to the table.
Sat
there, sipping our sugary syrup, we'd already written off this visit
as a bad job. As anticipated, the cider was unpleasant and in
possession of no redeeming features. However, just as we were about
to down our drinks in a desperate bid to leave, my eyes spied
something.
Something
green.
Something
table-like.
Was
this a mirage? Like the oceans of water that appear to dying men in
the desert?
Rushing
into the next room, we found a three-quarter size snooker table. I
ran my hand along the baize. This was no mirage.
I
was losing heavily in the Pubquest pool competition, to the point
where I was starting to fear that I'd never claw it back. Andy was
miles ahead, and he was better than me.
But
snooker was a different story. As things stood, we were neck and
neck, and unlike at pool, Andy didn't have his vastly superior skills
to fall back on.
The
coin went into the box, the cues were lifted, the chalk administered.
The
game began with a poor break from me. The reds split apart and the
white didn't make it back past the baulk line. If I'd been playing
against a pro, it would've been game over.
But
me and Andy weren't quite at that level.
What
followed was a typically scrappy frame of small breaks and big fouls, our enthusiasm for the game far outstripping our ability to play it.
Eventually
the match reached its end. I potted pink then black and, with those
shots, took the lead in the Pubquest snooker competition.
The
quality of play wasn't quite at the level seen in the Crucible. Of
course, the venue wasn't quite at the same level either. It's very
rare that you see spectators at the Crucible staggering around the
table, offering 'helpful' tips to the players while spilling JD and
coke all over the floor.
Overall,
it was a pretty shabby pub with an unimpressive range of beers, but
the surprisingly well kept snooker room salvaged it for us.
Everest snooker score: Andy 0-1 Rob
Pubquest snooker score: Andy 4-5 Rob
Pub: Everest (44 Ballifield Drive, S13 9HS)
Rating:
5/10
Pint:
Kopparberg Mixed Fruit
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