Me outside The Navigation, June 1999

A real discovery for us during 1999 a real gem, just beyond the West Midlands border into Warwickshire. It's certainly a lively pub with a patio and a large back garden with lots of picnic tables laid out on the lawn. We're not quite sure how they'd manage to fit everyone in the pub during the winter. We visited there on 3 separate occasions during the summer of 1999 and the pub was busy during all. Very pleasant walking to be had in the vicinity and the pub's right by the junction of the Stratford and Grand Union canals. You can pretty much moor up right outside the pub.

They've a good range of beers on offer including Bass and Highgate Dark as well as a guest beer often from further afield. They had a rather unusual Scottish wheat beer on offer during one of our visits a wonderful summer beer from Hook Norton called Haymaker on another. Good farm cider is available too.

Wonderful range of food available from sandwiches to venison dishes. Not particularly cheap, but in my mind still very good value for money especially if you've a hearty appetite as portions are rather generous. Their large fish and chips is something else. The fish must have been a good 18 inches long, and very tasty it was too!

Indoors, the busy main bar has a flagstone floor with lots of canal memorabilia and stuffed fish. There are other rooms too with tables for diners.

Unusualy entertainment comes in the form of occasional theatre evenings as well as the more usual jazz evenings, morris dancing and outdoor barbecues.

Jim with a perfect pint of Hook Norton Haymaker, June 1999