Organic Change

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Not all change is good, not all change is bad. When Big Nev moved on from The Six Bells a decade or so ago, it looked like the end of an era, as the place as it stood was pretty much his and his wife's own creation. A few years on, and while the brewery at the back of the pub is now dormant, The Bells is still a pukka pub, serving locals and tourists alike to good Shropshire ales and basic but good nosh on selected days of the week. Today was a Fish'n'Chip day, so we opted to eat there, earlier this evening, and very good it was too.

A pint of very fine pale blonde ale - which seems to be the local favourite - from I think the Ludlow Brewery, sat very well with the meal. It was just nice to get back to the real pub experience, as there are so few left out there in the wild. We have only The Bull Inn left in Bethesda as an example of the species, and to be honest, they're also getting thin on the ground around Shropshire, too, one other notable exception to this being our favourite - The White Horse in Clun, which never fails to be just as it is and should be - thanks to the best landlord I can remember for the longest time: Jack Limond. I've mentioned the place before [blog posts passim: just click the search icon top right to read more].

He and Hannah also serve what I consider to be the very finest draught pale ale available anywhere in Wales and the West - a Marcher pint to be proud of, and it's brewed on the premises: Clun Breweries Clun Pale Ale: truly wondrous stuff at a very sensible price. The atmosphere in the place is proper, and the grub is likewise basic fare cooked well: all you need from a proper pub. We started drinking and eating there just about the time that Jack took the reins as licensee, and we go back there several times every visit to the area, and this is our second break here this summer. Anyone reading this and planning to visit South Shropshire, should try both The Horse and The Bells at least once: actually, repeatedly...

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