Great wall of beer badges
Landlord Steve Hopkins has created a quirky addition to his pub – a wall made out of old beer badges collected over the last 23 years. Steve is now hoping his "Rale Ale Wall" will become a tourist attraction.
The wall at The Shovel Inn, Pedmore Road, Lye, Stourbridge, is 16-ft long and 8-ft high and has been made out of the badges from the front of real ale pumps.
All of the badges are from beers which have been served at the pub at one time or another since 1982.
Steve found hundreds of old beer badges hidden away in the pub when he took over at the end of 2004.
Since then, with help from assistant manager Paul Akenbrook, he has been steadily using them to build the wall.
Steve said: "It is over 650 beer badges and it will go right across the wall at the side of the pub.
"People have all heard of the Great Wall of China and the Wailing Wall, well this is the "Rale Ale Wall" of Lye.
"Hopefully it will become a bit of a talking point in the area as a quirky attraction for people to come and see for themselves."
The wall will be the latest part of Steve's plans to transform The Shovel Inn back into a traditional boozer with plenty of character.
He has already put up new specially-made wrought iron gates made by long-running Stourbridge company Brettell Bros at the front of the pub and created his own secret garden for smokers at the rear of the premises using planters and ornaments he rescued from the demolished Pedmore House.
He said: "I just think this is a marvellous way to say – look, pubs are not all dying, there are some that are trying to bring the traditional boozer back to life."
Steve also plans to open a quirky bed and breakfast later this year in a property he has bought to the side of the pub.
