The Bibble Crown

The Bibble Crown – A Relic of Rowley Regis The relic of knowing the worth of solid foundations. Rowley got it’s Regis in the 12th Century, when it was proclaimed Royal Hunting grounds. Its famous hills are made of ‘Rowley Rag’, a volcanic dolerite stone similar to the rocks used to make Stonehenge. This stone […]

The Skull of the Slasher’s Monkey

The Skull of the Slasher’s Monkey – A Relic of Tipton The relic of knowing when to stop. The Tipton Slasher – real name William Perry, was a bare knuckle boxing champion who found glory scrapping to get through canal locks first and lost it due to overconfidence and pride. The Slasher was a heavyweight […]

The Gauntlet of Mercia

The Gauntlet of Mercia – A Relic of Wednesbury The relic of self reliance. A thousand years ago much of the Midlands was the focus of great conflict as the Vikings sought to continue their expansion South-West. Æthelflæd was the daugheter of Alfred the Great and, like most King’s daughters, was married off to seal […]

Barley & Potato Wine

Another day, another Um Brew recipe. Uncle Jon has provided another fantastic concoction from the book of his pal Denis, this one involving Barley and Potatoes. Barley is something which has a long history – at least 12000 years – with humanity and has been a staple food item being used in making bread, beer […]

Parsnip Wine

Parsnips! Glorious Parsnips! Long lauded as an aid to digestion, a tonic for the lungs and (alongside other suggestively shaped veg) something to perk up a particular aspect of ones anatomy, they are now mostly referred to as ‘The one that isn’t a roast potato’. Uncle Jon is my go-to guy for all things Um […]