21st August
Last night there seemed to be something lacking in the pub which I couldn’t quite put my finger on , it perplexed me slightly then it occurred to me ! There was no cricket being played by the MCC , the boys now have nothing to do on a Wednesday night until next year ! If you are part of a team , or know somebody who is and fancy a friendly game then ring Barry or Scott on 01788 571119 to arrange one.
As I type this the road ( Little Church Street ) is being tarmaced so vehicular access will be available by, fingers crossed, tomorrow , Friday.
Tickets for the German night are selling like hot Bratwurst but there are still some available for a snip at £5.
18th August
The Rumors Are True !
Yes , after much hearsay and whispers I can now officially confirm that on Wednesday 24th September , The Merchants Inn will be holding a German night , complete with German Buffet , Live Music & Fancy Dress . Tickets will be available for £5 ( which includes a German beer free ) and buffet , but don’t worry you can still pay for the buffet on the night. The evening is being run in conjunction with Rugby Rotary Club and we will be raising money for Macmillan cancer relief , more details will follow shortly so keep checking back for more info .
31st July
The Boys Have Done It !
Last night The MCC beat The Raglan Arms to become Division 4 champions ! When they arrived back at the pub there was lots of Queen being sung whilst the bubbly was in full flow , unfortunately there were no Flintoff style celebrations but there maybe a few sore heads in Rugby this morning !
As soon as Kolpak returns from his sabaatical then he will be working on match reports and statistics for the season so we shall find out who scored the most runs and took the most wickets this season .
28th July
Division 3 for the MCC
Having missed out on promotion to division 3 last year dues to a technicality, The MCC beat Walcotte to guarantee themselves playing in coloured kits next year! The champagne and curry was in full flow on Wednesday evening and provided they can beat the Raglan Arms on Wednesday evening then they are division 4 champions. So it could be a good night all round! Why not pop along and cheer the boys on this Wednesday evening, they are playing at Fenley Field in Bilton at 6pm.
Tomorrow night we have the Dukes Jetty playing , they are a truly great band with a great 60’s influenced sound , so pop along have a few beers and a bit of a dance
21st July
ROAD CLOSED!
Severn Trent water began working on the drains on Little Church Street this morning and will be doing so for the next 4 weeks meaning that vehicular access to the pub will not be available. But I assure you we are definitely still open.
CHARITY EVENING
One of our regular customers, Pip, is organising a charity evening for Myton Hospice this Friday (25th) at the Railway Club, there will be a Jazz band, Steel band and a Caribbean buffet available. There will also be a raffle with some fantastic prizes Tickets can be bought from the pub for £5 or on the door.
Tuesday Music
Tomorrow night we have Dan Plews playing , Dan is a acoustic folk guitarist , his music is simply breathtaking so why not relax with a beer and some relaxing music.
14th July
Black Country Trip
Well the trip to the Black Country was a huge success , I think there maybe 20 or so people in Rugby with extremely sore heads this morning ! 5 pubs were visited and they were
Holden’s Park Inn
Beacon Hotel
The Black Bear
Old Bulls Head
The Vine
A big thanks has to go to Barry and Nikki for organising such a great trip and judging the feedback received another trip will be on the cards soon ( organised by those 2 of course ! )
Pictures of the trip can be viewed by clicking here
Live Music
Tomorrow night we have Tempting Fate playing live , these 2 are an acoustic duo , so why pop along have a beer and just relax and chill out to some great acoustic music .
For a sample of Tempting Fate click the link below
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/duncan.dakin/
7th July
Independents Week
Independents week has been and gone , what a week it was , we had some amazing beers from Holdens , Batemans , Everards , JW Lees . The week brought into light how few of these small family brewers still exist and just how good their beer actually is .For more information on family independent brewers click on the link below.
http://www.familybrewers.co.uk/home
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS
As from July 21st vehicular access to Little Church Street will not be available for 1 month , due to Severn Trent Water carrying out work on the drains . Please bear with us during this time . All being well the road is expected to re-open August 18th .
Big News
There maybe 2 big things happening at the pub soon ( not yet confirmed ) , I cant tell you about them but rest assured they will be very impressive , keep checking back for news on these events.
MCC News
We are still waiting for Michael Atherton to finish writing is match report from Wednesdays game , but it had to happen sooner or later ….. The MCC didn’t win their game …. Nor did they lose . They Drew ( still leaves them top of the league though ! )
Black Country
There are only 7 spaces left for the trip , so if you want go put your name down behind the bar or reserve a place by calling the pub
(01788 571119)
And lastly but by no means least
The landlord Scott celebrates his birthday tomorrow ( we wont embarrass him by saying how old he is though ) but if you happen to see him around this weekend , I am sure he wouldn’t be adverse to a pint or two .
30th June
Independents Week Is Here !
Independents Week has arrived , and to celebrate this week we will be serving beer from
Batemans
Elgoods
Everards
Fullers
Holdens
Hook Norton
J W Lees
Brains
Thwaites
In less than an hour ,customers from here will join others from around the world and you will be launching the largest ale battle in the history of Publicans. That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We must be united in our common interests. Perhaps it is fate that this week is the Fourth of July and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution, but from carbonated lager. We're fighting for our right to live. To exist. And when we drink on the day, The fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday but as the day when the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive. We’re going to drink beer . Now we celebrate our INDEPENDENCE WEEK !!!
(The words ringing in our ears this morning from Scott!)
MCC Match Reports
There are 2 new match reports to read in The MCC page , apologies for the delay in them (Kolpak has been busy practising for division 3 next year ?!?)
One year on ….
Yes ladies and gentlemen it has been 1 full year since the introduction of the smoking ban , congratulations to everyone who managed to give up (or seriously cut down) since our hypnotherapy session last year, it really doesn’t seem like a whole year has passed since then does it?
Beer Heaven ….
The spaces for the Black Country Trip are fast running out so hurry up and book your place soon.
25th June
Wimbledon is here !
CV21 not SW19
Wimbledon has arrived at The Merchants Inn and the back room has become centre court , so why not pop along , enjoy some fresh strawberries and cream and a jug of Pimm’s while watching every match on the big screen (you could almost be there)
A Little Trip to heaven ( of beer )
We have organised a small away day from the pub to the Black Country , for more information have a look at the events page.
20th June
The whispers of pub trips are running rife with a confirmed trip to the Nursery Tavern taking place on Saturday June 28th , the mini bus departs The Merchants at 7pm and returns 11-30 (ish) , the cost is £10 which includes the price of your first pint ! Places are running out fast so get your name ( and money ) down behind the bar .
The next trip will be to the Black Country on Sunday 13th July , more details to follow.
Come 1st July , The Merchants Inn will be celebrating “Independents Week” which is a week devoted to the few remaining independent family brewers remaining here in the UK , a week of great family ale !
Wimbledon begins soon , and to celebrate we will be showing every game on the big screen with jugs of Pimm’s and strawberries and cream available throughout the games. Game , Set & Match !
And last but by no means least ……
The MCC have had a triumphant fortnight winning their last 2 games ( leaving them unbeaten in the league ! ) , sadly we have to say goodbye to Alex Sedgefield who has left the country to go and work in Switzerland ( and teach the Swiss to play cricket in his spare time ) , Sedgey you have been a great clubman and shall be missed. Full match reports and photo’s will be up in the next few days
11th June 2008
The Merchants Inn hosted the brewers from Purity on Monday night , the brewers chose this event to unveil a new brew going by the name of Farmers Harvest , it is the first beer in the UK to have the red tractor symbol and it tastes absouloutley fantastic , click on the link and search for WARWICKSHIRE BEER for a small video on Purity which was recently aired on Central news. http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/
Viva Espanol , yes we have decided to go Spanish for Euro 2008 , you can catch all of Spain’s group matches here on the big screen , there will also be Spanish beer available and also a Paella available cooked right in front of your eyes !
6th June 2008
The meet the brewer evening from Purity is just around the corner , so make sure you are there . A few of us went to the brewery yesterday , and let me tell you the things that these guys are doing is just phenomenal , not just the quality of beer and the obvious pride they take in it , but also for the environment , to find out more pop along on Monday ……. They will also be unveiling a new very special brew so it will be well worth it .
This Tuesday we have Nathan & Quinn ( formally known as The Badgers ) playing so if you fancy a nice chilled out evening listening to some great music and supping some great ale , you know where to go , best of all the entrance is free !
The MCC have had a busy fortnight as well , beating Walcotte this week , a full match report will be up soon , this week the MCC have a local derby.
28th May 2008
There are whispers of an impending trip to the Black Country on a pub tour , keep checking back for more details.
Remember the meet the brewer is coming up on Monday 9th June.
A fixture list for The MCC can now be viewed in the MCC page along with pictures from the game against Rugby School Old Guard at the close,
Click here for pictures.
20th May 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Warwickshire CAMRA Pub Of They Year & Warwickshire CAMRA Beer Of The Year Proudly Present …….
Meet the Brewer
For more information head on over to the events section.