It was on a rapidly warming day towards the end of last month that Pub Spy set out for the Lowesmoor part of the city in search of a venue he had heard good things about over the years.

The Pig and Drum, it was called, and confidence turned to puzzlement as Pub Spy strode up one site of the road and down the other, looking for the boozer of that name. It was nowhere to be found.

A quick online search, confirmed by a chat to a couple of local shopkeepers, informed Pub Spy that the Pig and Drum had metamorphosed into the Alma, so he decided to check it out under its new identity.

Ah, identity... and there in lies a problem: it seems that the Faithful City already has a pub of than name.

Pub Spy’s colleagues on the Worcester News had recently disclosed that the other Alma, in Droitwich Road, is set to reopen after being left empty for something like 12 months.

Scope for some confusion here: “Let’s go for a bevvy at the Alma.” “Hang on, which one?”

Perhaps there should be steps taken to ensure that there is only one pub of any given name in a particular town or city.

But back to Lowesmoor’s Alma: you walk straight off the street into the main bar area, decorated in modern, but not intrusive, fashion in shades of blue.

There seems to me a military connection, with photographs of the Worcestershire Regiment on the walls and one searing alcove facing the main bar labelled The War Office, and Pb Spy remembered that the regiment was traditionally headquartered only a stone’s throw away from Lowesmoor.

Pub Spy ordered a pint of bitter shandy, it being a hot day, and was offered a choice out of three real ales, all from independent breweries, served on handpump.

It scarcely matters what beer goes into a shandy, but the choice of three clearly indicates that the Alma is after the discerning beer drinker.

Slightly disappointingly, there was no food above the level of crisps, peanuts etc., but then again there will be plenty of people who will say that pubs should be pubs not restaurants.

Somewhat surprisingly for a Friday, the Alma was very lightly populated: a couple of people in the front bar and a handful in the beer garden out the back.

The beer garden, by the way had part of its seating area open to the sun, and part screened by canvas: a sign that someone in the management is thinking about the comforts of the punters.

Another thing that was clearly noticeable about the premises as a whole was how clean it was, this extending to the gents, which in other licensed premises can be a bit grotty. Another sign that someone with a working brain is overseeing the operation.

It was a pity the place was so empty, perhaps a repeat visit at a more auspicious time of day would be in order, Pub Spy mused to himself; it would be good to find out more about the clientele it attracted.

But overall, the impression was of a business being run by people who care about the pub trade and about their customers.

Its name may be new, but it looks as if Lowesmoor’s Alma will turn out well.