Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 1)

Recently we undertook our first canal pub crawl cruise in the 'new normal', post pandemic era.

The good news is that we never failed to get a drink in the 20 or so pubs we visited, but planning in advance was required especially for weekend stops!

What was also remarkable was that every pub followed the guidelines differently - some very strict...and some quite relaxed (in a couple, apart from the signs and the hand sanitiser, it was almost back to normal - people standing at the bar, shaking hands and hugging also!)

We started at The Blue Lias on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton (our regular haunt, the Two Boats, not opening until 4th August!)

Here there was no need to book, but a long one-way system was in operation and food (from a limited menu) was served in polystyrene takeaway trays. We were the only people who sat inside. The lager was cold and the food was just what we wanted!

Next stop was Warwick for the evening where both The Railway and The Roebuck were both accommodating with no need to queue. Normal service in the Railway and table service in the Roebuck. In between, we managed to get a very good Italian meal from our go-to restaurant in Warwick, Piccolino's!

Next day was a Saturday (with predicted good weather) so I'd prebooked The Hatton Arms for lunch as it is the only pub nearby after the slog of Hatton Locks!

This is a large gastro pub with a large outside area to exploit as well as the pub terraces which are now covered and protected from the elements by perspex screens. There was only one way into (and out of) the pub, via the front entrance.

We were a bit early, but our table was available so we sat down and enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours of, essentially, restaurant service. All very efficient as they had plenty of staff on.

For the evening we made our first return for a few years to The Navigation at Lapworth, which I'd pre-booked.

Again, there was a one way system in place and the number of tables in the bar reduced, but again, most people were outside.Bar service for drinks and table service for food, so not too different from normal.

Next day and Sunday lunch was pre-booked at the Fleur-de-Lys in Lowsonford, just a short trip down the Stratford Canal.

Again, strict enforcement of the guidelines was in operation requiring an extra long walk for pedestrians to get into the pub from the car park entrance! They were running a limited menu and drinks range, but the lager was cold so we were happy!

In the evening we got as far as Wilmcote, normally a two-pub village. Unfortunately, the Mason's Arms was closed and up for sale. This was not really a surprise as we'd been expecting it for at least 10 years. As for the Mary Arden Hotel, we weren't sure if it was open and, with it being a Sunday evening, whether we were too late for food. So, it was taxi time and a short trip into Stratford-upon-Avon for the evening.

Our first choice, The Garrick, was closed so we headed straight for the Wetherspoons. This was the first time that we'd had to queue up outside a pub, but we were soon inside The Golden Bee after taking care of the administrative chores.

After all the hype, we didn't have to order via the app and it was all fairly normal, going up to the bar to order food and drinks. After eating and a couple of pints we decided to go for a bit of a wander and have another pint in a different pub.

What a mistake!

We left at about 9:45pm and got to the White Swan/Dirty Duck just before 10pm to be told that they were closing. We knew that Encore was open till 10:30pm so headed there. At just after 10pm we were turned away because there wasn't room...there was! The Red Lion had closed at 10pm, so we headed back to Wetherspoons as they closed at 11pm...but...unbeknownst to us...they don't allow anyone in after 10pm. So we were turned away!

The moral of the story? Don't leave a pub close to closing time in the current climate expecting to get a last drink elsewhere, because you probably won't get it!

The thing that really got to me though was the smugness with which we were turned away (not the Red Lion) which will make me very reluctant to step through their doors once/if this crisis is over! Two early 60's blokes looking for a last drink wasn't going to cause anyone any heartache and yet they turned us away with repressed glee without any form of apology (or even apologetic tone!). Still...lesson learned!

Until next time!

"I come to praise Wetherspoon's, not to bury them"

If you'd told me, many years ago, when I visited my first Wetherspoon's pub that I'd be writing a post in praise of them, I'd've said, "Yer what?!?"

When they first appeared, I thought that Wetherspoon's pubs were something of an abomination...no atmosphere, bad layout, poor service, dubious décor...not really proper pubs.

Over the years, though, they've evolved and many of my initial criticisms have disappeared or been ameliorated to some extent such that I am happy to drink (and eat there) in the absence of a 'proper' alternative.

Over the years, on our canal boating trips we've been saved from 'starvation' by various Wetherspoon establishments and it is my intention to offer thanks and praise.

The first, and finest, example of this is The Plaza, Rugeley. We first ventured in there in 1999 and I was 'blown away' by the interior of this converted cinema. It has saved us on many occasions, bieng one of the few places to get food in the centre of Rugeley...lunchtime or evenings. It has featured as #218 on this blog where you can read more about it.

Plaza, Rugeley 1999

 What follows will be a potted history of the other examples of when and where Wetherspoon's pubs have saved us in some very 'dodgy' places.

This next example doesn't quite fit the pattern, but it is a Wetherspoon's that we've visited more than once - The Golden Bee, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Golden Bee, Stratford 2002

The next one fits the bill perfectly, although we even had to get a taxi to the Golden Cross Hotel, Bromsgrove. The canal doesn't pass through Bromsgrove, but on this occasion we'd missed getting served food in the canalside hostelries near to Stoke Pound/Stoke Prior, so "Taxi!" it was. Similar circumstances forced us back there several years later.

Golden Cross Hotel, Bromsgrove 2002

Now for one that I had completely forgotten about - The Bear & Ragged Staff, Bedworth. As I recall, The Navigation by the canal was closed (or not doing food) meaning that we had to walk into Bedworth which, back in 2005 was quite a deprived area following the closure of the local coal mines, so pubs serving food were few and far between.

The Bear & Ragged Staff, Bedworth 2005

 Although we've visited quite a few Wetherspoon's just for a drink (Coventry, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Leicester, Stone, Wolverhampton to name a few) this next one was one of the best 'Saviour Pubs' on the list. We'd moored by the Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, the first two pubs we visited were dire (in different ways) and walking further into the town gave only the prospect of pizza, kebab or fish & chips on the street for lunch. Then we espied the shining beacon that was The Thomas Telford, Ellesmere Port. Lunch was excellent!

The Thomas Telford, Ellesmere Port 2012

Later on that same year, we found ourselves in Bingley (twice) on the Leeds & LIverpool Canal. At lunchtime there were no pubs doing food and the town was overshadowed by the brooding, boarded up, brutalist building that had been the headquarters of the Bradford & Bingley Building Society. However, we were saved by The Myrtle Grove, Bingley. On our subsequent evening visit we found proper food in a proper pub.

The Myrtle Grove, Bingley 2012

Along the Ashby Canal stands the town of Hinckley which we'd visited in the past and not had a problem finding food. On this occasion, the only place we could find was The Baron of Hinckley. And very welcome it was too!

The Baron of Hinckley, Hinckley 2014

Ilkeston, on the Erewash Canal is not somewhere that we visit often and with the town standing on top of the hill that the canal skirts around, it is quite a slog to get to the town centre. There are several pubs there, but only The Observatory, Ilkeston was doing food.

The Observatory, Ilkeston 2015

This next one is somewhat embarrasing for me. We were in the centre of Birmingham (my home city!) and yet still managed to miss the last orders for food in several places that stopped serving food at 8:30 - 9:00 pm. I was very frustrated by this lack of opening times and we ended up eating in The Briar Rose, Birmingham.

The Briar Rose, Birmingham 2018

This is one that you'll find most difficult to believe, but on our most recent canal trip, we found ourselves in Oxford one lunchtime and the best place we could find was The Four Candles, Oxford. We were moored on the river for the first time, so didn't really know where we were and didn't really have time to do much exploring, so it was a joyous moment when the Wetherspoon's hoved into view! I had one of the best value pizzas ever, here!

The Four Candles, Oxford 2019

 Finally, we move on to Hayes on the Grand Union Canal. There were quite a few basic boozers available but only The Botwell Inn, Hayes was offering food.

The Botwell Inn, Hayes 2019

 It was after three pints here that I contrived to fall into the canal...but that's another story!

So, here endeth my paean to JD Wetherspoon and how their pubs have saved us from 'starvation' over the past 20 years of canal boating...all hail Tim Martin!!

#243 Toby Carvery Festival Park (aka China Garden), Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire : 1991 to 2017

Wherever possible, we try to avoid chain establishments on our canal trips, but sometimes they are the only option when we need food. Wetherspoons, Vintage Inn, Hungry Horse, Crown Carvery and Toby Carvery have all come to our rescue on our travels.

When passing through Stoke, on the Trent & Mersey Canal, there are few easily accessible places for a lunchtime stop. (In the evenings, we have more time to wander and there are plenty of options.)

Our first encounter was on the evening of Thursday 25th July 1991 as we moved Emma Jane from her northern mooring. I have little recollection of the evening (or the pub), but my photographic records indicate that we didn't venture any further into Stoke on that evening.

Since that time, we've travelled through Stoke on many occasions, sometimes mooring up outside, but we didn't go back inside until lunchtime on Sunday 15th March 2015 (Mother's Day).

This was, again, on a boat moving trip; we were moving the new boat Peggy Ellen from the boat builders (Braidbar) down to her mooring at Kings Bromley. We stopped quite early (for us) just after midday expecting it to be fairly quiet having forgotten that it was Mother's Day! Nevertheless, after a bit of a wait, we were seated and had a reasonable carvery lunch. 

We'd noticed that the name 'China Garden' had long since disappeared (as with the previous names of all other Toby Carveries), but were unaware of the name change until now (when I looked it up on Google; although I suspect many people still know it as China Garden rather than Festival Park!)

Our most recent visit was at lunchtime on Friday 9th June 2017 on the morning after THAT General Election!

We had another pleasant lunch (as befits a Toby Carvery) and went on our way heading up the Caldon Canal.

Witton Street, Northwich, Cheshire : 2006 to 2016

Today you're getting a special 'Two-for-one' deal (before minimum pricing comes in!).

Northwich isn't a place we visit very often on our boating trips as it requires passage down on the Anderton Boat Lift from the Trent & Mersey Canal onto the River Weaver.

Anderton Boat Lift

 

We've done this trip twice and on each occasion spent an evening in Northwich.

#236 The Roebuck

I'm not entirely sure if we ever ventured into either of the pubs, but I did take pictures for posterity. The first visit was on the evening of Friday 1st September 2006 and this is what The Roebuck looked like. (You can just see the Green Dragon three doors away)

Our next visit was on the evening of Saturday 13th August 2016 and this is how much change had taken place in 10 years.

It had been completely redecorated, but was now up for sale...and according to WhatPub it is now permanently closed.

#237 Green Dragon

You've already had a glimpse of this pub in the photos above, but here are the close-ups. 

As far as I can tell, the Green Dragon is entirely unchanged in the 10 years between these pictures...and it is seemingly still thriving!

Whilst it is sad to see a pub close permanently it is worth noting that Witton Street also is home to the Witton Chimes, The Quayside and Penny Blacks which is a Wetherspoons, so it is hardly surprising that something had to give and it looks like The Roebuck was the unlucky loser.