Up to 'Uddersfield

I don't know why it has taken me so long to get around to this, but here goes - I'll keep it brief as it has been covered by Pub Curmudgeon here and here (and any repeat of photos in purely uncoincidental [if that's a word!])

Huddersfield is a place that I've never visited before and I thoroughly enjoyed my day out. It was a grey, overcast day which included a period of (not too heavy) rain, meaning that the town looked (externally) as grim and grey as you'd expect in a cliché of industrial Yorkshire. Conversely, this actually increased my appreciation of the pubs. As you walk in from the cold, damp, grey stone-clad exterior the warmth, the colour, the vibrancy and (dare I say it) the sheer glamour of the pub assails you. This is why I love pubs!

There are many theories as to why pubs are in decline (which I won't go into here!), but cast your mind back to the days of black & white TV (sadly, NOT before my time!) before widespread central heating at home, the pub was a place of brightness, warmth and vibrancy at an affordable price with little else to compare. Nowadays, you can get all of that without leaving your armchair and if you do venture out, there are so many other attractions away from the pub.

Anyway, epiphany over, back to Huddersfield.

I arrived by train and on-time, so obviously my first shot was the one that almost every visitor to Huddersfield takes - the station and the statue of Harold Wilson! (Off to the right is the George Hotel where Rugby League was founded in 1895 - I declined the opportunity to take a picture!). It was about a five minute walk to our first meeting place the Commercial Hotel.

This was my first Sam Smith's pub in many a long years - definitely a proper pub and well worth the visit. A good start, even though the Old Brewery Bitter will never be a favourite of mine.

The next stop is another lovely, old-school town centre boozer with a well maintained interior...but no real ale.

The Albert served Carling...so what's not to like!

Next was our lunch stop...not really a pub, but a very pleasant café that is the taphouse for the locally produced Mallinson's beers.

The food was good, the beer also and the decor was more akin to a nice town centre café. The Corner was Huddersfield CAMRA Pub of the Year for 2018.

Next stop on our trip was another brewery taphouse.

The Magic Rock Brewery is another of the growing trend of microbreweries on an industrial estate having their own in situ taproom. This one is better appointed than some I've been in, but I'm beginning to feel that they're not really my type of place. The beer was very good.

Then we moved on to a pub that didn't open until 4pm which is becoming all too common these days for pubs that don't do food.

The Slubbers Arms is another proper old-school boozer and was our 'Pub of the Day'. I experienced my first pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord and, whilst it was served in perfect condition, it isn't really to my taste. (You live and learn!)

From now onwards, my memory starts to fade (possibly caused by the drink...possibly not!). I do remember a stroll via Magic Rock (to retrieve a misplaced rucksack) and my back playing me up (and slowing us down!), but we did make it to The Sportsman (which we'd passed a couple of hours earlier!)

Another proper pub on the inside, but I have no recollection as to my drink of choice!

We then moved on to the next pub on our list.

From a distance, as we approached The Grove, I though we were going to a converted Job Centre! Fear not, it is another proper pub with a fairly wide range of beers.

It was getting a bit late so we decided to abandon one pub on the itinerary (The Star) as it was further away from the station. We headed for my last pub of the day, the Rat & Ratchet.

It is owned by Ossett Brewery and has it's own brewery on site (Rat Brewery). I have no idea what I drank, but I do remember that it was quite busy (it was almost 7pm on a Friday when I left!). I staggered back to the station (not leaving enough time to sample the recommended station bar!) and caught my train home.

It was an excellent day out visiting some great pubs with a group of good people making for the perfect occasion! (and extra thanks to Luke for organising the itinerary!)

Bottega Prosecco Bar & Restaurant, Arena Birmingham

I'm breaking two 'rules' today that will possibly see me exiled from the PUB (Pub Union of Bloggers)!

Firstly, I'm going to write about an establishment that won't be officially open until 8th April 2019 (my first trip into the 'future' after just 293 forays into the past and present!)

Secondly, well the title gives that away!

I imagine it to be the go to venue for Mrs RM as she waits patiently for Retired Martin to dash around Brum and gather in the final few ticks of micropubs with obscure opening hours!

If you tire of the excellent range of Proseccos (all direct from Bottega who have been producing wine since the 17th Century) and after you have worked your way through the extensive gin and other spirits/liqueurs there is an excellent range of craft beers on draught - Peroni and Meantime Anytime IPA.

One of the reasons for writing this (and risking my PUB status!) was that I was there when the first ever half of the IPA was poured...and I got to drink it!

It is a hoppy IPA, very refreshing with a traditionally bitter taste and served chilled. I didn't sample the Peroni as I was working. (I was there as the photographer for the Press Launch of the establishment and I'm a friend of the new owner!)

It is situated next to the Box Office of the Barclaycard Arena and is perfectly located for a pre-show (or post-show) drink and meal. It overlooks the junction of the Birmingham Main Line and Birmingham & Fazeley Canals (Old Turn Junction), so it definitely qualifies as a canalside establishment!

This will be the first Bottega Prosecco Bar to also be a restaurant anywhere in the world and so will provide a top quality dining and drinking experience - a welcome addition to Birmingham's buzzing hospitality offerings.

#256 The Poacher's Pocket, Gledrid, Shropshire : 1996 to 2018

Our first boating trip all the way up the Llangollen Canal was in 1996, although we'd gone as far as Whitchurch in 1981. Our first visit to The Poacher's Pocket was at lunchtime on Monday 26th August 1996.

This was the view from the canal side entrance to the pub. As I recall it was a pleasant pub and the first we'd come across in quite a few miles resulting in a very late lunch (we moored up at 2:25 pm!).

On our next trip along the Llangollen Canal, The Poacher's Pocket provided the ideal spot to rendezvous with our third crew member Andrew.

This was on the evening of Thursday 30th August 2007 and the pub was, remarkably, unchanged.

Our next visit was an Easter trip when we'd hired a boat from Chirk Marina and this was our final stop before handing the boat back in the morning.

This was on the evening of Monday 21st April 2014 and, for some reason, I'd decided to take a photo of the more attractive front of the pub (rather than provide a consistent view through the years!). Despite the change of perspective, there's no hiding the wholesale redevelopment and expansion of the pub into a substantial Marston's pub/restaurant. Even the name has been changed! After eating and a couple of pints we chose to leave and finish the session in the Bridge Inn, just a short(ish) stroll away.

Our most recent visit was a lunchtime stop on Friday 31st August 2018 on our way to Llangollen.

Pretty much unchanged from the previous visit, but this time I did take a shot from the canal side entrance which properly shows just how much the pub has been expanded.

#255 Bridge Inn, Audlem, Cheshire : 2002 to 2018

Anyone who has cruised along the Shropshire Union Canal will be aware of Audlem, with it's flight of 15 locks and the attractive Shroppie Fly pub right beside the canal. For many years we never ventured beyond that classic canalside pub.

However, over the years, as the Shroppie Fly has gone through difficult times, we've tried the other pubs in the village. As befits the name, the Bridge Inn is the nearest to the canal, but is not visible from the cut, even though it is next to the bridge!

So, despite first visiting Audlem in 1981, the first recorded visit to the Bridge Inn was at lunchtime on Wednesday 11th September 2002.

A reasonably comfortable Marston's pub that did food - just what we needed.

Our next visit was another lunchtime stop on Monday 29th August 2005.

 I don't think that it had been redecorated, the colour difference is due to the vagaries of photos in bright and overcast conditions (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Although we visited Audlem several more times it wasn't until Monday 8th August 2016 that we revisited the Bridge Inn (again for lunch).

This is the rear approach to the pub from the canal showing the (fairly recent, but don't know when) extension. Still the same character as previously.

Our most recent visit was on Tuesday 4th September 2018 for yet another lunchtime stop.

The pub was largely unchanged and as pleasant as ever.

#254 Barge & Bridge, Atherstone, Warwickshire : 1995 to 2018 RIP

Although we'd stopped at Atherstone on a fairly frequent basis it wasn't until the evening of Monday 4th September 1995 that we ventured into the Barge & Bridge which was situated by the canal bridge just before the Atherstone flight of locks begins its descent.

This was the first time that I'd had a proper chance to explore Atherstone as our previous visits had been quite short. I have no recollection as to what the interior of the pub was like. As I recall, we had a pint and moved on to the numerous other pubs in the town.

There are so many pubs in Atherstone that we didn't revisit the Bridge & Barge until the evening of Tuesday 26th May 2009.

I have a feeling that we didn't go inside because it was closed and up for sale. It had obviously been quite extensively refurbished since 1995, but seemingly to no avail.

On our most recent visit to Atherstone, on the evening of Saturday 29th September 2018, this was the scene that we found.

This was to be our last pub stop for the night as it was on the way back to our boat...but there was no trace! Fortunately the street light is still there as the lone sentinel for a long deceased pub.

I'm actually quite surprised that more of the Atherstone pubs haven't bitten the dust in recent years because it is one of those small towns with far more pubs than you'd expect. Always worth a stop!

A Passage from The Indian Brewery

As part of my desire to branch out (a bit) from my normal blogging, here's another attempt to show my Saturday escapades in and around Birmingham.

We'd decided to have a Saturday evening in Birmingham city centre to meet with some friends from out of town. The plan was to start at the Indian Brewery at Snow Hill and have an Italian meal just around the corner. What could possibly go wrong?

Although we knew that the Indian Brewery also did street food as part of its offering there would surely be a separate bar area just for drinkers...there wasn't! When we arrived at just before 7pm there was a queue of about 15 people waiting for drinks and nowhere to sit as all the tables were occupied or reserved! It was laid out in typically modern brewery tap style with lots of bench seating...but it isn't a pub...it is a GASTROPUB masquerading as a brewery tap house. We left without sampling any of the (seemingly) fine beers that were on offer.

We decided to move on to the Queens Arms in Newhall Street...at least that's a proper boozer!

At this early hour (just after 7pm) it wasn't very busy apart from a very noisy table of people. They weren't obnoxious, they weren't even that rowdy, but every so often they'd become really LOUD, not helped by the very echoing sound of an almost empty pub. So, after a pint (Foster's for me!), we moved on. ("Miserable old gits"?...Us?...How very dare you!!)

Our next port of call was Saint Paul's House which is on St Paul's Square and used to be known as The Rope Walk.

This is more of an eatery than a pub, but at least there is plenty of space if you just want a drink and, with a bit of shuffling and rearangement of already seated drinkers, we could all sit together. After another pint of lager (Carling, I think!) it was time for the restaurant.

Cucina Rustica is an upmarket Italian that we'd not been to for a good number of years. The food was good, the Peroni cold and the red wine quaffable (and the bill was less than I was expecting!)...so, all was finally right with the world again.

Back out into the drizzly night, passing the obligatory Brummie beggar, we headed back to the Queens Arms for a final pint. The noisy crowd had gone and the pub was fairly busy (for 11:30pm!). This time I eschewed the lager and had a pint of Wye Valley IPA served in a proper beer glass - the first time that has happened to me in many a long year!

So, the evening ended well...apart from our taxi initially being despatched to the Queens Arms in Macdonald Street (which is on the other side of the city centre...and has been closed for at least five years!) but we got home safe and sound which is all that really matters!

#253 Royal Oak, Polesworth, Warwickshire : 1998 to 2018

Our first ever canal visit to Polesworth was back in 1982, but I wasn't taking pictures of every pub back then, so you have to wait until the evening of Monday 22nd June 1998 for the first picture of the Royal Oak.

It is a small, proper boozer, close to one of the canal bridges in the village, so ideal for a quick pint as I don't think we've ever eaten in there (not sure if they've ever done food!)

We returned a couple of years later on the evening of Wednesday 31st May 2000.

In the space of those two years it had gone from being a Bass pub to a Banks's 'Free House'. It had been redecorated and re-signed on the outside, but I've no recollection of the inside.

It was a little longer between visits, but the next time we popped into the Royal Oak was on the evening of Monday 30th August 2004.

Again, the signage had been changed and any mention of Banks's removed.

Another five years passed by and, when we returned at lunchtime on Wednesday 27th May 2009, the exterior was remarkably unchanged.

There was a board advertising some food, but I have a feeling that there wasn't any!

We did visit Polesworth at lunchtime on Wednesday 1st June 2011 and, although we didn't go into the Royal Oak, I still managed to get a picture as we passed by.

Apart from the addition of an England flag (possibly left over from the 2010 World Cup?) nothing had changed.

Our next visit was four years later on the evening of Sunday 24th May 2015.

This time the signage had changed with what appears to be the return of the original hanging sign, although in a slightly different position to accommodate the new sign on the front of the pub.

Our most recent visit to the Royal Oak was at lunchtime on Saturday 29th September 2018 as we moved Peggy Ellen to her new mooring at Wigram's Turn Marina, Napton.

No changes to the outside and, inside, it s still the same, small proper pub...but no food. So after a pint we moved on to Foster's Yard for our lunch.