A Saunter Round Sunny Stockport

After an enforced hiatus of 19 months it was time to get back into the saddle and start saving pubs again (or just visiting some decent boozers in convivial company!)

My participation almost didn't happen as a bout of severe toothache overnight nearly derailed my plans. By morning, the pain had subsided somewhat and with a strict 'diet' of painkillers and alcohol, I was sure that I could survive the day!

My first port of call for a Proper Pub Day Out is usually the same - Bournville Café for a decent breakfast to set me up for the journey.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed the use of the word 'sunny' in my title and yet this looks decidedly overcast...well, yes, it was a somewhat dull start to the day, but by the time I arrived at Stockport Station the sun was out.

After studying the maps and Google Street View, the walk to our rendezvous pub was shorter and easier than I'd expected!

The Queens Head is a 'larger than it looks from the outside' Sam Smith's establishment. Pub Curmudgeon and Paul Bailey were already there...and have both reported on the day out already (I'm usually last in these matters!). Soon we were joined by Retired Martin, Sheffield Hatter and Leonlen...sadly Paul Mudge was unable to join us owing to a broken foot. Anyway, my pint of Taddy Lager was fine!

Soon it was time to move on to the next pub, but not before a slight detour to see a clock strike noon...except that it didn't...apparently it is still out of commission as the building refurbishment continues!

A stroll through the shopping centre brought us to the Swan with Two Necks.

Our first Robinson's pub of the day...and some of 'the gang' just about to enter. This is another one of those 'bigger on the inside' places with an interesting layout. My Dizzy Blonde was very pleasant.

All too soon it was time to move on to our lunch stop at the Arden Arms.

Despite being a little out of the town centre, the Arden Arms was doing a brisk trade and it was a good job that Pub Curmudgeon had booked a table for us! The food and drinks arrived promptly...well...apart from my pudding which took a bit longer! My Robinson's Hopnik Citra IPA was superb...even though it looked very much like a lager.

 

Although it looks somewhat unprepossessing from the outside, the Arden Arms is a gem inside and well worth the visit.

 

Next up was The Railway.

If I hadn't been with people in the know, I'd have walked past without realising there was a pub there. The fact that it has been under threat of closure and demolition for a number of years explains the lack of investment in fancy new signage. Inside it is still a proper pub serving a range of beers...and we're at the stage, now, where I can't remember what I did have to drink! ("Take notes!!" I hear you cry. Well, I did have three pens with me, but all three were knackered!)

 

I hope it survives as it's a friendly pub and there seemed to be enough derelict shops nearby that deserve to be demolished first! Then it was time to move on again...to the Boar's Head.

Another magnificent Sam Smith's establishment...so it was another pint of Taddy Lager for me (I'm not a fan of Old Brewery Bitter)

 

All too quickly, we were off again heading for The Petersgate Tap which I'd passed, but not noticed, on my way from the station several hours earlier!

Inside, it felt more like a pub than do many micros with a fine range of cask ales, craft beer and gins. No doubt I had something hoppy and citrussy, but I have no recollection as to what it was! This was the place where we got 'the gang' back together after various people had gone in different directions at lunchtime (the usual schism - food versus no food on a pub crawl!).

 

Then it was time for our saunter to turn into an uphill trek, which would have been more of a problem for me in the recent past, but I only required one major sit down on the way (thanks to my twice weekly gym sessions!). Before we got to our destination, there was a chance for a picture of the iconic Robinson's Unicorn Brewery looking magnificent in the late afternoon sunshine (and with a bit of extra editing from me!)

Our ultimate destination, the Sun & Castle wasn't too much further away!

It is a good number of years since I had a pint of Holt's Bitter (2013 - The Volunteer in Sale!) and it tasted pretty much as I remembered although the price was somewhat higher than back then (understandably!). Another lovely pub.

 Then it was time to move on again to The Armoury.

By now, my memories are getting pretty vague and, if I hadn't been carrying a camera, I'd probably have forgotten the visit altogether!

 

And, finally, it was time to move on to our last pub of the day out - Ye Olde Vic (ignoring sound advice, I took the picture after I left for the station by which time the sun had set!)

I have no recollection as to what I drank here, but I do remember there being a gentle discussion of climate change. I also seem to remember saying that, "I'm right, of course!" which in a more sober state I'd never dream of saying as it's the last thing that will win an argument! Hey ho! All good clean fun!

 

Pub Curmudgeon's interesting and cunning itinerary meant that the station was only just over the road and easily accessible (if you don't go into the car park next door!) With that, I was soon on a train whizzing back to Brum - change at Stoke; change at New Street and change at Kings Norton (oops!)! The last change was unplanned as I dozed off between Selly Oak and Bournville (2 minutes at most!) and only regained consciousness just as the doors were closing!
 

It was a magnificent day out, aided by the wonderful autumn weather and a superb selection of proper pubs...not a dud amongst them! Thanks again to Pub Curmudgeon for arranging this little saunter!

 

Where to next? Sheffield Hatter is planning a trip to Belper on Thursday 18th November (which sounds interesting!). Macclesfield has also been mooted by Retired Martin for (possibly) Friday 5th November which is also of interest as I haven't been there since January 2015 (and I don't think that we've ever done it justice!). Unfortunately, this time of year is my busiest time in the run up to Christmas, so I don't know which (if any) I'll be able to make!

#284 Three Goats Heads, Oxford : 1998 to 2021

This will only be a short entry, but it is a proper pub and well worth a visit...especially if you like Sam Smith's.

Our first visit was on the evening of Saturday 5th September 1998 and, as it was quite late, this was my only shot of the pub.

I have little recollection of the pub other than I remembered it for more than just it's unusual name. I recalled that it was a good, proper pub, but that's about all!

So, on our recent visit to Oxford, the Three Goats Heads was one of the pubs I wanted  to revisit. However, I had no idea where it was located, but in this day and age of Google Maps, that wasn't a problem. We'd finished lunch in the Four Candles (#263) and, after consulting the map app on my phone, I realised that it was very close to us. This how it looked on the rainy afternoon of Friday 21st May 2021.
 

This was the first Saturday that indoor opening of pubs had been allowed, but it was very quiet inside. (Probably because of the cold, wet weather, a lack of tourists/shoppers and a reluctance to go out!)

I'm not a fan of Old Brewery Bitter, so I had a pint of the Double Four Lager, which was OK, but it's no Carling! The décor was typical of other Sam Smith's pubs I've been to - dark wood and lots of framed photos - not particularly to my taste as it all seems to be a bit too regimented. (I like the more random, higgledy-piggledy look of old school boozers!) Still, there are many worse.

We chatted a bit to the landlady who informed us that it has been a Sam Smith's pub since the mid 1980's. 

If you can find it, the Three Goats Heads is well worth a visit, especially if you're a Sam Smith's fan!

Pubmen Assemble in Preston

Firstly apologies and acknowledgements. I can't believe that it is a whole month since we did the trip to Preston which has been reported on by Pub Curmudgeon here and here and by Retired Martin here, here, here, here, here, here and here. (No, I don't know how he keeps on blogging so much and so often!)

I also have to acknowledge the title of this entry and accredit Cooking Lager with the first recorded use of the phrase "Pubmen assemble" in a reply to Pub Curmudgeon on 3rd May 2019 - link.

Now, down to business...but I don't really have much to add that hasn't already been covered.

This was my first 'proper' visit to Preston and I was impressed with the quality of the pubs on offer (but less appreciative of the 4.2 miles walking required to get round them all!)

The Old Vic

This was the easiest pub to find as it was just up the slope as you exit Preston Station. My train was on time and the pubmen had already begun to assemble. A pleasant, proper pub to start the day off on the right foot. Then it went downhill, literally!

The Continental was quite a walk away from the Old Vic, fortunately (for me) it was downhill all the way and, apart from the unscheduled detour into (and out of again) the main Royal Mail Sorting Office car park, it was a pleasant enough stroll.

The Continental

This pub is down by the banks of the River Ribble and the railway bridge over it (both behind me). The Continental may be a destination pub for the real ale aficionados (it hosts regular beer festivals), I personally, didn't think it was worth the detour. It is a pleasant, airy pub with a good beer selection and a lovely looking garden, but not my favourite pub of the day.

Having walked downhill to The Continental it was now time to make our way through the park (a very pleasant green space leading down from the town [sorry, city!] to the river bank.) The slope down to the pub had been gentle, but the last part back up through the park was quite steep for some of us old codgers!

It was at this stage that the micropub/crafties split away from we 'traditionalists' who were headed to The Wellington for some much needed sustenance as well as beer.

The Wellington

I liked the pub, but the service wasn't up to much. Firstly, there was only one cask ale on (which I didn't fancy, so it was Carlsberg for me!) and our food order took well over half an hour to reach us despite there being hardly anyone else in the place!

Moving on and it was a Sam Smith's pub next - the Olde Blue Bell. Just as we arrived, the breakaway group were leaving!

Olde Blue Bell

I have mixed feelings about Sam Smith's pubs. I don't really like OBB so I had their own lager which was fine, but it's their pubs that I'm not so sure about. They certainly fit the description of being 'proper pubs', but to me, the Olde Blue Bell felt a bit sanitised with the standard Sam's wallpaper and a fairly regimented pub layout. Basically, it didn't have any of the quirks that I expect with proper, old pubs.

The next place on the itinerary sounded like a proper pub - the Guild Ale House.

Guild Ale House

It was, instead, a micro! However, as micropubs go, this is one of the better ones with pleasant seating and an interesting interior.

Moving on, it was quite a trek to the next pub on our list. As we walked past a very busy working men's club a man exited on a mobility scooter and headed in the same direction as us. He didn't make it to the pub, though. His interim destination was a mobility scooter showroom where he pulled off the pavement and studied the shiny new machines (with all the bells & whistles) before driving off with a wistful air dreaming of an upgrade.

Soon, we reached The Moorbrook where we caught up with the rest of our tour party.

The Moorbrook

By now my recollections are beginning to get somewhat hazy!

Next, it was back towards the centre and the Vinyl Tap.

Vinyl Tap

As the name suggests, this is dedicated to playing music on vinyl only and, although it looks like a proper pub from the outside, inside it is a cross between an 'old school' record shop and a micropub. The Killers first album playing while we were there, but I'm not sure if they were taking requests!

Next was The Market Tavern Tap...the pub that couldn't afford a signwriter!

The Marklet Tavern Tap

Another proper boozer, but inside wherever a sign had said 'Tavern' it had been crossed out and replaced with 'Tap' handwritten in chalk (seemingly)! It is a good pub, though.

Finally, we arrived at the Black Horse which was quite lively (well, it was almost 7pm on a Friday evening!).

The Black Horse

Fittingly, we finished our day off with a gem of a pub populated with young folk as well as old codgers and the full range of those inbetween. After a final pint here I headed back off to the station in a pleasant alcoholic haze and was home before 11pm.

Another superb day out and my thanks go to the people who organised the itinerary and everything else that goes into these Proper Days Out.

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!)

#103 Ye Olde Boot Inn, Chester : 1996 to 2012

If you want to find lots of 'Olde Worlde' pubs, then Chester is one of the best places in the country. Our first canal visit to Chester was in 1996 after having paid our first visit to Llangollen. It was like finding pub Eldorado...and just as mystifying...as we so easily managed to lose our bearings with so many pubs and so many streets that looked similar  to each other!

This was taken on the evening of Friday 30th August 1996 as we embarked on our first pub crawl through Chester. To be honest I don't really remember too much about it other than it was a proper 'Olde Worlde' pub with the entrance on the upper level of the shopping centre. I do recall that it was a Sam Smith's pub and consequently somewhat cheaper than most other establishments nearby. However, for a full description of the bar and it's history, this website fills in all of the gaps!

We spent two sessions in Chester before heading back on the Saturday afternoon. We didn't make it back to Chester for another nine years, mainly because of a canal blockage in 2002 that prevented us getting there, but in 2005 we made Chester our destination.

This was on the evening of Saturday 27th August 2005. As the pub has been there for over 350 years it is unlikely that the outside will change very much...and, indeed, it hasn't, apart from a few minor changes to the signage. However the shop next door has changed and Accessorize, below, was up for sale.

And so we come to our most recent visit, Monday 9th April 2012 (Easter Monday), for the first of our two stops in Chester on that trip. Again, the pub has hardly changed and the shop next door is also unchanged (apart from the 'nutter' leering from the balcony! Ooops! That's no nutter, it's Andrew!) Downstairs, Accessorize has gone to be replaced with Ecco. Ye Olde Boot Inn is still a Sam Smith's pub and still cheaper than any others around...sadly it wasn't my round! It does rate a mention on The Lonely Planet website.