A Slow 'Race' Around Uttoxeter

I've somewhat fallen behind in reporting on our Proper Pubs Day Out in Uttoxeter, mostly because my holiday jaunts got in the way. The trip has been extensively covered here and here by Pub Curmudgeon. So, I'll try and race through it with a few of observations.

We were a select band of just four (Paul, Peter, John and me) that met up at Stoke Station for the short journey to Uttoxeter on board this train.

The Staffordshire countryside looked lovely, if a little sodden, as we made our way to our destination (although I must say that it was the only time on a train that you could hear overhanging tree branches slapping against the carriage!)

It was a short(ish) stroll from the station to our first pub.

The Old Swan is the town's Wetherspoon's and, at just after 11am it was ticking over nicely.

Next up was a short walk away, which would be something of the theme of the day as most these great boozers are within 1- 2 minutes walk of each other!

Ye Olde Talbot was the scene of my first ever pint of Bass!

I found it to be reasonably palatable and would down a few more before the end of the day!

Next up was our lunch stop.

The Bank House Hotel is slightly away from the centre of Uttoxeter (a whole 5 minutes walk!) and this was where I had my first ever pint of Pedigree. I didn't like it as much as the Bass, but my companions rated it as one of the beers of the day. Lunch was good, both in value and content, especially as we had the personal attention of the chef!

Then we moved on to (probably) the most well-known pub in Uttoxeter.

The Vaults is a tremendous little pub with at least four Bass hand pumps. I partook of the Bass once more! I'd taken this picture a little earlier and it shows the landlady/barmaid just arriving for work as it doesn't open until midday.

Then it was time to move on, but the next pub on our itinerary was about a mile out of town and, as fully paid up members of the Old Codgers Society, none of us were particularly looking forward to the walk. This is where Paul's wife Jackie came to the rescue. By some strange coincidence she was in the neighbourhood in her car and free to take us to The Plough.

It is a pleasant enough little inn that fulfils the criteria of being a 'Proper Pub', but I'm not sure that it would have been worth the walk there and back.

Soon, we were heading back into town for the next stop of the day. 

Thanks to Jackie and Paul for arranging our little 'excursion'.

Next up was The Old Star which was just off the Market Square. By this time my memory was starting to fade. It was another lovely little boozer in a town of lovely little boozers!

Then it was on to our only micro of the day.

The Horse & Dove was a pleasant, airy micro with a good layout and beer. I'm not sure what the building was before and I've been trying to decipher the ghost sign on the upper floor. I've managed this much "Wilks Favourite ***uouse Millinery Dresses", but that only helps a bit.

While we were in the pub I took this photo which gives a good idea as to how close the pubs are.

Ye Olde Talbot being our second pub of the day.

The next pub was a bit further away but still no more than 5 minutes!

The Smithfield Hotel was another proper pub that was fairly busy, it now being 6pm on a Friday evening. Paul had with him a photo of the pub he'd taken in the mid 1980's and in comparison to today's shot there were few apparent differences.

We were on the final leg of our day out heading for what should have been the last pub of the day.

All I remember about the Black Swan is that this is where I finally succumbed and reverted to a half of Carling!

As we had a little bit of time to spare, we ventured back into The Vaults for a final half before the journey home...Carling for me again!

The trains were on time...and so ended another fine Proper Pubs Day Out. Not as many attendees as on other occasions, but we all had a good time so, as ever, its quality, not quantity that matters!

#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.

#234 Crown & Anchor, Stone, Staffs : 1991 to 2016

The town of Stone (between Stoke and Stafford) is a notable location on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Approximately at the mid-point of the waterway it was once home to the company that owned the canal and was the place where many of the original plans were formulated. 

However, more importantly, it is a town with a good number of pubs, so it is always a poipular stopping place for us. The Crown & Anchor isn't canalside, but it is only a short walk from the cut. Our first visit was on the evening of Friday 26th July 1991 during the journey that took Emma Jane from Adlington (on the Leeds & Liverpol Canal) to, ultimately, Cowley Peachey (on the Grand Union Canal).

I don't remember much about it and with plenty of other pubs to choose from, we didn't return until the evening of Tuesday 29th August 2000.

This was a completely unscheduled visit as we'd passed through Stone that afternoon and were moored at Barlaston. Unbeknownst to us the Plume of Feathers at Barlaston was closed and we needed an alternative! One of the good things about canal trips is that, although it may have taken 3+ hours to get somewhere, it's only a 10 - 15 minute taxi ride back...so we chose Stone as a safe bet. As I recall the pub was largely unchanged.

Our next visit was on the evening of Monday 22nd August 2005.

Subtle changes from 1991 are visible (if you look carefully enough) but to all intents and purposes it is stil the same as before.

It was quite a number of years before we ventured back to the Crown & Anchor, this time there were many changes.

This visit was on the evening of Sunday 27th March 2016 as part of our Easter trip to Stoke. The pub had been completely refurbished inside (as a more dining led pub) and some minor changes outside. The one main external change is the removal of the distictive  hanging sign from the gable end of the pub.

#228 The Broughton Arms, Rode Heath, Cheshire : 1999 to 2016

Rode Heath is a small village by the section of the Trent & Mersey Canal colloquially known as 'Heartbreak Hill'. This is the long rise from Wheelock up to the summit level at Kidsgrove and Stoke, more properly known as the Cheshire Locks - just the 22 to work through.

Needless to say, it isn't a route we often take and, wjth the demise of the Romping Donkey at Hassall Green, The Broughton Arms offers welcome respite from the arduous passage and the first time we stopped there was at lunchtime on Saturday 4th September 1999.

We were heading down the locks and it provided a very pleasant lunch with some cooling Carling (or maybe a Foster's), perfect for a hot day. Inside it is quite a large pub with a large garden; a very popular spot on a summer's day.

Our next stop there was again at lunchtime on Friday 13th September 2002, this time heading up the locks.

The pub was largely unchanged, but several tables had appeared in the car park.

It wasn't long before we returned for another lunchtime session on Sunday 3rd September 2006.

Again largely unchanged and another very pleasant lunchtime stop. (The seating in the car park appeared to have disappeared again!)

We didn't travel this way again until the evening of Tuesday 16th August 2016, this time there were some changes.

Although the exterior had been given a complete makeover, inside it still felt the same as before as it successfully treads the fine line between being a pub and a restaurant. Although we didn't eat there, we did return for a few pints and a win in the quiz (on a tie break!) We did stay on for lunch the next day when the pub was packed again as it was a lovely sunny day.

We will very probably stop by next time we're passing...and the next time...and here's the link if you fancy a stop as well!

Good News & Bad News from Stoke-on-Trent

I know! You get no pubs from me for a couple of weeks, then two come along at once!!

#208 The Bird in Hand, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent : 1999 to 2016 (RIP)

First, the bad news. This is a pub that I don't think I ever went in, but it is one we've failed to find on several visits!

This picture was taken on the way back to our boat after a bit of a pub crawl around Hanley on Friday 3rd September 1999. It was closed by then...and we probably couldn't have drunk any more. But, we'd be able to visit it next time we were in the area!

Sadly our optimism was unfounded (and our sense of direction let us down, again) so that we didn't pass by until the evening of Saturday 26th March 2016.

The Bird in Hand is no more, now it is an Islamic community centre - a fate suffered by many pubs in inner city areas.

#209 Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent : 2011 to 2016

This is the good news story. On the evening of Friday 2nd September 2011 we stumbled across this magnificent looking back street pub.

At the time it looked as though the Shoulder of Mutton was gone forever, but no, this is what we found on Saturday 26th March 2016.

It was alive and well and open for business; so we had a quick pint. Inside it is all that you'd expect of an 'old school' back street boozer. The Carling was nice and cold, but there was no real ale (although there was a hand pump!). More information can be found here.