Lark Lane

Time for an overdue visit to the Bohemian enclave that is Lark Lane.  I took a walk the length of the street photographing various locations before I started in Milo Lounge, a large popular cafe bar:

The fine decor in here includes some attractive (modern I think) arches between the knocked through rooms.

The place was doing very well at two on a sunny Friday, at first glance all the other customers seemed to be eating.  I stood at the Please wait to be seated sign, and my "Can I just come in for a beer" was answered positively.  A pint of Cruzcampo from the selection of foreign lagers started my day's drinking.  On reflection I should have tried the Italian one I'd never heard of, Menabrea, but I'm saying that purely because it would tick a box, not because there was anything wrong with my cerveza.

Quite a few people were sitting outside in the street, enjoying the sunny weather.  The same applied to many of the bars along the street as I walked up.  I'm surprised they haven't gone the next step and banned cars altogether, although thinking about it this would make deliveries very difficult.  And some people still live here, where would they put their cars?

As usual on Lark Lane, today I'm faced with the difficult question of the border line between bar and restaurant.  This one is just on the bar side of the line, I think.  I ordered and paid for my pint at the counter, and I could see one or two others who were drinking.  Before coming in here I took a look at what used to be Que Pasa Cantina, now Minna which I decided to categorise as a restaurant.  If anyone wants to complain, it's my guide so my arbitrary decision.  No, actually, if you have a good reason to disagree let me know and I may revise my decision.

Next, the Albert:

No problem with the bar/restaurant decision because this is neither:  It's a pub. 

I selected Landlord and sat in solitude in one part of the traditional interior.  Someone once told me that the "historic" interior of wood panelling and the wonderful bar back is entirely modern, and if you look closely it doesn't seem to have the decades of wear found on real examples.  (Er, is that what they call patina?) Who cares, it's beautiful.

A slow trickle of custom kept the barmaid occupied most of the time, while I enjoyed the peace and quiet and a fine pint of Landlord. 

Is it something to do with the artistic ethos of Lark Lane?  There's no mobile data signal here, at least not from either of my providers. 

Sky Sports was on the tellies, silently thank goodness.  It's transfer deadline day, apparently, so football's business transactions take precedence over an actual international cricket Test Match, currently under way at Lord's.  I wonder what the score is?

Across the road is Keiths, which has sat on the bar or restaurant fence for many years.  I resolved to decide one way or the other today.

OK, that's settled.  I walked in and up to the counter where the cheerful barmaid soon served me a pint of Timothy Taylor's Hopical Storm from one of the two keg taps I could see. A bloke standing at the counter was drinking from a Carling glass so maybe there were more taps elsewhere? 

Having poured my pint the barmaid turned to the till to ring it up but left the tap on.  Beer overflowed the glass in great quantities until I alerted her.  No need to ask for a top up!

I don't think I've had this one before, it's quite a tasty keg pale beer.

Most of the people in here were eating, but not all so this new tick for me has certainly won the accolade of 'bar'!  The main sound was happy chatter, pretty much drowning out the background music.  More and more customers came in, the place was soon busy.  The food I could see looked very good. 

There was a better signal here and I could see Sri Lanka were at Nelson for six so it doesn't look good for them.

Moving along Lark Lane, the next possible tick is La Parrilla:

Now this one is definitely a restaurant but they were happy to serve me another pint of Cruzcampo after parking me at the least visible table!

Fun Mexican decor in here, plenty of customers outside and a few indoors, all dining except for me. 

Now I have a quandary:  This looks to me like it is not a bar, so it shouldn't be in my guide.  But then I won't get a tick!  I think I'll "do the right thing" and exclude it from the database and therefore from the guide.  Have I wasted a drink?  Of course not, a pint of beer enjoyed is never a waste!

Some very tempting sizzling food was delivered to a nearby table, it looked and smelled very good. 

Good grief, a Spanish version of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill.  Where did that come from? 

Another reason why this is a restaurant not a bar:  I haven't paid for my pint yet.  I hope I remember and don't just walk out...

Moving on, the next place is Love and Rockets:

I think this one had cask ale last time I was here, back in 2017, but it doesn't now so I had a pint of Neck Oil and selected a seat with a good view of the Test Match on the telly.

This bar is mainly aimed at pizza and burger eaters and I must say the food looked very good as it passed by. 

On a sunny Friday afternoon the outside tables were full but there was plenty of space inside. 

Five pints to the good I ought to head home, but there is one more place I want to visit; it was Ink In The Well when I was there in 2021, so it's not even a required tick, but it has since been taken over by the wonderful 1936 Pub Company and is now called the Green Man:

A typical "1936" pub, they've knocked the plaster off the walls leaving bare brick and added the usual stag's heads and other odds and ends.  Most importantly they offer a number of real ales, including my favourite White Rat.  It came in an Ossett Brewery conic making it taste even better! 

Not packed but doing well, by now it was five o'clock and family groups, gangs of blokes, and even solo pub researchers were keeping the place going. 

I tried to remember what the Ink In The Well was like; the answer is nothing like this, it was a restaurant with a small drinkers' area at the front, and I don't recall any bare brick walls although checking my notes I find it had some.  It was rather unusual because it served quality cask ale.

Six!  Taxi for Merseypub!

Pub of the day: Green Man
Beer of the day: White Rat
Miles walked: 0.8
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Cantril Farm, Kirkdale

Slater Street

Not a pub survey, just a shopping trip in town, or at least that was the plan, but I couldn't resist the latest addition to the 1936 Pub Company's chain of wonderful places (e.g. Vines, White Hart, Queen of Hope Street, etc etc)  So I headed up Duke Street to the Monro:

This was a foodie pub which nevertheless offered decent cask ale when I last visited back in 2007.  Subsequently it went more food oriented so I didn't go again.  It closed last year, I think, but has now been resurrected by the aforementioned group.

How to describe the interior?  Someone went round with a sledgehammer and knocked the walls back to bare plaster or brick, and removed most of the ceiling.  I think they also knocked through into next door, I don't remember it being this big.  They then added tankards, jugs and bedwarmers hanging from the ceiling beams, brewery signage on the walls and so on.  I don't think I've described it very well, you really need to come and have a look.  I really love it, anyway!

At three on a Thursday it was ticking over gently.  There was a very long row of handpumps on the counter but I didn't look further than perennial favourite White Rat.

Once again the team responsible are to be congratulated for creating another wonderful pub.

Next, on to what used to be Slaters Bar, now Lanigans of Slater Street:

I can't recall what Slaters Bar was like when I visited in 2003 but my notes suggest I wasn't very impressed.  Moving on twenty one years, I found a long narrow room very well fitted out in a sort of church style with wooden floors, pews and even a pulpit.  Every inch of wall is filled with stained glass style pictures of famous Irish people.  Very pleasant.

I was the only customer for most of the time I was here, so I enjoyed my Guinness in solitude.  I bet it's busier later. At least I hope so. 

How embarrassing!  I looked up what my pub guide said about Slaters Bar only to find a spelling mistake which has been there since 2003 and therefore in every printed edition as well:  "... as I had been lead to expect."  Ouch!

Just across the road is another long overdue target, the Jacaranda:

A pleasant bar where I had another Guinness.  There were many more customers than over the road for some reason, so the music mixed with gentle chatter here. 

Again, I can't recall my 2003 tick.  Upstairs is now a record shop, I think, and I'm guessing the live music is in the basement later.  Comfortable and pleasant now anyway. 

At this point I realised my "not a pub survey" plan had failed, so let's get another overdue tick in, Cheers Big Ears:

Last time I was here it was the Crafty Chandler and in 2018 they offered cask ale.  No handpumps were visible in the latest incarnation so I had a very nice Neck Oil.

Only two other customers at almost five on a Thursday, I thought this was supposed to be the new Friday, in which case where is everyone? 

I was pleased to find the test match on some of the tellies, so I could watch England who seemed to be doing OK at Old Trafford. 

It was rather chilly in here, I think in view of the autumnal weather they could have closed some of the doors.  I bet the Sri Lankans are suffering in Manchester.

Outside, groups of drinkers were commencing the evening's festivities, eventually one or two came in here, and then some more.

Pub of the day: Monro, of course.
Beer of the day: White Rat
Miles walked: 2.7
Maybe coming soon: Lark Lane, Cantril Farm, Southport

Frankby and Irby

I looked at the weather forecast and initially decided to cancel my rural walk today, but on reflection I went anyway, carrying a coat and an umbrella just in case. 

I started with a long bus ride to Frankby where I missed the intended bus stop giving me a longer walk to the first pub.  I strolled along a narrow footpath between fields and the cemetery, and I noticed some piles of horse manure.  I wonder what the protocol is if I meet a horse, the path is too narrow to pass, especially for someone who has never been close to a horse.  Can horses back up or do I have to?  I didn't find out and soon reached my first target, the Farmers Arms:

At first glance the closed front door suggested the place might be shut, but then I realised the car park was full. 

This old building with a very pleasant interior and patio is mainly a gastro pub but they have a bar area for drinkers.  One might have expected cask ale in a place like this but no, so I had a Guinness instead.

Since my previous visit twelve years ago it had become the Old Rathbone which seemed more biased towards posh dining, but I never came here to check.  In 2019 it reverted to the original name, and after some problems during COVID it seems to be going strong.

At half past one it was fairly quiet, but not deserted, in fact I would say it was doing well for a Wednesday.  Diners and drinkers kept things moving at the counter.  More diners arrived and sat outside, despite the darkling sky threatening rain.  [First time I've used darkling in anything I've written, I think, poetry or what?!]

I didn't see a menu, but the food coming out looked tasty. 

Now, a walk down country roads to the next target.  The road has no pavement which was a little scary but to be fair every car slowed down and gave me plenty of room.  Soon I had reached the Irby Mill:

A wonderful pub, this.  Again aiming at diners to some extent, perhaps, but most of the people I could see in the antique multi room interior were here for a drink.  Five cask ales were on offer, including a very good Irby Mill Blonde brewed by Peerless.

There isn't much more to say about this gem, perhaps I could add that the gentle background music was drowned by cheerful chatter.  I could also hear sports commentary of some sort, presumably on a telly I couldn't see. 

A longer walk of 1.3 miles next, Google Maps wants me to take a footpath, shall I risk it?  Of course. The Port Sunlight fiasco is long forgotten.  This route turned out to be a very pleasant stroll through the woods.  It looked vaguely familiar, I think I walked this way six years ago.

Soon enough I reached my next target, the Cottage Loaf:

Another fine pub, Greene King branded.  There's not much historic inside, it has been knocked through and thoroughly modernised.

Most of the customers seemed to be just drinking, I suppose at half past three it is hardly peak food time.  The menu of pub standards is at the more expensive end of the range, fish and chips £13.99.

From the two handpumps I selected Greene King Abbot.  It was the wonderful toffee flavoured version that I also enjoyed in Blacklers on Monday.  It often surprises me that Abbot, which given its ubiquity ought to be the epitome of consistent factory produced real ale, is so variable; sometimes it's a gorgeous hefty bitter, and sometimes it is that but with the addition of a wonderful toffee smell and taste.  Personally, I love the normal one and the occasional toffee one is even better.

I have to say, I was pleased to get a proper seat in here, in the last two pubs I had been perched at high tables. 

Just as I left home this morning, my internet went down.  It looks like it's a significant outage at Huyton exchange, I keep checking for restoration of service, but nothing so far. Is it a coincidence that the departure screens at Huyton station were all off line when I got there?

I didn't see any cask pulled while I was here, they should be congratulated for maintaining the quality with limited demand. 

At the end of the counter was a gizmo that looked like a large rice steamer, but in fact it held two goldfish; how unusual!

Only shorter walks remain, it is not too far to the Anchor Inn:

Another pleasant country pub, again food oriented but welcoming drinkers. 

Ouch, cod and chips is £17.75 here, that's pushing it a bit.  My excellent pint of Landlord was £5.75 as well.

So, very pleasant but expensive is, I think, a good summary.  The traditionally styled interior is probably mostly fake but it is very attractive.

As I looked around I couldn't see anyone eating, but it is half past four, I imagine there will be plenty of dining later. 

The rain hadn't arrived yet and, once again, plenty of people were sitting outside.  Inside, the muzac was very quiet, almost inaudible, most of what I could hear was very gentle conversations. 

Still no home internet; I was talking to a friend on Saturday and he asked how my Zen fibre internet was going, I said it hasn't ever failed.  Tempting fate or what!

Just a short walk to the final target, the Shippons:

Something of a disappointment here, the Thwaites Original clip was turned round, leaving no cask ale.  I had a Carling.  My notes record that last time I was here, in June 2018, cask ale was also unavailable. 

Another food oriented place, perhaps less up market and certainly cheaper than the Anchor:  Fish and chips is only £8.45, that's less than half the Anchor price!  It's a flat rate for all the main courses, a bit disconcerting when I looked at the menu and there were no prices, until I looked at the top where it said two courses £11.99, one course £8.45.

Less up market maybe, but still a very pleasant pub, looking round I could see families and groups who have come for food, and other groups just here for a drink.  The staff were busily dealing with all the customers. 

Despite the threatening weather forecast I kept dry throughout this great pub crawl.  Three quality cask ales, five pleasant pubs, what more could one ask for.

Pub of the day: Irby Mill
Beer of the day: Irby Mill Blonde
Miles walked: 3.7
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Cantril Farm