On a pleasant sunny day you find me on the train to Southport where I started in the Wellington:
A classic boozer this, one large knocked through room, very nicely decorated in traditional style. There were plenty of customers at two on a Thursday.
What's this? A handpump with a Moorhouse's clip, I never expected that. As the friendly barmaid handed me my pint she said "It's the first one out today, let me know if it doesn't taste right". One sniff of the vinegary odour was enough for me to reject it. The second pint smelled (smelt?) better but still tasted off, so I had a Carling. I did wonder if another few pulls would reach drinkable ale, but on reflection probably not. While sour ale is always a disappointment, the warning and the cheerful replacement is the proper way to deal with it; full marks to the barmaid and 0/10 for the cellarman. Of course, they could be one and the same.
Ten minutes later I noticed the clip had been turned round, that's good. The other handle also had a turned round clip.
The soundtrack in here? Cheerful conversations with music in the background. This is what a pub should sound like.
On to the Sporting Jester:
Another traditional boozer, with perhaps more modern decor than the Welly, very pleasant and, once again, spotless.
No trouble with the real ale here, because they don't do it any more, so another Carling for your reporter. I recall coming in for the first time back in 2011 for a pint of cask when the Volunteer made a short lived appearance in the Good Beer Guide.
Not quite as busy as the Wellington, but still ticking over nicely at three o'clock.
There were three dartboards at one end of the room along with a pool table, not in use at the moment. Now I look at it, the pool table is parked over an oche, so some rearrangement would be needed to play three games of darts.
Now, a favourite of mine, the Cheshire Lines:
As you can see, one of the locals spotted me taking the photo.
What a disappointment! Admittedly it is better than last time I walked this way, when it was surrounded by fencing during COVID, but this time no real ale is on offer and the barmaid advised me that quite a few of the keg ones were unavailable too. Luckily, Neck Oil was on so I had that.
Only about three or four other customers in, I suppose it's just too far from the main drag, with no passing trade.
Running out of half of the keg beers is sometimes a sign of the wholesaler refusing to deliver until bills are paid, could this place be going bust? I hope not, and there are plenty of less doom-laden explanations.
Are the ancient-looking beams genuine, I wonder? I suspect not, but the interior is very pleasant anyway.
Two of the other customers had an enormous German Shepherd with them, perfectly well behaved but I was a little worried that if it decided to misbehave it might be stronger than the owner!
Down on to Lord Street next, and in to what my database says is the Potting Shed, now called the Southport Coaster:
The Potting Shed was some sort of cocktail bar I think but I never visited. Before that, the Sandgrounder was a Wetherspoon-style place with real ale in 2014. Even before that, I think it was a Yates' but I never ticked it. The new version is a wonderful boozer with excellent decor packed with inebriated people at half four.
The giant screen behind the counter was showing the cricket but I don't think anyone was watching. Karaoke was in full swing, loud but not the deafening level one often finds. (On my regular visits to Blacklers in town, you can hear the music from next door.)
Unusually, this karaoke seemed to feature people who could actually sing! Okay, she's no Karen Carpenter but that was a fine rendition of I Know I Need To Be In Love, by someone called Sharon. Apparently the karaoke queue is an hour long, clearly the skilled performers all come here. I hung on for the next act... A duo who even managed harmonies in I Feel Fine. Well done!
Not quite time for home yet, how about a new one? The Auld Dubliner:
A standard shop conversion, a corridor bar with Irish decor very well done. When I get home I'll check Streetmap to see what it was before, I don't think it was a bar - Ah, Thomas Cook.
My Guinness was part filled and then left to stand above the taps before being finished, that's how it should be done. And no shamrock, of course.
Again, the cricket was on the giant screen behind the counter, and again I don't think anyone was watching. Except me, briefly - The Aussies seemed to be doing pretty well.
Another rather fine boozer, plenty of people enjoying the atmosphere with chatter equalling the music in sound level.
Beer of the day: Neck Oil
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Canny Farm, Kirkdale
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