Huyton

Not a proper survey today, but I can't resist a few local ticks with my shopping.  I started in the Old Bank:

This is a classic boozer in both interior style and atmosphere, but it's not actually very old - opened in about 2012 I think.  Sadly, I learned from the Echo that it is to close down soon, this holiday season being their last hurrah.  The people of Stockbridge Village and Page Moss will then have no pubs left.  A regrettable loss indeed, this is a fine example of a friendly local pub.

At half one on a Saturday afternoon one can see why it is no longer viable:  Just six regulars plus a pub blogger keeping the place ticking over.

Next, a fairly short walk took me and my shopping bags on to the Oak Tree:

It was significantly busier in here than in the Old Bank, but still pretty quiet for the last Saturday before Christmas.

This splendid 1920s (?) building houses another traditional locals' boozer .  Little remains of the original decor inside, but it is still pleasantly done out.

Of course it spent some years as a Wetherspoon but they didn't do very well here in lager town and gave up fairly quickly, before trying again in central Huyton a few years later, where they were, and are, much more successful.

There was some disconcerting shouting, worrying until I realised he was cheering a horse on in a race on a telly I couldn't see!

Finally, the way home goes past the Swan, so let's get a tick there as well:

Another classic building, this one dating from the 1950s I'm going to guess, but it could earlier?

Both the Swan and the Oak Tree were last ticked on the day before the first lockdown closed all the pubs.  I remember the landlady in the Swan was putting up Mother's Day decorations, little did she know that they would be shut down by then.

Anyway, back in the real world I entered to find a very nicely done pub, just as before.  It was pretty quiet with only a handful of regulars scattered around the place, but in the other side was some kind of function from which I could hear a hubbub of chatter.  The way between the two sides of the pub was closed off.  I don't know what it was, but it is good too see a pub making money (I hope) from events.

Other regulars came in, even here in the quiet side the place was ticking over.

Pub of the day: Old bank
Beer of the day: Carling
Miles walked: 2
Maybe coming soon: Kirkby