Garston

There I was, leafing through the latest edition of MerseyAle, when I spotted a small paragraph in the Pub News section headed Real Ale in Garston, mentioning two pubs.  That's an improvement on my most recent visit to the area, back in 2009, and the pub I had real ale in then closed down in 2011.

So, skilfully avoiding most of the Ladies' Day crowds I took a bus ride to Garston.

I started in The Masonic.  On previous trips to Garston, I've either found this place closed, or not found it at all, so I've never actually been inside until today.  Here is a very pleasant back street corner house, retaining its traditional two bar layout, nicely decorated and well cared for.  I selected Old Hookey from the two handpumps on the bar  (There were four real ales on the blackboard so I assume there were two more pumps in the other bar.)  The Old Hookey, costing only £2.20, was a little cloudy - I think it needed another day to settle.

The place was quietly ticking over with not many customers in the side I selected, so in between watching racing on the telly I tried not to eavesdrop while the owner argued politely but firmly on the phone with the brewery about some cock-up or other.

Next, the Swan Inn.  This pub is something of a rarity nowadays, as it retains the classic layout in which the lounge side is served through a hatch in the bar back, across the corridor.  Of course, I went in the wrong door and found myself with a rear view of the only hand pump as I peered through the hatch, so I had to ask what was on before ordering a pint of Jennings' Cumberland.  I was alone in the lounge side but there were plenty of regulars in the bar, all of whom seemed to know each other and the barmaid, judging by the chit-chat I could hear.  The Cumberland was spot on.







Having visited my two objectives, I decided one more pub was in order, so I headed for The Mariners, located on the main shopping street.  Now this is a proper boozer, one long room busy with regulars who, again, all seemed to know each other and the staff.  There was one highly polished hand pump on the bar, which I suspect had not been used for years, so I had my usual pint of Guinness and settled down on the only free table to watch the flow of comings and goings in this pub "where everyone knows your name".

I know it's heresy in these modern times, but as I sat there I couldn't help thinking that the one thing missing from the ambience of this traditional down-market boozer was the thick fug of smoke that one always found in these places when I first started surveying pubs.  Somehow it seemed too clean and bright without.

Garston is a remarkable place for pubs, it only covers a small area - maybe 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile - and yet many pubs remain.  In addition to those visited I noted The Alexandra, The Palatine, The Derby, The George and The Dealer's Arms all open. 

Cains' Remains

By coincidence I've visited two of the former Cains pubs in Liverpool recently, with mixed results.

I've been to Doctor Duncan's a couple of times in the last month.  The interior remains unchanged, including the wonderful tiled room.  The beer range now that Cains have gone is a selection of what I might call bog standard real ales - Bombardier, Black Sheep, Pedigree etc. along with one or two less common guests.  The ones I sampled were well looked after, but the measures were appalling.  I have pretty much given up asking for a top-up in some pubs, but at this high price (£3.20) they can jolly well provide the full pint I am legally entitled to.  Even after the top-up (which was politely provided) the drinks were still very short.

So, slightly disappointing overall, and I wont be returning in a hurry until they reduce the prices a bit, improve the serving, and/or get some more unusual guest ales in - The last being the least important as I'm quite fond of a pint of Bombardier.

Moving on, I called in at the Dispensary.  My only complaint about this pub in the past has been that it's too popular and busy, but there was no danger of that on a wet and windy Thursday afternoon, and I found just a couple of customers chatting to the friendly bar staff.  Redecoration is currently under way, and I imagine the paintwork and windows will be looking very nice in a few days time. 

At this point, reviewer's objectivity was perhaps lost somewhat, as I spotted Titanic Plum Porter, one of my all-time favourite beers, and it was, as always, gorgeous.  There were five or six real ales on, including another one from Titanic.

In conclusion then, one "must try harder" and one "keep up the good work".  I wonder how the branch on Smithdown Road - Kelly's Dispensary - is doing?  I haven't been there for ages.

The Book

The new updated edition of the Merseyside Pub Guide book is now on sale.  For a bargain price of just £7.33 plus postage, you can get a printed version of the guide, updated to February 16th.

One thousand seven hundred and eighty pubs listed in a conveniently portable pocket sized reference.  (Providing you've got big pockets.)

Click here to order a copy direct from the printers.

How about a game of "name the pub" for the front cover pictures.  The answers are on page 11.

Oxton Road

Today's exploration started with a train under the river to Birkenhead.  I'd just missed my intended bus so I began with an unscheduled visit to the John Laird, a smaller than average member of the Wetherspoon's chain, where I enjoyed a fine pint of something-or-other in the busy pub - I think I got the last free table.

Back to the bus station after a brief stroll through Birkenhead's enormous indoor market, and I was soon on my way towards Oxton and the primary objective of the trip.

This year's Good Beer Guide caught me out, as it often does, with a new entry that I'd never been to, so a drink in the Cock and Pullet was high on my list of priorities.  Here I selected an excellent pint of Sandpiper from the local Brimstage brewery from the choice of seven real ales.  Actually a pint with a very large head plus another glass to top it up with.  This is a proper traditional boozer with two rooms served from opposite sides of the central bar plus one or two side rooms, all well cared for and pleasantly done out.  The walls are covered with fascinating old pictures of Birkenhead.  A handful of regulars propped up the bar.  I must confess to a brief attack of beer snobbery when I noticed that one of them was drinking Tetley smooth, but it's a free country.

Heading back along Oxton Road towards Birkenhead, I next passed two closed pubs:  The Vale and the Observatory, unfortunately I've never managed a drink in either of them.

In the case of the Observatory it was apparently operational last time I was here, in 2004, but not open at the time I took this picture.

A little further down the hill is the Richmond, which was known as the Maritime Inn when I took this picture in 2004.  In its new incarnation it is a rather tatty one room boozer.  No chance of real ale here, so I thought I'd be safe with Guinness, but no - After pouring one away the barmaid served me a pint, warning "You'd better taste it".  I did and it was very sour.  After a few more pints had gone down the sink she reached the fresh-ish stuff.  I really should have refused it and switched to lager.  I think this is the first time I've ever experienced off Guinness, I'd always assumed it was loaded with enough chemicals to make it indestructible.

My final destination was the Windsor Castle.  The splendid ceramics outside conceal a rather plain one-roomed pub which doesn't seem to have changed much since my previous visit nine years ago.  My notes then said busy, plain and well cared for, and it still is all of those.  After my problems in the previous establishment I went for Foster's here and settled at the only free table to watch darts on the telly.

Good Beer Guide 2014

The new edition arrived today and I quickly rushed to check the Merseyside changes where I found 17 pubs removed, and 17 added.

Perhaps the most shocking change is the removal of the Ship and Mitre, but to be honest the last pint I had in there, a couple of weeks ago, was somewhat mediocre, so perhaps they had it coming.

Those who like a bit of variation in their pubs will be disappointed to learn that no less than six of the new entries are Wetherspoon's branches.  Personally I'm quite a 'Spoons fan, but we all know what to expect in one so I sometimes think it's a bit of a waste of space describing them in the book.

Anyway, as I say every year, for full details you'll have to buy the book.

Decidedly Under Parr

I wasn't sure whether today's research merited a blog entry, but once the above pun occurred to me I couldn't resist.

Finding myself in St Helens I decided to take a stroll eastwards in the bright sunshine, to an area I've never visited before, namely Parr.  I bypassed the pub or pubs in Pocket Nook and was soon in an area called Parr Stocks, where I quickly found my first pub.  Unfortunately, the Oddfellows Arms was boarded up, although as a slight silver lining it was missing from my guide, so at least I gained a new entry, albeit one that says "Not visited".

I continued my walk, and soon the Bulls Head appeared in the distance.  As I got closer it became apparent that this pub, too, was out of action.  Hmph!

I walked on, increasingly thirsty in the hot sun, and soon came to The Park.  Another closed one, and the fact that once again this was new to the guide was scant compensation for my disappointment.

I marched onwards.  The Church Inn looked promising with its pub sign still intact and the hanging baskets outside, but it was shut.  Hard to tell whether it was just closed on a Thursday afternoon or whether it's permanently closed, but the lack of signs in the windows and the blank blackboard led me to suspect it's the latter.

Further on, I found the Horseshoe - A rather fine pub building beside a roundabout.  My initial hopes of getting a drink seemed in vain when I spotted the row of builders' vans in the car park, and heard the sound of drilling from inside.  But wait!  There's an open door at the side.  I entered the porch and gingerly opened the inner door half expecting to find dust sheets and pots of paint, but - yipee! - the bar side was open and operational.  It looks like they've already refurbished in here, as I noted pleasant plain decor, newly covered seats, etc. etc.  No real ale so I made do with a pint of Foster's.

Having enjoyed my pint in the quiet comfort of the bar I decided I'd had enough failures for one day, so I headed to the bus stop for a bus to Earlestown, from where I could get a train home.  And, surprise surprise, the bus had only gone a short distance when we passed the Engine Inn, another new one to my guide, and also boarded up.

So, as the title of this entry suggested, a rather under par score for a visit to Parr:  One pub visited for the first time, taking the total to 1,153, plus three new entries making the number of pubs listed in the guide 1,779.

Mount Pleasant Neighbours

Blood donors again, (I wonder if I should ask them to sponsor this blog?) so I headed for a couple of pubs on Mount Pleasant which were long overdue for a re-visit.

Here's a picture from 2002 of the pubs in question.  Apparently I took a picture but didn't go in, because in both cases the last visited date is in the last millennium.

First came Riley's - It is fifteen years and four days since I was last here.  The first thing I noticed on entering was the rather striking flowered wallpaper which helps create a bright cheerful feeling to the place.  I spotted a single hand pump offering Higsons Bitter but, unusually for me, decided not to risk it - I've come across too many off pints, especially in warm weather like we've been enjoying recently.  So I stuck to good old reliable Guinness.  The rather old-looking bar back with carved wood and leaded mirrors included a sign "Est. 1991" so perhaps it's not as antique as it appears.  The regulars were mostly racing fans, watching the many TVs scattered about the place and occasionally nipping out to place a bet.  I might have been right about the real ale, because no-one ordered any while I was there.

I moved next door to The Beehive, where I found a single room with a splendid high plasterwork ceiling with the details picked out in red and gold.  Behind the bar the chimney breast is covered in decorative ceramic tiles, with a painted glass centrepiece.  There's also original-looking cut glass in some of the windows.  Once again, racing on the TVs seemed to be the main attraction for the regulars.  I noticed the CCTV images visible behind the bar were the same as in Riley's - It would seem that the two pubs have a shared smokers' area at the back.  [The original version of this report described it as a "joint smokers' area" but I realise that is capable of misinterpretation!]

When I arrived the pub was quite busy, and I had to stand for a minute before I could get a table, but while I drank my pint everyone left, and by the time I had finished there were only four customers and the barmaid was going round picking up litter and wiping the tables.  I hope it wasn't something I said.