Birthday Bash

In what is becoming an annual tradition I marked my birthday with a Wetherspoon's breakfast and a pint.  This year's venue was in Old Swan at The Navigator:

It was ticking over steadily at eleven on a Tuesday, with the occasional breakfast coming out from the kitchen, but most of the customers were drinkers.  My Wobbly Bob was lovely, a great accompaniment to a large fry-up.

"Celebrations" over, I headed out to see if I could visit a few other pubs, but which would be open on a Tuesday morning?

The Masons Arms for one:

It was quite quiet but ticking over with morning boozers in one large open room nicely decorated in this Greene King pub. More lunchtime customers arrived as I downed my Guinness and soon lots of food was emerging from the kitchen.

As a software engineer I was rather pleased to note that I was seated at table number zero (Computers usually count from zero whereas humans generally start at one.)

One more tick to round off the morning I think, actually it's after twelve now.  I haven't been in the Black Horse since 2017 so it's worth giving it a try:

I'd not really noticed before what a fine building this is, I wonder from when it dates?  Maybe 1920s??

Another Greene King place, this time with handpumps from which I had a mediocre pint of Abbot - Probably the first out of the pump today.  There were fewer customers than in the Masons, and no one eating as far as I could see, although the menu was identical.

The other customer wanted Sky Sports Racing on the telly, it took three members of staff and an extended discussion to achieve this.  Actually it's a mark of good service that they put the effort in rather than just saying "it's not working" - Well done.  Mind you, he was clearly a regular, perhaps there would have been a different outcome if I had asked?

Many more people came in over the next half an hour, although the pub was hardly busy even when I left for home.

Pub of the day: Wetherspoon's
Beer of the day: Wobbly Bob
Miles walked: About a half.
Maybe coming soon: Townsend Lane

New Ones In Town

I headed in to Liverpool for what was supposed to be a mini-survey, starting at the Red Lion on Slater Street:

What a great pub this is, a stark contrast to the late night drinking establishments I expect around here.  It has one large room plus a courtyard at the back.  The room is decorated with lots of bric-a-brac, stuffed birds in glass cases, teapots hanging from the ceiling, and so on.

The decor isn't the best thing, though; there are five handpumps on the counter with a selection of cask ales including my favourite White Rat.

The barman warned me that someone had broken the pump, and sure enough the ale came out very aerated, with the handle return sucking beer out of the glass.  Eventually he managed to produce a full pint which I treated with some trepidation.  It was perfect.  (Thinking about it, the "abuse" the beer received was similar to an economiser and this one comes from autovac country - See my previous blog on the subject.)

Music mixed with gentle chatter from the half dozen other customers as I enjoyed my favourite ale.

Ten out of ten for this newcomer to the Liverpool real ale scene, perhaps it will make next year's GBG?

As I walked up I had noticed a number of people with LFC scarfs. Had I slipped up and come out on a match day?  Fortunately a quick check on the internet said no.

As I got to the end of my pint a group of blokes came in, and sat with me because there were no other seats available.  We soon got chatting on subjects ranging from Pink Floyd to my former employer on Edge Lane.  Our main topic of conversation, however, was pubs, and they admired my book and agreed that collecting pubs was a great hobby.  I passed all the "have you been in ..." questions with flying colours.  If you find this blog, lads, it was great to meet all of you and I hope you had a good afternoon out.  Don't forget to buy the book!!

Next, down to Wolstenhulme Square, and another new one, Seven Bro7hers:

Very different from the previous tick, but none the worse for that.  Modern styling, cable trays above my head, and bare brick, rough wood and black tiling on the walls.

I got the trainee barmaid who had to be shown how to serve me, but she produced a fine pint of a very good stout.  If I'd spotted Neptune's On The Bounty on the guest list I probably would have enjoyed that even more.  (At the excellent Rainhill Beer Festival last week I ended up breaking the unwritten rules of beer festivals and having three of the very same ale - it was in cask there.)

There were two other drinkers in, and they soon left leaving just me and the two staff.  Is there another one in the kitchen?  I hope they get more customers later.

Where next?  I wandered towards Hanover Street without any real plan in mind, but wait, what's this?  Pins Social Club:

A bowling alley with eight lanes plus a substantial bar area with pool tables and a selection of craft ales.  They'd run out of Brewdog Punk so I had a pint of the always tasty Neck Oil.  Blimey!  £6.25!!

Only one lot of bowlers were in action, with more people playing pool, and I wasn't the only person who'd come in just for a drink.

A very high ceiling with the usual exposed air conditioning ducts and cable trays combined with some rather fine lighting fixtures and even an enormous glitter ball to create a pleasant modern ambience.

I noted a small stage area in one corner, presumably they have live music sometimes.

Next I wandered randomly, noting quite a selection of bars I've never heard of so a few more surveys round here are definitely called for.  

After careful consideration (yeah, right) I selected Hatch on Slater Street for my final call of the day:

Many years ago most of my pub surveys were with one or more friends.  Before the tablet era my notes were scribbled in a notebook and we had a rule that if I'd made my notes before we were served we were allowed to walk out.  When this place was called DOM-1's we visited on a Thursday evening to find deafening music, no customers, and bar staff too busy chatting to serve us.  I completed my jottings and we departed.  So, depending on how you set the rules I may have never ticked this place!

Two name changes later and it's still deserted but the barmaid, despite being in mid chat with a colleague immediately broke off to serve me a pint, so no complaints this time.

A rather odd place inside, a long narrow low-ceilinged room with skylights leading to a counter area with a much higher ceiling.  A distinct "sweaty mop" odour filled the room, and no other customers came in while I enjoyed a decent pint of the black stuff.  It's probably very popular at midnight on a Friday, when I'm usually tucked up in bed.  (Actually, tomorrow is poker night so I'm unlikely to be home before two.)

Four is enough on a so-called mini survey, so I think it's time to head for home.  Three brand new ticks is a fine result.

Pub of the day: Red Lion
Beer of the day: Ossett White Rat
Miles walked: 1.6
Maybe coming soon: Townsend Lane

Good Beer Guide New Entries

Contrary to what I wrote on Sunday, here's a list of Merseyside's new entries to this year's Good Beer Guide for those who haven't received their copy yet, now that the embargo has expired.  The chosen eighteen are

Birkdale: Barrel House
Formby: Tin Shed, Sparrowhawk
Liverpool: Belvedere, Wetherspoon's Captain Alexander, Ye Cracke, Denbigh Castle, Globe, Wetherspoon's Lime Kiln
Wavertree: Handymans Supermarket
Woolton: Cobden
New Brighton: James Atherton
New Ferry: Cleveland Arms
Newton-le-Willows: Firkin
Prescot: Wetherspoon's Watch Maker
Raby: Wheatsheaf
St Helens: New Talbot Alehouse
Southport: Mason's Arms

There are some brand new places in that list and also some old friends.  I must say I was pleased to discover I've already ticked all of them.

Good Beer Guide 2023

I've got mine, and I can reveal that in Merseyside nineteen pubs have been removed and eighteen added.

As I say every year, if you want to know which pubs they are you'll have to buy the book when it goes on sale later this week.

The Last Pub On Scottie Road

In my collection of books is The Pubs of Scottie Road by Terry Cooke (Bluecoat Press, 1999), a fascinating study of the pubs and people of the area.  Having been advised last weekend that the Throstle's Nest, one of the last surviving pubs on Scotland Road, had been put up for sale and is therefore under threat of closure, I thought I ought to pay the famous thoroughfare a visit before I'm too late.  The last time was 2003.

I commenced my researches just north of Scottie Road, at the Crown Vaults:

This place seems to have slipped down the cracks between surveys before, because I've never been in.  I would never expect to get a new tick in an area like this, but here we are.

I found a slightly tatty interior knocked through to form one open room.  On looking round more closely I decided that tatty was unfair: Everything was well cared for except for some tired upholstery; the floor, walls, and decor being in fine nick.

No cask, needless to say, so I enjoyed a pint of Carling.

Two other customers were in, one vaping in a cloud of smoke.  There was footie on the telly but only the barman was watching it.

I wandered around the area, photographing the derelict Cunard and Parrot, last visited in 1999 and 2003 respectively:

Next, the trigger for today's trip, the Throstles Nest:

The revolving door at the front remains, you don't see those on pubs very often.  Inside I found a nicely done room with a group of six regulars plus the barmaid at one table enjoying pleasant chit-chat.  She quickly jumped up to serve me a Guinness (I really hate it when the staff pause to finish their conversation before deigning to serve me.  No such problem here.)

For some reason I was offered an extra third of a pint or so to go with my pint.  Usually this is when the pint is mostly froth, but not today.  I didn't catch what she said, but thanked her for the free bonus.

There's a small notice affixed to the wall "England is going Smoke Free".  How old is that!

The barmaid departed, for a ciggie probably, leaving the counter unstaffed.  I wonder what would have happened if I'd wanted another drink?  I guess one of the regulars had been left "in charge" and would have served me.

Outside it got darker and I could see the wipers operating on the cars, so it looked like I was going to get wet.

Actually, I found only very light rain as I crossed the road to get a good shot of the closed Eagle Vaults next door:

That's it for Scotland Road I'm afraid, so I headed off into the back streets to the Britannia, a great example of late 60s pub design, I think.  It looks like it is no longer operational, a sad loss:

On to Vauxhall Road, the next parallel main road into town, and to the Castle:

A surprise as I entered this compact two room boozer - It was really busy.  My Guinness was quickly poured by one of the two barmaids who were the only women in the crowded pub.  I found a chair and table on one side of the room, everywhere else was occupied.

The noisy chatter in here was unusually lacking in swear words, I noticed.

It's wonderful to find a plain boozer doing a roaring trade nowadays, the previous two ticks could do with a share of this custom, I think.  I was possibly the youngest person in the pub, not something I expect to find nowadays!

Something else you don't see very often nowadays, a tray of sandwiches appeared and was left on a table for anyone to eat.  The regulars soon tucked in.

On towards the city centre along Vauxhall Road, the next blob on my map is the Glass House, and, exactly as it was last time I was here in 2018, there's no signage on the outside but it's still open:

Not quite as busy as the Castle but still doing good business at three in the afternoon,  I wondered what the name of this pub actually is, it hasn't had a sign on the outside on my last two visits.

Inside is one shallow wide room across the frontage with the counter in the middle.  At one end is a partitioned off "snug"; I think this might be some historic 1950s or even 1930s architecture.

As I looked around I spotted the writing above the darts blackboard.  That says the Glass House Darts Club, so in the absence of anything more trustworthy I'll take that as the name of the pub.  Alternatively, I could christen it "The Anonymous Arms"!

As usual in places like this, I was the only person who didn't know the staff, everyone else who came in immediately had a chat with one or both of the barmaids.  What a wonderful friendly pub this is.

One more place to look at, just a little further towards town is the Eagle:

This tiny corner house was so busy I had to stand at the end of the counter and make my notes, there were no seats available.

Racing was on the tellies but not many of the exclusively male customers were paying attention.

A group departed and I was able to bag a seat in the corner.  I've got a vague recollection that I tripped on the step up to this corner last time I was here, but I'm not sure.  Anyway, I made it safely this time.

For the third time today, I was pleased to find myself in a busy boozer full of cheerful drinkers, it's almost like the fifteen years of decline since the smoking ban hadn't happened! (Apart from the lack of smoke, of course)

OK, five pints to the good, it's time to go home.  What a great pub crawl this has been, so many places similar to those I drank in back in the 1990s, it's really good to discover that some of them survive.

Pub of the day: The Anonymous Arms
Beer of the day:  None
Miles walked: 2.5
Maybe coming soon: Undecided.

Apiary

I headed out on a largely unplanned excursion into town today and on a whim I started at old favourite the Lord Warden, which is now called Sketch:

I used to be a regular in here, friends and I competing in the quiz every week when it was the Lord Warden, which was a traditional boozer which for some of its history served good real ale.  Now it's received a spectacular redecoration inside and out and become Sketch.

The transformation didn't involve anything structural, the old layout remains almost unchanged except you can't get round the back between the two sides any more.  The decor inside matches the outside, bright colours and rough wooden planks on the walls.

Not many customers in at two on a Thursday, the barman eventually dragged himself away from his pals to serve me a Guinness.

While it is always a shame to lose a traditional boozer, I must say the new styling is bright and cheerful and rather attractive.  Sacrilege?

Where next?  How about a brand new tick, number 1,411?  The GPO Market:

I thought the entrance would be outside but in fact it is in the Met Quarter shopping centre. A number of food counters plus a large bar area at one end.  I ignored the app ordering system, I wasn't alone in that, and walked up to the counter where I ordered a half of something 7% from Carnival, whose taproom I visited last week.

The barman, presumably new, poured it and then fiddled with the till for ages, eventually asking his colleague how to sell a half, the answer was that the draft beers only come in schooners, so he had to pour the half into a goblet and add some more.  Seems daft, especially as the goblet has a half pint line.  It cost £4.50 by the way.

Eventually I was able to sit down and taste this peculiar chocolate beer which I have to say I didn't like very much.  Usually I like sours, but that taste didn't seem to go with chocolate milkshake.  Actually, I did grow to like it more as it went down, but certainly not a favourite.  I'm left with the worry that they sell so little that it has gone sour in the keg and the tang is not intentional.  Oh well, I've got my tick and I don't need to come here again for a few years!  Having said that, the food options looked very tempting in here, so maybe I'll come back for dinner some time.

Just along from the front entrance of Met Quarter is the Beehive, not visited since 2012, so let's move away from modern places to something more traditional and try that one next:

Well well!  If there was one place I would have predicted had lost its cask in the ten years since I was last here it would have been this splendid traditional boozer, but no, three handpumps on the counter and my Landlord was excellent.

The front part of the place was quite busy so I headed to the back, only later spotting the notice informing me that this area is reserved for food service only until five.  Oh well, no one complained, and there were plenty of empty tables.

The pub was ticking over nicely at four on a Thursday, the music mixing with gentle chatter from the regulars.

Where to after the Beehive?  I had an idea:  How about the other Beehive, last visited in 2013 so long overdue for a tick just like its namesake:

This place is completely unchanged, I'm pleased to report, and it remains a classic town centre boozer.  When I say it hasn't changed, it has obviously been redecorated a few times in the intervening years because it's immaculate in here.

The walls are covered with pictures of film stars and movie posters.

The music was mostly drowned by chatter in the somewhat echoey room.  In between serving, the barmaid joined in the animated conversations.

My Guinness came with a shamrock drawn in the head.  I can report that in the dozen or so pubs I visited on my recent visit to Ireland I saw this exactly zero times, and that included three or four of the main tourist pubs around Temple Bar in Dublin.  

I checked my trains home.  Four of the next five are cancelled and the remaining one is late, what kind of service is that?  I said some time ago that if we re-nationalised the railways it would all fall apart, and it looks like I was right.  I keep seeing adverts for Northern Rail (who are controlled by the DfT, so effectively nationalised), surely if they put more effort into actually running trains and less into advertising things would be better.

Opposite where I was sitting was a Wurlitzer Jukebox.  How do those bubble tubes work, I wondered?  Good old Google to the rescue, the tubes are filled with an organic liquid which boils when warmed at the bottom, so the bubbles are actually vapour and they gradually condense as they rise and cool.

Having done the Beehive it would be rude not to tick Riley's next door - See picture above.

Another place that I'm happy to report hasn't changed significantly since I was here in 2013, although it has had a good refurbishment.  As I observed last time it is popular with racing fans.

Again a beautifully maintained traditional interior, I hope this pub and next door continue for eternity.

Perhaps not as many people in as in the Beehive, but still ticking over with a high proportion of the customers watching the horses.  I wonder where the nearest bookie's is, presumably they have to nip out to put their bets on.  Oh, of course, it's next door to the Beehive, so two doors down from here.

I rechecked the trains, after the cancellations the next few services are all apparently running, so I think my extra Guinness (I was originally intending to go home after the Beehive.) has worked out OK.  Although an hour's worth of passengers on one train might be a bit crowded!  Perhaps I should drink slowly and get the second train out, which is also shown as running.

I dawdled over my beer and the second train was not overcrowded and soon took me home in relative comfort.

Pub of the day: Beehive, the first one, for the quality ale.
Beer of the day: Landlord
Miles walked: 1.75
Maybe coming soon: To be decided.

Along Regent Road

I decided that for a change I'd do a survey of the (mostly) closed pubs along the Docks before everything changes with the opening of the new stadium.

I headed to Bootle to commence my tour, starting at the long closed and never ticked Clarence:

Next, down to Regent Road which was to be my main route today.  On the corner stands Kerries Bar, another one I never got to.  I think it was also called Shenanigans at some time in its history:

A quick dodge back up to Derby Road for a picture of the Woodhouse, last visited in 1998:

Back on Regent Road, next came the Atlantic, which has been flattened I'm afraid, along with the Iron Horse concert room next door:

As I photographed the site of the Atlantic, a large gaggle of blokes appeared out of a side road and started walking along Regent Road ahead of me.  What could they be up to?  I guessed an organised party of Everton fans on a visit to look at their new home.

I carried on, to the long closed Sandon Lion which is still standing, perhaps poised for future football traffic:

But what's this a couple of doors further along?  What used to be Coast, and before that Sherlock's and before that the Convivial Hotel, is now the Royal Crest Hotel, and the gang are going in.

I followed, half expecting to be told it was a private function, but I was allowed to share the pub with what turned out to be a stag party.

I was very pleased to get a tick here as I had recorded Coast as closed as long ago as 2011.  A well done very recent refurbishment in modern style has created a very pleasant one roomed boozer.  It looks so different inside compared to my visits to Sherlock's in 1999 and 2004 that I initially concluded I'd got the wrong place, but later internet research revealed it was the same building.

The massive quantity of customers all at once caused a bit of chaos, especially when the Stella turned out to be sour!  The lone barmaid efficiently sorted things out, the stags were served and I got a Guinness.

The room was decorated with pink heart-shaped balloons, not really what I would expect for stags, perhaps left over from a function last night?

Was it specially open for the stags?  Without them it would only have been me in here.  On second thoughts there were two other blokes who weren't joining in, so actually three customers.

The party departed, to where I don't know, leaving the pub peaceful.

On a little further, looking at the new stadium, which is well on its way, to the only pub I had expected to be open along here, the Bramley Moore:

Would it be full of stags?  No, just a dozen or more regulars.  One has a new smart phone and was taking pictures of his pals and the landlady.

I wonder where the stags went, and why they were in this area in the first place.  Why not do this pub as well?

Pretty much no change since the last time I was here, in 2004, but clearly it has had a couple of redecorations in the intervening years, because it's very well cared for and tidy.

Was this the pub where a regular once said to me "That's the first time anyone's ever done the Times crossword in here", I'm fairly sure it was somewhere around here.  I used to sit quietly in a corner and attempt said crossword on my early surveys.

I must say I was surprised just how well this pub was doing, I had the area down as being totally dead, with the remaining pub(s) hanging on for the football fans, but no, there were seventeen customers at three on a Saturday.  Hardly busy, but the room was filled with cheerful chatter.

The racing channel was showing somewhere in Ireland, I guess all local meetings are cancelled.

I continued my trek along Regent Road.  Now here's two places I've never heard of.  Murphy's Distillery was only open for a private party according to the sign at the entrance, so I didn't push my luck:

Next door is Ten Streets Social:

My goodness, this is a big room, full of bench seats and tables.  A stage at the far end and a long bar counter along one side.  Bare brick walls and a cement floor complete the industrial vibe.

No Guinness as far as I could see, I selected Staropramen for a change, two or three pints of froth came out before a pint of lager, but it tasted good in the end.

I could see food and drinks disappearing through a side door, there must be another room (Or could that be Murphy's?)

I rather like this place, I bet it would be good with music on.  I have resolved to see more live music in future, let's see if I actually do...  I studied the what's on listing.  Most events seem to finish about 3 or 4 in the morning; I'm afraid that's well past my bed time.

Now here's an annoying feature of the decor.  They've got no less than eighty of those fake retro lightbulbs, but these have got an extra feature whereby every now and then one will flicker and go out, recovering a moment later.  I wondered if they were individually random but I think they are in a fixed sequence.  Rather irritating anyway, there's always one flickering in my peripheral vision.

Carrying on towards the city, there are a couple of brewery taps hidden in the last bit of industry before you get to the commercial centre.  First, Azvex Taproom:

A medium sized warehouse this, half brewery and half bar.

I briefly studied the list of twelve beers, and soon ordered some Vantablack Creatures which claimed to be an imperial stout with peanut butter brownie.  At 11% it's lucky I only had a third of a pint;  Oh wow, it was gorgeous, extremely sweet and sticky and I could taste the PB.  Beer of the month, possibly of the year.

I counted fourteen customers inside, plus more than that in the sunshine outside.

For those who don't like "strong and/or strange" beers I should report that one of the twelve beers on tap was Cruise Liner at 3.8% which I would guess is very quaff-able.  There were a few other slightly stronger pales as well.  On the other hand, if you want dark beers I think mine was the only one.

The food in here, currywurst and hot dogs, looked very tempting.

Just across the road is Carnival Tasting Room:

This is another warehouse which is half brewery half bar, perhaps a bit more colourful than the last one, and it seems a bit busier.

My first choice, a blood orange IPA at 9.3% was not on (Can't they amend the blackboard?  Surely that's why it's a blackboard!)  so I had a rather fine, if weaker (5.2%), pale with Citra hops.  To be fair, while I enjoyed my second choice beer, someone crossed the blood orange one off the board.  Perhaps they read my mind?

I was half way down my drink before I noticed the cask blackboard.  If they had had pump clips I would have had some but I had assumed the two pumps weren't in use.  Oh well, I probably would have enjoyed the pale or even the pina collada haze, but it's too late now.  I didn't see any use of the handpumps while I was drinking my very tasty "Dreaming of Twinships ".

In here, the food was tacos, but I didn't see any served, unlike in Azvex where quite a few sausages came out.

Time to head for home...  As I walked past a modern warehouse building I could hear quite a lot of crashing banging noises.  I looked at the sign, it's "Hatchet Harry's Indoor Axe Throwing". What the ****????

Pub of the day: Royal Crest Hotel, because I thought it had been closed for years.
Beer of the day: Azvex's Vantablack Creatures
Miles walked: 4.1
Maybe coming soon: No idea!