Lord Street, Southport

For the first survey of the year I headed up to Southport where there are umpteen targets awaiting my attention.  I walked northwards along Lord Street, noting and photographing (It'll be dark by the time I get back) various targets, until I reached Mavericks:

Here I found a very stylishly decorated bar with an American theme, in one long room.  Being a former shop on a corner, two walls are almost entirely glazed, giving the place an airy ambience. 

About a dozen regulars were enjoying their lagers and I soon joined them with my first Carling of the year. 

Above the counter was a row of eight TVs showing two or three different sports channels.

I'm not sure why but I quite liked this place.  Comfortable, warm (It must cost a packet to heat this room with all that glass.) and friendly.  Our could it just be that this is my first pub of the year!

A number of the places I noted on the way here were close to the pub/restaurant border, so I think it might be time for a game of pub or not pub.  But, often, the decision depends on my mood, and today I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to sit in the corner of a restauranty sort of operation where everyone else is eating.  So I peered through the windows and then rejected (for now) Lord's Cafe Bar and House of Ivy, and carried on to Ra Bar:

No doubt about this place, no food so definitely a pub!  A shop conversion, perhaps two shops knocked through, rather wonderfully decorated with a great stone floor - It must be fake, surely?  But a fake stone floor wouldn't have the occasional hole in the grout?

Once again it was warm and comfortable in here, over the years I have got used to keeping my coat on when surveying on cold days, it costs a lot to heat a pub and at times of financial struggle turning the thermostat down is a good way to save money.  No sign of that today.

A new (to me) Guinness dispense system, it came out of a normal looking font and then the glass was placed on a stand which lit it up while the bubbles rose.  After a minute it was topped up before being handed to me.

The only other customers were one group of blokes sitting at the counter.  I think they were all on Guinness as well. 

That reminds me:  Have you blog readers had the "pleasure" of my rant about the alleged Guinness shortage?  No?  OK, soapbox out!  We were treated during December to multiple reports in the media of a shortage of Guinness.  This included at least three stories on the BBC website.  In all the pubs I have been in over the last five weeks I have never seen any which had run out.  I reckon the whole thing was cooked up by the Diageo (Owners of Guinness) promotions team, and the BBC should be ashamed of being so easily duped into providing free advertising.

I could see two TVs from my seat, both were showing different fires; one in a fireplace, the other in a snowy forest.  I still think a real fire is better, but they are rather attractive nonetheless. 

As I finished my beer a number of other customers came in, keeping the pub ticking over at half three on a Saturday.

Next, over the road to Punch Tarmey's:

Another Guinness in this fake Irish pub, part of the Lords Hotel complex.  Again the "settle" stage of the pour was on a little illuminated stand.  There are a number of handpumps on the counter but no sign of any of them being in use.  Last time I was here I had some decent real ale.

A bit livelier than the previous two ticks, with quite a hubbub of cheerful chatter filling the partially knocked through room.

I can't think of anything else to write about this pleasant friendly boozer.

Now, back across Lord Street and in to the Bold:

This one has been substantially redone since my previous visit, I think, and it is rather fine.  Part restaurant, from which was wafting some great smells, and part bar where a number of groups were enjoying their drinks. 

I wasted some moments dithering over the keg fonts (I couldn't see any Carling) before I spotted that one of the handpumps had a clip.  So naturally I chose that, and it was a tasty pale one, my first cask ale of the year.  Unfortunately I forgot to note what it was, not a good start!

The bar side was quite busy but not so much as to run out of tables.  The muzac mixed with multiple conversations.  More and more people came in as I enjoyed my ale, by the time I left it was getting full.

Well;  two new ticks, four required pubs, all of them warm and comfortable.  The crucial question is can I get home before the threatened blizzard?  [Update, Sunday:  Pah!  What Blizzard?]

Pub of the day: Bold
Beer of the day: Er, the one in the Bold
Miles walked: 1.3
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Litherland

New Brighton

I apologise for the gap in blog entries, pub guide research has taken a back seat behind Christmas get-togethers, trips away, and a nasty cold.  Rest assured I haven't stopped visiting pubs:  Highlights included a pint and a breakfast fry-up in the last pub around Smithfield meat market to still have early opening.  Sadly, the Fox and Anchor is more aimed at tourists than market porters nowadays and at seven on a Monday morning I was the only customer.

Is it wise to head out on "black eye Friday" for a survey?  We'll see.  Merseyrail carried me to New Brighton and just across the road from the station is Sup:

This is a tiny shop conversion selling pictures, cards, candles, coffee and, most importantly, a couple of craft beers.

I selected a hazy pale from Pomona, which was sweet and fruity, very good. 

A steady stream of customers came in for last minute Christmas presents and cards, but mostly for coffee I think. 

I have to confess I had marked this place down as "not a pub" because the taps are not visible if you peer in from outside.  But when I was last in New Brighton, some friends had a drink in here but I didn't have time to join them before we moved on.   So it was high on my target list.

I moved on, in the rain, to Rockpoint Records:

Much larger than the previous tick, this is a conversion of multiple shops into a rather fine music themed bar.  I selected one from Meantime (London) from the four or five kegs on offer and it was very good.

One group of mostly blokes were making all of the noise in the place, there were plenty of empty tables around the spacious front room.

The walls are covered in music posters ranging from historic ones with prices in shillings right through to gigs next year.

The rain had eased off as I headed on to the Ship:

Perhaps I shouldn't say this:  Shop conversions are all very well but I was glad to find myself in a real boozer here.

This is a "proper" two sided pub, nicely decorated and perfectly maintained.  I seem to remember not liking this place much last time I was here but, now, I don't know why; it really is a classic of its type; cheerful, friendly and comfortable. 

All the other customers seemed to know each other, no one took any notice of the pub blogger in the corner making his notes.

Umpteen tellies around the room were showing a darts match, no one I could see was paying any attention.

Next, I headed to the Harbour, formerly the Commercial, which due to their opening hours I haven't ticked since 2012:

Well, bugger me, it's not open.  At three on the last Friday before Christmas?  Does this mean it is finished as a pub?

I've done all the other required ticks in New Brighton, unless I walk to the Pilot Boat, but I can't be bothered so I just went to the wonderful Bow Legged Beagle:

This was the original location, I think, of what is now a chain of four Wirral pubs.  As always, four quality cask ales are on offer and after spending for a few moments dithering I selected a wonderful stout called Daylight Suspended from Salopian.

I looked around the walls.  The down side of displaying hundreds of pump clips is that I might spot a personal favourite ale even better than the ones I'm drinking.  Having said that, the stout was really good so while I might prefer a Titanic Plum Porter, Rat White Rat, Tiny Rebel Stay Puft, or even a Peerless Oatmeal Stout, I'm happy with what I've got.

I don't know what it is about this standard micro pub but I have always been a great fan, it really is great.

A number of customers called in with dogs, I was a bit worried about the Irish Wolf Hound that settled down for a kip right in the middle of the room.  It was at risk of being trodden on when I head to the gents!

Later, another dog arrived and there was a chaos of barking and aggro, luckily all dogs were on leads.

So, on what could be the last research trip of the year I managed two new ticks, that's 52 new ones this year bringing my grand total to 1,518.  Have a good holiday and I'll see you in 2025.

Pub of the day: Bow-Legged Beagle
Beer of the day: Salopian Daylight Suspended
Miles walked: 1.1
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale

It's Never Just One

I was in town for some shopping but it I couldn't resist visiting a pub which only opened yesterday, so I headed up Seel Street to 1936 Pub Co's newest outlet, St Peters Tavern:

Wow!  1936 have outdone themselves with this one.  The interior on three floors is stunning.  Almost all fake, I think, except for the stained glass windows which look original.  The usual stag's heads (Where do they get them all from, I wonder?) decorate the walls.  On its second day many of the customers were taking pictures, as was I.

I never visited this building in its previous incarnation as Alma De Cuba, I always thought it was a restaurant but I suspect I might have been wrong about that. So I don't know how much of the current decor is brand new, but I suspect it is most of it.  The building was originally a catholic church, opened in 1788.

Sixteen handpumps offered a wonderful selection and for once I skipped favourite White Rat (I had a couple in the Big House on Monday, another "1936" pub.) and went for a fine pint of Bass.  The young barman who served me struggled with the till, I guess it was new to him - The place only opened yesterday - but he managed the pour perfectly, which is, after all, the most crucial part of his role.

There were a couple of dozen customers at one on a Thursday, so the enormous space felt rather empty, but even as I typed that more arrived.

A tremendous place, highly recommended. 

So, where else can I tick while I'm round here?  Dirty O'Shea's and Mean Eyed Cat aren't open at this time, but Pogue Mahone is:

Here I had a Guinness, of course.  Good grief, £6.30 is a bit steep, isn't it!

The Irish decor in here is pleasant as always, but not special enough to justify that price, I think.  Perhaps unsurprisingly there are only about five other customers.

Next?  I'm supposed to be shopping, not drinking, but there on the corner is La'Go:

I had always assumed that this was a night club sort of place that I would probably never visit, so I was somewhat surprised to see the doors open at half two on a Thursday.  But they were so I thought I would try it. 

What I found was a large open plain room pleasantly decorated with a rather stylish corrugated steel counter front and a good mural on the wall behind the DJ booth.  My knee-jerk reaction was to describe this as a bit of a dump but that's not fair, it is rather well done.

The customers were a handful of blokes, one or two of whom looked a bit "down market" if I'm honest.  I found out why when I ordered a pint of Carling, it was only £2.50.  I also learned that Guinness is 2.80 in here, that's less than half the price I just paid up the road.

I really liked this place, although I think I would probably hate it at eleven on a Friday night.  I'm not sure what warmed me to it, maybe the music - I've always loved the Eagles' Take it Easy, perhaps because I have actually stood on that "corner in Winslow, Arizona" that they sing about.  (Now there's an unusual boast!)

OK, shopping forgotten by now, where's the next target?  (I'll regret that when there's no milk for my morning coffee!)  Dirty O'Sheas opens at three according to Google, so maybe I should have another look there:

Another Irish bar, in my opinion nicer than Pogue.  And the Guinness was only three quid, again less than half their price!

Just ten minutes after opening time there were only two other customers in the spacious wood floored front room as I settled on a bench seat with my Guinness.

I noticed a massive stock of plastic glasses in the corner, perhaps that's what you get at 1 am when I can imagine this place jam packed.  More customers came in as I enjoyed my pint. 

They've got a "competition draw" on Sunday called Find The Fenian.  In my ignorance, I had thought that Fenian was a dirty word or at least a pejorative term, but I guess not, or at least it is not bad enough to be excluded from a big sign on the wall.  I'll get my friend John, who knows everything, to explain it to me when I see him on Monday.

Time to head for home, but at the bottom of Bold Street is an imposing building labelled the Lyceum Post Office.  I have no idea what it has been used for in the past, but now a sign calls it One Under:

This is some kind of golf related place but at the front is an attractive bar where I had a pint of Moretti in a beautiful two storey domed room. 

If I was sober I would have investigated what the golf was all about, is it like a mini golf course?  I searched the web.  Yes, one is supposed to play crazy golf or other games, that explains why the barman asked if I wanted anything else when I ordered my pint.

At four on a Thursday there seemed to be more staff than customers in here.  But perhaps there are lots of people golfing?

Finding my way to the gents I was able to observe that this place is, indeed, an indoor crazy golf course.

Now it is definitely time for home, but can I call in at the supermarket?  Yes!  With no less than four new ticks, bringing my total to 1,515 that's a great shopping trip! 

Pub of the day: St Peters, of course
Beer of the day: Bass, obviously
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Litherland

Birkenhead

On a chilly damp Saturday afternoon I headed under the Mersey to Birkenhead where I started in the Richmond:

Outside this one looks a bit down at heel, the inside is much better, plain but pleasant.  Just one room with proper old wooden floorboards.  Some bare brick walls and lots of matchboarding complete the decor.  Altogether a rather fine "ordinary" boozer. 

About eight other customers were in at two on a Saturday, I imagine they get more later.  At least I hope so. 

My notes reminded me of sour Guinness in here a long time ago, that's why I chose Carling today, but actually a survey of the glassware in use showed Fosters was more popular. 

Just a few doors down the road was the beautiful ceramic frontage of the Windsor Castle, pictured in 2018:

Sadly, it is now a shop and no trace of the tiling remains.

On to the Charing Cross:

Another "ordinary" one, again well cared for and pleasant.  A proper two sided boozer with a servery in between the halves.  I started in the bar side where pool players and others meant I couldn't have a good seat at a table, so I took my Carling through the doorway to the better appointed lounge side where there were plenty of comfortable seats. 

I hesitated writing the last sentence.  Is it still a doorway if there isn't a door?  There must be an architectural term for a door shaped hole?  Immediately adjacent to it are two window shaped holes in the wall without windows. 

Wordiology aside, this is a truly great plain pub, long may it continue. 

My notes show real ale here, but the three handpumps are purely decorative, I think.  One had a John Smith's clip, perhaps I missed an opportunity?  I doubt it.

I looked around.  Sparkly white lights can be an all year round thing these days, or are they tastefully restrained Christmas decorations? 

Access to the gents involves passing close to the pool table, I watched as regulars paused to allow players to finish their shots before entering. 

Next, just round the corner is Desi's:

This used to be a Yates Wine Lodge and it still has some of the decor.  Dozens of customers were enjoying mostly lager in here, no music, no footie commentary, just multiple cheerful animated conversations. 

The large open room has, I think, retained some Yates styling, including a beautiful staircase to the mezzanine seating, and a giant glitter ball (Must be 2ft diameter!) above the stairs.  Obviously the actual finish, paint, carpet, etc. has been redone over the years because it all looks very good.

Did I ever tick this as Yates?  I don't remember doing so, and a quick check of the database confirmed this, in fact my first and only previous visit was as recently as November 2018.  Oddly, I did take a picture of it as Yates back in 2004 but apparently I didn't go in.  I wonder why.

My third Carling of the day came in one of the older style glasses, again a survey of the glassware showed that Fosters was favourite here. 

Correcting my comment above, I could hear a little bit of racing commentary amongst the conversations.

A few steps down the road is Seamus O'Donnell's.  I failed to take a picture today so here's one from 2018:

I remember being frightened by an enormous dog behind the counter here last time, no such problem today and a friendly barmaid soon served me an excellent pint of Guinness.

This pleasant "Irish" pub is well decorated with plenty (but not too much) of Irish "stuff".  I note that it used to be the Exmouth Arms, did I ever come here in that era?  My memory says no and the database confirms that, so I've only ever sampled its Irish version.

The sounds were gentle muzac mixed with cheerful chatter, the soundtrack of a proper pub! 

Next, only a short walk gets me to Mackenzie:

This boozer holds a special place in my affections because in July 2004 it was my Merseyside pub number 1,000.  Five hundred odd pubs further on that feels like a long time ago! 

Good grief it's cold in here!  Just a handful of customers in the one room.  I noticed that unusually they don't offer Carling, I had Guinness.

The three other customers are surely not enough to pay the wages of the beautiful barmaid.  As I arrived a bloke was leaving and he got a hug, what do I have to do?  Perhaps I should have bought her a drink!

I checked my photographs and apparently this pub has lost the capital K that used to be in MacKenzie.

Now I've got a choice:  There is exactly one more pub round here that needs ticking so, five pints to the good, do I head home or do I call in at the Garrick Snug.  I think we all know the answer:

Wow, this is a really packed boozer complete with karaoke.  I managed to find a seat but no chance of putting down my Carling while I wrote this.  It's quite a feat to type on a tablet while holding a pint, especially when it's number six; and I didn't spill a drop.

The karaoke fella was very good although he had to do much of the singing himself, no one was volunteering.  Eventually someone did, a great rendition of Minnie the Moocher.

Compared with the previous tick, this place was lovely and warm.  And packed with happy customers at five o'clock on a Saturday.

When I start singing along with the karaoke it's a good sign that it is time to head home!

Pub of the day: Garrick Snug
Beer of the day: Guinness
Miles walked: 1.2
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale

Brunch!

A morning in town started at the Brunch & Cocktail Club:

Not the type of place I frequent, so I didn't really know what to expect here.  A pleasant one roomed cafe/bar is what I found.  I think the decor would usually be described as restrained, but they've gone a little overboard with the Christmas stuff - Still looking good, though.

At eleven on a Friday it was quite busy and everyone was half my age or less.  No, wait, I can see one older bloke.

I enjoyed a fine breakfast fry-up accompanied by a very spicy Bloody Mary.  Now that's the way to start a special day!

The room gradually got busier while I was there, I don't think they ran out of tables but it was probably close.

This is probably the only visited entry in the Merseyside Pub Guide where I haven't had any beer.

Where next?  There aren't any overdue ticks round here likely to be open at this time.  However, as I wandered in search of a Wetherspoon I heard the rattle of the shutters going up at Albert's Schenke:

Here, I had Erdinger, in a proper glass, from the impressive range of taps.  There were some unusual ones available, from Germany and from local Black Lodge as well.

I was disappointed but not unduly surprised to see that the two handpumps were out of use.

Are the three copper "Pilsner Urquell unpasteurised" tanks above the servery in use?  Maybe I should have had that.

As I enjoyed my beer more customers trickled in but it was still fairly quiet.  Many of the tables had Reserved signs, so they are obviously expecting to be busy later, while I'm already on my way home.

Hope Street

November already!  I headed into Liverpool for a few overdue ticks.  Firstly, up Mount Pleasant past Paddy's Wigwam and into the Font:

Despite my being two generations too old, I quite like this place.  Modern decor, mixed seating including some sofas, decent music including songs I recognise and at a non deafening level even though I was sitting under a speaker. 

A good selection of "common" kegs includes my usual Carling but I chose Tiny Rebel's Clwb Tropicana, delicious.  There was no sign of the real ale I enjoyed, er, wow, was it really eleven years ago?

There were about a dozen customers spread out in the large space at one on a Friday, but more than half of them departed while I drank. 

My mind wandered back to when I was the age of this place's target audience.  In those days the favourite haunt of my friends and I was the Bulls Head by Piccadilly station, which in the 1980s was very much a traditional boozer, offering a fine pint of Burtonwood Bitter.  So I was a Pubman (TM) even then!  Goodness knows what the regulars in the bar side thought of all those noisy students in the lounge.  The inside has changed out of all recognition now, but they still did a decent pint when I was there in March this year.

On to Hope Street next, and the Pen Factory:

More of a food destination, this, but they have always offered real ale and I learned recently that it is now run by the same people as the Bridewell and the Denbigh Castle, so we should get a great selection of ales. Indeed we do, and I had Three Swords from Kirkstall brewery.  There were six handpumps so plenty of options.  Three Swords has a bit of a burnt tang reminiscent of Spitfire, perhaps? 

The large open room was quite busy although there was still a choice of empty tables for me.  No music at all, just conversations and the occasional clink of cutlery.  The decor is unchanged since my last visit back in 2015, bare and painted brickwork, naked ducts, and so on.  Very pleasant. 

I could see plenty of food coming out of the kitchen but there were also a few drinkers. 

Once again, not really a Pubman's destination, but again I like the place.

I examined the menu.  A number of tempting options but nineteen quid for fish and chips is a bit steep, I think.  I'll pencil this place in for the next time I want to impress a woman on a first date - I should be so lucky! 

Next target, just a little further down Hope Street is the Casa Bar:

This popular one roomed boozer is only open on limited days of the week.  (When I was planning this survey for yesterday, it would have been closed, I think.)  It is for ever associated with various workers rights campaigns.  At three on a Friday the custom was mainly blokes as old or older than I enjoying get togethers.

From a good selection of keg beers I selected Guinness and was somewhat surprised to be offered normal or cold, you don't often see that nowadays.  I chose normal of course.  And it was very good.

The group of lads sitting near me were discussing a future pub crawl starting in the Lime Kiln.  The details seemed very complex and a lot of discussion, and beer, was necessary as they sorted out the arrangements.  Later, the topic was football.

A bit famous, this place, but to me it is pleasant enough but nothing special.  Certainly worthy of a tick, anyway.

My next target was the Hope and Anchor:

Another student-oriented place, an enormous chilly room mostly empty. 

I selected a favourite beer at home, I don't think I've ever noticed Magic Rock's High Wire Grapefruit on draft before.  It came in a Punk IPA glass, tut tut, but tasted delicious.

The small and large screens are showing cricket, the West Indies won as I was typing this.  I wouldn't have thought this was the most interesting sport for today's youngsters, but who am I to judge their proclivities?

The enormous space here was mostly empty at half three, presumably they will be busier later.  Every time the door opened I was hit with an icy blast, this place definitely needs some more heat.  On the other hand, jam packed at ten tonight it's probably roasting.

Continuing today's theme, again this isn't a Pubman's destination but I quite like it, apart from the cold that is.

As I enjoyed my tasty pint the room got busier, still sparsely populated but a lot fuller than when I came in.  Apparently, Friday night starts about now! 

One more, I think, how about the Flute:

The large open room here was sparsely populated with groups and couples. 

I eyed the handpumps with some suspicion but decided to gamble on a pint of Wainwright Gold.  I won the bet, it was spot on, I shouldn't have doubted.  And it came in a Wainwright glass.

In common with most of today's calls, I was two generations older than the rest of the customers, and yet I like the place.  Probably the closest to a pub of all today's ticks.  There was a regular flow of custom at the counter and the room slowly filled as I enjoyed my real ale.

The sound track in here was gentle background music mostly beaten by cheerful chatter.

I recall grumbling about finding the toilets on a previous visit here, I noticed there's now a big sign pointing to the gents, so no problem this time. 

I had a quick look at the menu; fish and chips is seven quid, that's twelve pounds less than the Pen Factory.  I still think that if I were trying to impress someone the Pen Factory would win.

What about the real ale?  This is definitely not a cask destination, but they still managed to serve a spot on pint.  Why don't more places do this??  If I knew the answer I'd be running a pub the country by now. 

That's five enjoyable ticks, time for home...

But wait!  On a number of occasions I have wanted to try Bock, but it has always been shut.

However, at four on a Friday it is open so I have to go in as I've never ticked it before. 

What I found here was an unexpectedly small room comfortably decorated with a counter offering a selection of keg beers including Guinness and Old Speckled Hen, and favourite Erdinger which I chose. 

I had imagined that a place like this, on a busy drinkers road open only at peak drinking hours would be an enormous beer hall catering for the evening crowd.  But no, it's a small place offering quality keg beers in a comfortable interior. 

One of the other customers ordered two Erdingers and then took a picture of them on the counter before returning to his table.  Perhaps someone else is blogging?  

It's definitely time for home...

Pub of the day: Flute

Not-a-pub of the day:  Pen Factory
Beer of the day: Three Swords
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead

Mostly Heswall

Another sunny October day saw me taking multiple trains en route to Heswall.  I started with a glance at the Glegg Arms which is no longer a pub:

On the other side of the roundabout is the Devon Doorway:

Inside the attractive building with thatched roof is a very well appointed up market restaurant.  However, one side of the room is allocated to drinkers and the waitress guarding the door transformed into a barmaid when I said I only wanted a drink.

There were three handpumps on the counter, but all the clips were turned round, so I selected Neck Oil.  Ouch, £7.10!

At two on a Wednesday the restaurant was surprisingly busy, although having said that everyone was concentrated in the front room and the larger dining area behind appeared empty.  Just four drinkers in the non-dining part.  My table didn't have a food menu so I can't comment on that.

Next, I headed into the middle of Heswall where I had a number of overdue ticks on my list.  This meant I had to walk past some good places (Beer Lab, Bow Legged Beagle, Hydes' Harry Beswick, and so on.)

Eventually, just across the road from the Wetherspoon I reached Otto Lounge:

This pleasant modern cafe/bar in one large room is very well decorated in an eclectic style. The art deco lampshades suspended from modern cable ducts is a weird combination.  Nearby the lighting is from heavy duty faux-industrial units. The giant windows along the front wall create a fine open feeling.  I really like the overall effect. 

I was supposed to choose a table before ordering, but "that one there" sufficed and I soon had a pint of Cruzcampo.  "Only" £5.45 this time.

Another place busier than I expected, the room was filled with mixed chatter from a number of groups.  Including a gang of new mothers, complete with offspring.  I imagine when I was six months old holding such a get together in a bar would have been frowned upon, luckily we live in more enlightened times.  Although if the current puritanical lot in charge had their way we'd soon go back to the dark ages.

Resisting a visit to the spoons over the road, I headed on to Barcode:

There's something special about this micro pub.  With no pretensions to cask ale, it is a perfect example of an "ordinary boozer" with a friendly barmaid chatting with the cheerful regulars and serving pints of Carling, Madri, and so on.  I felt I'd moved from posh back to the real world.  Do I sound like an inverted snob? 

Good grief, my Carling was £2.50, what a contrast with the previous two places!

I tried to listen in to the chatter, but we're too far from home for me to follow.  When they refer to the Big House it's not the Vines, but somewhere nearer here. 

Next, on to the Harvest Mouse.  I walked up the road.  I paused; am I going the right way, I should be able to see it by now?  And then I discovered it has lost its sails:

No, it is not a windmill, it never was a windmill.  It was built in 1980 as a destination pub.  I've not really forgiven them for that dishonesty and I have to say it's a greater disappointment that it is not even a fully equipped fake windmill now! 

Never mind. Inside is a pleasant contemporary dining pub, with Flaming Grill branding.  I selected Landlord from the small range of cask on offer and it was spot on. 

By now it is four in the afternoon, perhaps a bit early for the dinner rush but nonetheless there are plenty of people in here.  A poor choice of table meant I couldn't spy on who was eating or drinking.

Finally, a long walk to Irby, where my recent visit missed a newly opened pub because I didn't know about it.  To save my feet, perhaps there is a bus?  Yes, in just a couple of minutes; can I visit the gents and get to the stop in time?  I did, so it was an easy ride to Crafty Tavern:

A standard conversion of two shop units, I think, with two hand pumps on the counter.  I chose Plum and Raisin Porter from Spitting Feathers, which was very good but not the all time great I was hoping for.  Was it past its best?  Probably not, just a little less plum and raisin than I would have liked.

Sadly, I was the only customer, no wonder these places don't have longer hours.  I had a good chat with the barman about local pubs, and my guide. He suggested I should have a table at a beer festival and sell copies of the book.

Eventually one other customer arrived, choosing a bottle of something Belgian from the fridge.  Was it Delerium Red?  If so, gorgeous!  Before I'd finished my pint he chose another bottle, no idea what but it wasn't a common one or at least it wasn't one I recognised, clearly a man of taste! 

Time for another bus to take me towards home.  A very good day's research including one brand new one.

Pub of the day: Crafty Tavern
Beer of the day: Landlord
Miles walked: 2.5
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead