The Middle Of Wirral

On a very grey day a long bus journey under the river eventually dropped me in Pensby for an "exciting" stroll dodging cars along a country road with no footpath to my first objective, the Fox & Hounds:

Apparently unchanged since my visit six years ago, this is a very pleasant up market dining operation which welcomes drinkers as well, offering them quality cask ales.

I sat in the drinking part of the rambling interior enjoying a Trappers Hat, there was no one else in this part of the pub.  I could see through the servery that there is a small wood-panelled snug with its own counter, presumably for the regulars.

This is a really nice place, if I were taking someone out for dinner in Wirral it would be high on my list.  (Depending, of course, on the person involved; most of my friends would prefer a Wetherspoon.  As would I.)

A group of four blokes about my age came in.  Multiple tasters and discussions later they ended up with a cider, a Guinness and two craft.

The whole place was worryingly quiet for two on a Saturday, with waiters and waitresses hanging around waiting for something to do, I expect they'll get more custom this evening.  Perhaps the grey weather has stopped some people going out.

Next, on to the Basset Hound:

Another dining place, perhaps not as posh as the Fox but still very nicely done.

I selected Old Golden Hen from the two handpumps, "it's Speckled" said the barman.  I resisted a rude "why don't you change the clip then" and enjoyed a fine pint.

Once again, mostly empty on a Saturday afternoon, trade really is thin today or perhaps this is normal now.

I perused the menu of mostly standard pub fare, and fish and chips is fourteen quid.  There's also a Specials menu, but since it is on a printed card it's not my idea of specials - something the chef picked up this morning.  On there, fish pie is £21.49, ouch.  It comes with peas and samphire, not sure I've ever eaten samphire which I think of as an East Anglian delicacy, but Google tells me it is also harvested in the Dee estuary.

As I enjoyed my pint more and more people came in, soon the pub was filled with chatter although there was still plenty of room for more custom.  It was quarter to three now, and England were in deep trouble at Edgbaston.

Later, when I got home, I checked how to spell the pub name.  I was amused to find that in my picture above it's Basset on the front of the pub, but Bassett on the A-board.  I think I'm going with one T, and my dictionary concurs.  Ooops, I see the picture caption in my book has it as Bassett, how embarrassing.

Next, somewhere I wasn't planning to visit.  Regular readers of this blog may be aware that I made a decision that Toby Carveries were not pubs, based on their website only mentioning food.  So I was intending to walk past the Toby Carvery Arrowe, but perhaps I ought to at least have a look:

In the beer garden at the front were a number of blokes of various ages enjoying drinks, so I wandered in and soon had a Carling.  So, somewhat to my disappointment, I need to reinstate each Toby in my database.  No, not a disappointment really, the more the merrier.

In or out questions aside, this is a very nice chain carvery where everyone else inside was eating, I think, and the food looked good, I could see plates piled up with meats, Yorkshire puddings and so on.

Just like the previous two places, there was plenty of space for a lot more customers, disappointing trade at half three on a Saturday.

Next, a short walk to the Arrowe Park:

Another nicely done food led pub, perhaps a little less up market than the previous ones, but still very good.

Once again, trade was a bit thin, they could do with at least fifty more customers, and the place still wouldn't be full.

No cask, so I had another Carling.  A significant proportion of the drinkers here were sitting outside, I as usual stayed indoors.

The giant screen distracted me, is it the British Grand Prix this weekend?  They seem to have a lot of closeups in the car nowadays.  Where is it, I went to Silverstone and Brands Hatch in the 70s and 80s but I lost interest a long time ago.  I'm sorry to say my strongest memory of Silverstone is being stuck in the mud in the car park afterwards.

The Toby has somewhat disrupted my plan for today, I think seven would be too many.  So I could go home now, but why not tick one nearby pub and then finish?  So, into the back streets to the Woodchurch:

What a contrast, this is a proper down market boozer, and there's nothing wrong with that.  I headed in the bar side because it was nearer door, to find a dozen or so customers but no staff.  I waited patiently, eventually giving up and heading towards the exit to try the lounge; there was no way between the two halves except via outside.  As I went for the door one of the regulars called out "she's gone to change a barrel", and moments later the barmaid appeared and poured me a Carling.

Gentle music and lively chatter were the soundscape in this classic boozer and after doing a number of dining places it was pleasing to visit a true locals' pub.

The decor in the bar side was plain but very well done, wooden floor, matchboarding counter front, (fake) bare brick walls, it looks really good.

OK, I think that's enough; there are two more pubs on my list for today but I'm not sure I can cope with seven ticks so I think I'll head for home now.  Five required ticks is good enough after all.  So the Wirral Hundred, wonderful though it is, and the Swan can wait for another time.

Pub of the day: Fox & Hounds
Beer of the day: Trappers Hat
Miles walked: 4.2
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

New Ones In Town

I headed into Liverpool to do some shopping (honest!) but soon found myself in new bar Harringtons:

Here I found a very pleasant bar on the ground floor, with the friendly barman and myself the only occupants.

I had Salt's Alpacalypse, a tasty enough IPA, and sat on a long bench seat along the wall.

There is more downstairs, which is where the former Ethical Glass was located, I think, although I never ticked that one.

I couldn't think of anything more to say about this place, it's a bit uninspiring to be honest, with no atmosphere at all.  Probably more exciting on a Friday night.  The music is too loud for a bar with only one customer, about right when it's packed.

Horse racing and tennis on the TVs, but where's the cricket?

Finally, another customer came in.  He ordered a pint of soda water.  I was impressed to see the charge was zero for this.  Many years ago I used to take a little abuse for having a free pint of soda water in the bar after a session in the gym at the late lamented Plessey Club.  My excuse was I had to drive home.

Next, a second new one, Lock Up Bar:

Another pleasant bar, lacking in atmosphere because there are only two other customers, nicely done out in plain style.

I was somewhat startled to see two handpumps, they offered Higson's Bitter and Higson's Pale, and the bitter was good.  Who brews it now?  Of course, it's Love Lane.

Next door is Hummingbird, but that doesn't open until four according to Google, so it will have to wait for another day:

So, on towards a third new one at the far end of Mathew Street.  But hang on, what's this half way along that tourist corridor?  How has Eric's escaped my database?  I think maybe it was more of a basement night club in the past.  Let's give it a try:

Bare brick and iron beams are the decor style in here, and a fella with a guitar was providing the musical entertainment, sadly to only three or four customers.  I thought he was very good and deserved a larger audience.

Eric's was a members' music club which opened here in 1976 and hosted many famous acts, from the Sex Pistols to OMD.  It closed in 1980.  Google seems rather vague about the use of the space since then, but at some point the interior was remodelled so that it is no longer a basement.

Above my head was a glass ceiling affording a view into the old fruit market auction room with desks almost like pews arranged around the auctioneer's stand.

After a few minutes I realised the hole in the wall at the back leads through into the rear of King John next door, and also into Rubber Soul so you could argue they are all one bar, but I'm claiming three.

Oh, wow, the live musician took a short break and then came back and did favourite song Wish You Were Here.  The last time I heard that performed in a pub was in the long gone Greyhound in Huyton back in 2005. I insisted my pals stay until it had finished.  Boast:  The time I saw it performed before that was at Maine Road in 1988.  By Pink Floyd.

More customers wandered in but the place was still pretty empty.

Next, on to the planned target at the end of Mathew Street, the very new Temple Tavern:

What a fine Irish bar this is, not over the top "plastic paddy", just well done out, wood panelling, bare brick and (fake) iron beams.

Guinness please, I said.  "Pint?" asked the barman.  Is there any other, I quipped.  Of course, the correct pour/settle/top-up process was used, with the barman serving another customer during the settle phase.  Usually in Liverpool if you say "Carling" or "Guinness" or whatever you get a pint without having to specify the size; perhaps here in the tourist zone they need to ask.

As you can see, the outside decor is a work in progress, and my time here was punctuated by drilling noises.

Well!  Four brand new ticks is a great score, especially for a shopping trip!

Pub of the day: Eric's
Beer of the day: Higson's Bitter
Miles walked: 2.1
Maybe coming soon: Barnston and Woodchurch

Unexpectedly Closed In St Helens

A train and a bus took me to the northern side of St Helens where I was to start in the Windle:

Bugger!!  It's not open.  Google says it is, as does their own website.

I headed on for a long walk to target number two, the Abbey:

Er, inside this doesn't look anything like what I remember.  Is my memory faulty or has it been totally remodelled?  Anyway, what we find now is a mostly knocked through interior but it still has some separation between the areas.  The decor, pastel walls or wallpaper in some rooms, is very busy with mirrors, pictures, photographs and the like.  I want to say there are too many of these giving the walls a cluttered feeling, but in fairness it actually works very well; I like it.

Only one cask on, but one is enough and my Holt Bitter was excellent.

Not very busy at all, just two outside and I could see only two inside, hardly enough to occupy the four staff.

I scanned the menu:  I've noticed before that somehow Holt's pubs manage to offer standard chain dining pub fare and yet give some better/uncommon choices.  Wexford chicken looks very tempting, and the fish cakes with poached eggs also seems to be an unusual option. I resisted the temptation to try the food.

Next, visible out of the window is the Gerard Arms:

Another very quiet food-led pub, this time belonging to Greene King.

The only cask was Old Speckled Hen, which was very good.  There were also two ciders on handpump.  Unusual to have more ciders than ales, perhaps, but I wonder if it is intentional because of the expected heatwave?

There were more people in the pleasant looking beer garden than in the partly knocked through interior.  The decor here is more quirky than the Abbey, and also well done.  I wonder if the Ionic column is actually holding up the ceiling or is it just for decoration.  Wait, it's actually Corinthian, I think, and I can also see a couple of Doric ones.  (Confession:  I had to consult Google to find out which is which. And if we're nitpicking, none of them are fluted, so not really Greek at all.)

Thanks to the loss of the Windle my plan is in a mess as the next target doesn't open until three according to Google, and it's only quarter to two.  So, a hasty replan and a mile walk to the Black Bull:

This place has apparently got the magic touch!  The beer garden is full of families with kids running around, inside are groups of all ages, how do they do it?  It was so full I couldn't get a table to sit at, and had to put up with a high chair and a shelf.  And a Fosters.

Inside the splendid 1920s building (Or maybe even earlier; see the enormous chimneys?) the decor is a little plain but none the worse for that.  Not a lot of original features survive, but I think the basic room layout does.

Compared with the previous two ticks, the atmosphere here is absolute bedlam, I think I would prefer a little peace but it is so good to see a pub doing well, especially an out-of-the-way one like this.

I'm not sure what the food offer is here; the table next to me had brought bags of popcorn and their own sandwiches.

Next, it's not very far to the Bird I' Th Hand, is that how you write it?  I can see my capitalisation is different to Google's, we'll let the sign adjudicate:

The sign is all capitals, of course, so it doesn't help with upper/lower case but, much more annoying than that, the place is closed.  Bugger, again.  The appearance suggests to me that it is out of action, not just late opening the doors, but I could be wrong.

On to the Eccleston Arms:

Open, thank goodness, and my concern that this one might have crossed the pub/restaurant boundary since I was last here was unwarranted.

The barmaid served me instantly and I had ordered a Carling before I spotted the Doom Bar pump, so I may have missed out on cask here.  However, my recollection of my 2020 visit is that the cask was horrible, so perhaps this was the best outcome.

Another very busy one, with a party of some sort in one room and a buffet in another (Ooh, tempting), and no empty tables in the other rooms, so I headed out to the pleasant beer yard for a table in the shade of the wall, to drink my lager.

Another one doing a roaring trade, drinks and food were coming out into the sunshine all the time.

What next?  There's a bus stop across the road from where I can get a bus home, so I think that's it for today.  A disappointing/irritating survey, I hope the Windle and the Bird are just late opening today, but I fear not.

Pub of the day: Black Bull
Beer of the day: Old Speckled Hen
Miles walked: 3.0
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

Waterloo

On a beautiful sunny day I made my way to Waterloo.  I think I've exhausted the supply of "witty" remarks about Abba, Napoleon, Ray Davies and so on in previous blogs so we'll just get on to the pubs:  Multiple trips here over the last five years mean that many of the places are "not required" and the ones I want are those more likely to be closed on a Thursday, let's see how I do.

I started at Parnells but contrary to Google's times it wasn't open.

On to Flanagans, another one that's not open when it should be.

For my third attempt, the Lion & Unicorn is open:

This pleasant knocked through boozer has just three customers at half one on a Thursday, no wonder the others don't bother to open.

As I downed my lager more drinkers came in.

The penny only dropped when I was preparing for this survey:  I recently ticked another Waterloo Lion and Unicorn, but that is a Wetherspoon and it's at Waterloo station in London.  I wonder is it a coincidence or is there some connection with Waterloo?  Lion and unicorn appear on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.  ChatGPT tells me the emblem was widely used during the Napoleonic wars, which seems a bit of a vague connection.  Wetherspoon named theirs after a pavilion at the Festival of Britain.  (Strictly, the spoons is called The Lion And The Unicorn)

All that fascinating (?) research extended my stay in this comfortable pub.

Next, a look at Bunratty's which I was expecting to find closed as it doesn't open on Thursdays, and it was:

Turning back from Bunratty's it occurred to me that I had walked past the Raven without noticing it, on the way back I discovered that that was because it is no longer there.

Back to Parnells which is now open:

This rather good sports themed bar has air conditioning which was very welcome today.  Just a handful of customers at half two.  The music was too loud for my taste but I bet it is even louder later when the multiple disco lights and the glitter ball are fired up.

My Carling was a remarkable £2.50.

Umpteen TVs are showing horse racing but I don't think anyone was watching.  At least they were silent.

Throughout my time in Waterloo so far the main street has had a steady flow of youngsters heading towards the beach.  Shouldn't they be at school?  Perhaps they get Corpus Christie day off?  Each arrival of a train from Liverpool produced another surge.

Well I never!  The mostly irritating music moved on to Jethro Tull's Witches Promise, I didn't expect that!  I saw him (Ian Anderson) play live in a field on Staten Island back in 2001.  He came on stage on crutches explaining that he'd fallen off the stage at the Cambridge folk festival;  then he threw the crutches away and gave us a great show.

Next, on to what was the Waterpudlian last time I saw it, but is now Shipwreck:

The name may have changed but this pub is basically the same, a pleasant corridor bar with a stage for live music on one side, offering some quality cask ales.  I had Salopian's Day in a Life which was very good.

Just four other drinkers at three o'clock, I know I've said it before but come on people, I can't save the pub industry on my own, where are you?

I scanned the display of pump clips.  Cains 2008, now that was a truly great beer, sadly missed.

Now I need to kill some time.  The next target should be closed at the moment but their Facebook and Google say they open at four.  Will they?  I drank my tasty ale slowly before heading for the Trap & Hatch.  At ten past four it wasn't open, although the shutters have moved so someone's in.

The great thing about this survey is that the distances are very small, so let's have another go at Flanagans:

Oh yes, the door is open and the friendly barmaid poured me a Guinness.  There was no one in except me at quarter past four, no wonder they don't open earlier.  She said people turn up at five and later.

The inside of this bar is really nicely done in a restrained Irish style, and they've still got a scull (Boat, not a head.) hanging from the ceiling.  It was remarkably cool in here, very pleasant.  The barmaid said it was also cold in the winter!

I'm tiring of walking up and down the main street but let's have one more go at Trap & Hatch:

Aha, it's now open.

Dog friendly, according to my book.  In fact the dog was a bit unfriendly until it found out I was just another customer.  After which I was its best pal until someone else came in.

Not my favourite micro pub but the gorgeous ale, I forget what it was, warmed me to it.

All the other customers knew each other and the barman and chatted.  I sat on my own (apart from the dog) and enjoyed my hazy IPA.

I scanned the beer board.  Oddly for a micro, two of the four keg beers on offer are Guinness and Caffrey's.  With one cider that only leaves Veltins Pilsner.  But I had a gorgeous cask ale so I don't care.

Now, a difficult (not really) decision:  I've spotted Green Room just across the road, it seems to be a pool room cum bar, new to my guide, so can I have number six and tick that as well?  The answer, of course, is yes.

This shop conversion has a beautifully decorated bar area at the front, with an equally nice pool room behind.  The counter runs through both.

Just four lads playing pool when I arrived, I hope they spent some money on drinks.

As I downed my Madri (I only spotted the Carling tap after I'd ordered) I looked around.  Someone has put a lot of effort into creating a really good stylish interior and I really hope they get the trade they deserve.

The music was a bit loud in here but I think it was being chosen by the pool lads so that's fair enough. Their taste doesn't align with mine, but why should it.

I checked the trains home.  Oh dear, everything has stopped, this could be problematical.  But wait, things are on the move again so I should be ok.  And I was.

Six required ticks, one of them brand new to the guide, is a great result for a Thursday.

Pub of the day: Shipwreck
Beer of the day: Day In A Life
Miles walked: 1.4
Maybe coming soon: Greasby

Prescot to Thatto Heath

I started today's researches in Prescot.  There are a number of cafe bars along the main street which maybe ought to be added to my guide, but for today I'm visiting one that is already there, the Tempest:

This is a pleasant shop conversion, the decor of bare brickwork and matchboarding looks good.  I selected the house lager from the six keg fonts but they've "got a problem with the pipes" and there's no draft beer at the moment.  So I had a bottle of San Miguel for my first drink.

At one on a Saturday there were only two other customers and they were waiting for breakfasts and drinking orange juice, so not suffering from the lack of gas.

Next, a walk away from the centre to the Wellington:

This attractive "baronial" building is clearly an inter-war roadhouse, but my buddy ChatGPT doesn't have a precise date for it.  I was startled to see that the source for ChatGPT's info is this very blog!  My smugness at finding my description of the building as "baronial" was correct evaporated when I realised it had come from my own previous comments.  Something of an incestuous relationship, I think, talk about an echo chamber!

Inside some original features are preserved despite significant knocking through of the formerly multi-roomed interior, although it would require someone better versed in architecture than I to decide how much is original and how much is modern repro or acquired from a reclamation yard.

There were two handpumps on the counter so I selected a fine pint of Landlord.

Here there were more customers than the Tempest, some eating.  Plenty of space for more, though.

Next, a march along the perennially busy A58 St Helens Road to the next inter-war roadhouse, the Grapes:

Another impressive building from the 20s or 30s, ChatGPT can't give an exact year.  Again the interior is heavily modified but still has some original features.

I eyed up the handpumps with a degree of suspicion and plumped for Greene King IPA which was excellent.

There were plenty of diners in here, in fact I had trouble finding a table without a reserved sign.  The carvery smelled tempting and had a steady stream of customers.  This one is quite busy compared with the previous two ticks, at half two.  Is it just because time is moving on? 

Next, a longer walk, there are two targets in Thatto Heath overdue for a visit, one of them not ticked for fifteen years.  Google Maps came up trumps and routed me along a pleasant footpath instead of by road.

The first target I came to was the Brown Edge:

What an odd name for a pub, wonder what it means.

Inside is a well done comfortable plain boozer.  The decor in the multi-area interior is somehow rather attractive.

The clips were turned so I just had a Carling.

Quite a few people were in here and the cheerful chatter was louder than the music.  As, I think, it should be.  This is one of those pubs where everyone knows everyone else, so they join in with each other's conversations.

The landlord (I think) sorted out the fruit machine, which involved a lot of ching ching clonk noises and also feeding in lots of notes and coins.  Part of me wanted to say that doing that right by the open door was a little risky but I guess he knows what he's doing.  Thinking about it, if I leapt up, grabbed the bag of money and ran out of the pub, how far would I get before he tackled me?  Not very far, I bet.

Finally, a pub not ticked since 2010 because it wasn't open when it should have been in 2019.  The internet tells me it is now a "community pub" and has been refurbished, so let's have a look in the York:

Refurbished, yes, but happily not ruined.  The multi-roomed interior has been well decorated in plain style, and some excellent ceramics have survived.

I hid in one of the side rooms for peace and quiet, avoiding the cheerful banter by the counter.

My Carling was a malty one, even the ultimate "factory lager" has variations in flavour if you drink as much of it as I do.

Pub of the day: I think the Welly edges it because of the excellent Timothy Taylor's
Beer of the day: Landlord
Miles walked: 2.8
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

Bromborough

It was cold and damp today as I headed under the river to Bromborough where I was hoping to tick some bars I'd only learned of a few days ago.  (Thanks Carl!)

At this point I would like to raise a town planning complaint:  When they built a new "bypass" for the main shopping street, what idiot decided to give the new and old roads the same name?  So as you approach along The Rake there are two right turns 220 yards apart, both called Allport Lane.  How confusing is that?

I started at what I thought was the Vault but it's called Voltage, and not open.  Not a good start.  Maybe I'll try again later.

Tucked away in a little pedestrian shopping street is the Tipsy Cow:

A plain shop conversion this, warm and comfortable inside.  My hopes were briefly raised by a Wainwright handpump but "We don't sell it any more, I don't know why that's still there".  Stella was also off, I had 1664 for a change. 

Only a handful of customers at half one, two playing pool, the rest chatting.  They all know each other, I'm the odd one out.  The predictive text made that "old one out", perhaps I'm that as well? 

There's a DJ desk in the corner, I expect it'll be noisy later.  Maybe karaoke? 

Next, let's try Gin & Milk:

Compared with the plain and perhaps slightly tatty Cow, this place is rather posh and up market and most of the customers at two were drinking coffee.  But there is one font at the end of the counter, so that confirms it as eligible to be included in my guide, and I had a pint of Asahi ordered at the counter and delivered to my table. 

Again many of the customers knew each other, Bromborough might be a bit insular!

I wondered about the odd name.  I looked at the drinks menu and they do offer a cocktail called gin and milk, with ingredients including cherry gin, egg white and milk.  Sounds disgusting but I'd probably like it if I had one.  Maybe.  I've never experienced egg white as a drink ingredient, it seems weird; but don't knock it till you've tried it, I say.

Some food came out, it looked very good. 

As I drank my "Japanese" lager (Where is it brewed?  My guess was Burton but Google says Greenwich, Cornwall, and Chiswick!) I wondered what makes this place so pleasant.  Not sure what it is exactly, but I felt very comfortable here.

I mustn't forget to pay before I leave!  (I remembered.)

Next, something more in the line of a "normal pub", the Bromborough:

This classic boozer belongs to Greene King (Don't they all?).  Inside the brewers' Tudor building a few features have been preserved including some old leaded glass, and what looks like a hundred year old fireplace opposite where I sat.  Of course, that could be modern repro.

Should I risk the solitary Old Golden Hen handpump?  I did and it was very good.  It came in an Abbot glass, I would have preferred a pint of Abbot!

Quite a few customers were here at half two, but there wasn't the same level of interaction as in the previous two bars.

I had a look at the menu, standard chain pub fare with fish and chips costing £10.29.

On the telly in my eye-line was racing, lots of blokes were wearing top hats so I'm guessing it is a famous race meeting?

Next, another "normal" pub, this time with Hungry Horse branding, the Royal Oak:

Once again the lone handpump offering was Old Golden Hen, should I gamble again?  I did and I won another good pint.

This place is a lot busier than the previous ones, families eating seemed to be the main type of customer.  They need to employ another member of staff to clear tables after people have gone, as many tables were piled up with eaten or half eaten food.  (I resisted the spare chips and chocolate cake on offer where I sat.)  Soon after I'd written that a friendly waitress cleared all the debris.

After kicking Facebook very hard (I'm not sure why Google wouldn't send me to the right page) I found what might be up to date info for Voltage which says it opens at four.  Should I try again?  It would be rude not to!

Yes, it's open, my third new tick today.  A rather fine contemporary bar, the interior decor is very good. 

I eschewed most of the wide range of keg beers and finished my survey with a Carling. 

I was on my own in here, just me and the barmaid to enjoy the eighties music selection, Wired For Sound followed by Nik Kershaw's Riddle.  Sometimes the music in an empty pub is too loud but here it wasn't.  On the other hand the flashing disco lights were probably unnecessary!  And drowned out by the sunshine from outside.

Not really my sort of bar, but it's so well done and well cared for that I can't fault it.  I hope they get lots of customers later on, they certainly deserve to.  I wondered if anyone else would come in but I can't wait all night, and no one did.

Until, that is, just as I was finishing my pint two customers arrived so I didn't have to leave the place empty.

Oh wow, five required ticks, three brand new, that's a really good crop, time for home.  Grand total now 1,549.

Pub of the day: The Bromborough
Beer of the day: Old Golden Hen
Miles walked: 1.6
Maybe coming soon: Thatto Heath

Walton and Clubmoor

On a warm and humid Saturday I took a train to Kirkdale and then a walk towards Walton.  To be honest I was expecting a poor crop of ticks, but you never know.

Firstly, the Walton Social Club:

Only open in the evenings, as expected.  Next, the Anfield Hotel:

My records show this is closed, and they turned out to be correct.  

There was a very shouty drunk standing in the street outside asking no one "what are you looking at"?  I looked the other way and passed by quickly.  Luckily he didn't see me take the picture!

Another long walk for me, to Frames Lounge:

The shutters were down.  Since my notes say it shouldn't be open yet that's hardly surprising.

A couple of years ago I was indulging in one of my other hobbies and travelling on a train along the freight only railway here and I was surprised to look out of the window and see a bar I didn't know about:  So, a few doors down from Frames is No 9 Bar and Kitchen:

At long last somewhere is open.  A few people were sitting outside while I cooled off with a Madri in the air conditioned interior.  "Is it too cold" asked the barmaid, I assured her it was good. 

Perhaps I'm biased because I was hot and it was nice and cool in here, but I quite like this gaudily decorated little bar.  They've got an indoor bouncy castle for the kids, not something I've seen in a pub before.  Oh, wait, what were those kids' play areas called back in the 90s.  Charlie Chalk or something?  Google to the rescue, it was Charlie Chalk's and the other chain was Whacky Warehouse.  You don't see those any more. 

More indoor customers appeared as I made my notes, a number of them having food.  I checked the menu, it looks good value. 

The framed shirts on the wall indicate that they sponsor the local football team.  No, not that one, it is Walton FC I think.

It's after opening time, let's try Frames again...

The shutter is now up, so I wandered down the corridor and suddenly found myself in a plain comfortable bar with one other customer.  I'm guessing there are other function areas inside this complex, not in use at this time. 

I sat down to enjoy my Carling and listen to some very unusual bar music, it was a New Orleans Jazz band.  Rather wonderful, I must say. 

I chatted to the other customer about the music, and about pubs in Liverpool.  He is going to buy a copy of my book.  Me, a salesman?  Apparently! 

So far, so good.  A long walk, but two new ticks.  What's next?  The New Broadway:

For some reason I haven't been here since 2003, and back than I had even less appreciation of pub architecture than I do now, so I was pleased today to find quite a number of original looking features inside this pub dating, I think, from the 1930s. The dark wooden panelling and an arched entrance between the lobby and the lounge suggest original features although there has clearly been some knocking through in the intervening years.  I do like pubs from this era.

The Norris Green area was developed in the 1920s and 30s, with a deliberate decision not to include any pubs.  I'm not sure how this one sneaked in, perhaps being the other side of the (now closed) railway it was not governed by the temperance rules.

A number of customers, I could see fourteen from where I was sitting, were creating a gentle chatter to mix with the muzac.  Two different horse racing channels were on the TVs, pleasingly silent.  One customer was watching both carefully, no one else took any notice. 

Having been somewhat doubtful regarding the construction date of the building (And ChatGPT didn't know either) I noticed on departure that 1938 is prominently displayed on the downspouts.  I think that settles it. 

Next, back to Queens Drive and the Stag and Rainbow.  But Google has a better route, so I enjoyed a peaceful stroll surrounded by greenery along the loop line.  And soon enough I was at the Beefeater Stag and Rainbow:

I have noticed recently that Toby Carvery locations no longer mention drinks or bars on their websites, so I have resolved that they are no longer pubs and will be removed from the guide.  Beefeater, on the other hand, seem to still welcome drinkers so I'm keeping them, at least for now. 

Some entertainment at the counter, the previous customer had ordered cocktails and the young barman did all the shaking nonsense and then couldn't separate the glass and the tin.  He struggled for ages and eventually called on his colleague who gently clonked it on the counter and it came apart.  "How long has he been struggling?" he asked, I replied "hours".  Then he'd run out of the coconut cream for a pina collada so one of the cocktails was a fail and had to be replaced by a different flavour.

I was going to order a Carling out of habit but during the above pantomime I suddenly realised there was a Doom Bar handpump right in front of me.  I risked it and it was excellent. 

A typical chain food operation, this place is doing pretty well at five on a Saturday, with a steady stream of drinks ordered at the counter and, I presume although I couldn't see, food coming out.  At £15.29 for fish and chips it's not cheap.

As the time ticked on to five o'clock I looked up to see a massive queue at the counter, boosting the drink sales by quite a lot.  I assume if you are seated by staff (Of course, I just walked past the "please wait" sign when I came in) you order drinks from the waiters.  By the time I was ready to leave the place was quite busy, the muzac completely drowned out by cheerful chatter.

What I should do now is complete my survey with the excellent Cask not far down the road, but to be honest I'm knackered, is it the muggy weather or the ales I had yesterday or the four mile walk or just old age?  Anyway, there's a bus stop across the road from where I can get home, so that's it for today.  Two brand new ticks, taking my total to 1,546.

Pub of the day: New Broadway
Beer of the day: Doom Bar
Miles walked: 4.3
Maybe coming soon: Thatto Heath