More Drinks!

Ooops!  A lack of proper planning saw me on the train to Tranmere with some noisy football fans.  To be fair, they were noisy but well behaved.  I considered changing my plans and going somewhere else but decided to stick with it.  Off the train at Rock Ferry, all the fans dived into the Bedford while I turned the other way.  My first intended target was close to the ground but before that I had to walk past the Rockvilla.  But it's changed name, to More Drinks!

The auctioneers sign outside doesn't bode well, but it's open now so I'll visit even though I was here only three years ago so it is not technically "required".

Just as last time this is a rather well done plain boozer, with rough wood panelling and some bare brick creating an attractive interior. 

There are two distinct sides to the pub, but the back of the servery seems to have been glazed so I think one has to come into this side to be served.  This side has a couple of rooms off, altogether a rather good layout.

I ordered a Carling before I spotted the intriguing handwritten tap label "Wirral Wobbler".

About half a dozen regulars were joking and chatting.  There's something special about this pub that I can't identify:  Perhaps it is the happy atmosphere, with friendly barman and regulars creating a pleasant ambience.

Some free food appeared on the counter as I neared the end of my pint - I resisted. 

A query arose at the pool table, and the players consulted the barman for adjudication.  He said "if you're paying EPA rules it's no, Birkenhead rules yes" which rather amused me.  I think I've come across these "Birkenhead Rules" in another pub some time ago.  (Purely as a nosy observer, not a player, I hasten to add.)

I headed on to the Sportsmans Arms:

As expected, this place was full of footie fans, gradually leaving for the ground.

Oh goodie!  White Rat is on.  The friendly barmaid apologised for serving cask in a plastic glass, I told her it tasted the same.  (To be honest I do prefer glass, but I'm not going to complain when they're serving one of my favourite ales in fine nick.  And it was only three quid.)

I had to stand initially, but fairly soon got a seat and table, as time moved on towards kick off and the crowd thinned .  By three there were only half a dozen of us left, and the bar staff busied themselves collecting glasses (er, plastics?) and empty crisp packets, and cleaning the tables.

I've been impressed by this pub before, pleasantly decorated and well maintained, offering quality cask in what would otherwise be a bit of a desert, they seem to have the formula exactly right.  I couldn't see any indication of the food they used to offer, but perhaps that's just because of the footie? 

I moved on, passing the long closed Black Horse where I last supped in 2012.  Did I get the giant chimney in my picture?  I thought chimneys like that had been forgotten by 1931 when this place was built.

A loud cheer indicated Tranmere had gone one down.  Only a short walk away is the Beehive:

I really like this historic-looking building (1930s again?) and I was pleased to find that the pub is still operating.   Inside I found a dozen or so regulars.

I read somewhere that Moretti has overtaken Carling as the biggest selling draught beer in the UK - Not here, I could see umpteen Carling glasses, and I added one to the total. 

The interior here is plain but well done and well cared for, the colour scheme is the fashionable shades of grey.

Once again, free food was on offer, sandwiches and chicken nibbles I think.  Again, I resisted temptation.  The mixing desk and lights at the end of the room suggested a noisy Saturday night ahead but at half three the only sounds were chit-chat and racing commentary. 

Next, into the back streets in search of the Imperial:

Something of a classic, this one, with some historic features such as an ancient fireplace inside although I suspect much of the decor is sixties?  I'm not sure though, the leaded glass above the counter seems genuine thirties or older.  I need an architecture expert to analyse this one for me!  The building must be early twentieth century I think, so maybe the interior is too.  A very pleasing boozer anyway.

Once again the sound was the animated chatter of one or two dozen regulars, I think the sport on the telly was silent. 

I'm off, before the football lets out.  This turned out to be a wise decision, the rumbles of thunder while I waited for the bus were followed by a very heavy hailstorm as I travelled into Birkenhead.

Pub of the day: Sportsmans Arms
Beer of the day: Ossett White Rat
Miles walked: 2
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead

The Last Pub in Stockbridge Village

With, I have to admit, little optimism, I caught the bus to Canny Farm.  Would any of the pubs have survived, or was I on a hiding to nothing?

Locals will already have realised that my use of the names Cantril Farm, Canny Farm or even Cannibal Farm is pure affectation, as the area was renamed Stockbridge Village long before I first came to Liverpool. 

Anyway, I started at the location of the Barley Mow, long closed and now replaced by houses:

As I headed on I must confess to wondering if today was going to be a series of pictures of modern housing on the sites of closed pubs.  Soon, I reached the Village Inn and, lo and behold, it is still operating:

Only the front room was in use, clean but a little worn in places, especially the bench seats round the walls which were full of holes.

About ten customers, all blokes of my age or older were watching footie on the telly, and chatting. 

I looked around as I sank my Carling.  Re-cover the seats and the place would merit a "clean, tidy and well looked after" description because apart from the seats, it is. 

I noticed an indication we are in the 2020s even in this classic from the 1960s:  There was no bitter available whereas last time, in 2018, they offered John Smith's and Worthington's.  There was a tap for John Smith's Golden Ale, which I suppose is close.  If the correct glasses were used I can report that about 80% of the custom was for Carling with the remainder on the Smith's.

Next, the Ploughman:

Long closed, I'm sorry to report, and with some kind of legal notice pinned to the front fence. 

On to the Black Angus which streetview research earlier in the year had revealed was closed, demolished and replaced by housing:

So that's it for Stockbridge Village.  My database lists six pubs, I drank in four of them in 1998, and some again more recently, and now the Village Inn is the only one left.  Isn't that a shame. 

I departed at the North end of the estate, on to Deysbrook Lane.  The Princess has been closed and demolished for a long time, although I did manage to tick it in 1998, but remarkably the frame of the pub sign remains:

I was getting a bit thirsty by now, but it wasn't far to the Deysbrook which I was fairly confident would be open:

Not just open, it is thriving.  Very nicely modernised and beautifully cared for, it retains some of the original two sided layout, although I expect there has been some knocking through over the years. 

The bar side was busy, I had to sit at the corner of someone else's table to put down my Carling - It's hard to write on a tablet standing up with a pint in your hand.  In the other side was a very lively party, I couldn't make out what they were celebrating but there were a lot of happy people and a lot of noise. 

I must say it is pleasing to find a busy pub nowadays, especially as it wasn't too busy for me to find a seat.  It shows "ordinary" boozers can continue to flourish in 2024.  Thank goodness for that. 

The score so far is two required ticks.  It's a long walk to the next one and I'm not sure I can be bothered...  Home it is. 

Pub of the day: Deysbrook
Beer of the day: Carling
Miles walked: 2.1
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead

Southport in the Sunshine

On a pleasant sunny day you find me on the train to Southport where I started in the Wellington:

A classic boozer this, one large knocked through room, very nicely decorated in traditional style.  There were plenty of customers at two on a Thursday.

What's this?  A handpump with a Moorhouse's clip, I never expected that.  As the friendly barmaid handed me my pint she said "It's the first one out today, let me know if it doesn't taste right".  One sniff of the vinegary odour was enough for me to reject it.  The second pint smelled (smelt?) better but still tasted off, so I had a Carling.  I did wonder if another few pulls would reach drinkable ale, but on reflection probably not.  While sour ale is always a disappointment, the warning and the cheerful replacement is the proper way to deal with it; full marks to the barmaid and 0/10 for the cellarman.  Of course, they could be one and the same.

Ten minutes later I noticed the clip had been turned round, that's good.  The other handle also had a turned round clip. 

The soundtrack in here?  Cheerful conversations with music in the background.  This is what a pub should sound like. 

On to the Sporting Jester:

Another traditional boozer, with perhaps more modern decor than the Welly, very pleasant and, once again, spotless. 

No trouble with the real ale here, because they don't do it any more, so another Carling for your reporter.  I recall coming in for the first time back in 2011 for a pint of cask when the Volunteer, as it was then known, made a short lived appearance in the Good Beer Guide.

Not quite as busy as the Wellington, but still ticking over nicely at three o'clock.

There were three dartboards at one end of the room along with a pool table, not in use at the moment.  Now I look at it, the pool table is parked over an oche, so some rearrangement would be needed to play three games of darts.

Now, a favourite of mine, the Cheshire Lines:

As you can see, one of the locals spotted me taking the photo.

What a disappointment!  Admittedly it is better than last time I walked this way, when it was surrounded by fencing during COVID, but this time no real ale is on offer and the barmaid advised me that quite a few of the keg ones were unavailable too.  Luckily, Neck Oil was on so I had that. 

Only about three or four other customers in, I suppose it's just too far from the main drag, with no passing trade.

Running out of half of the keg beers is sometimes a sign of the wholesaler refusing to deliver until bills are paid, could this place be going bust?  I hope not, and there are plenty of less doom-laden explanations. 

Are the ancient-looking beams genuine, I wonder?  I suspect not, but the interior is very pleasant anyway.

Two of the other customers had an enormous German Shepherd with them, perfectly well behaved but I was a little worried that if it decided to misbehave it might be stronger than the owner! 

Down on to Lord Street next, and in to what my database says is the Potting Shed, now called the Southport Coaster:

The Potting Shed was some sort of cocktail bar I think but I never visited.  Before that, the Sandgrounder was a Wetherspoon-style place with real ale in 2014.  Even before that, I think it was a Yates' but I never ticked it. The new version is a wonderful boozer with excellent decor packed with inebriated people at half four.

The giant screen behind the counter was showing the cricket but I don't think anyone was watching.  Karaoke was in full swing, loud but not the deafening level one often finds.  (On my regular visits to Blacklers in town, you can hear the music from next door.)

Unusually, this karaoke seemed to feature people who could actually sing!  Okay, she's no Karen Carpenter but that was a fine rendition of I Know I Need To Be In Love, by someone called Sharon.  Apparently the karaoke queue is an hour long, clearly the skilled performers all come here. I hung on for the next act...  A duo who even managed harmonies in I Feel Fine.  Well done!

Not quite time for home yet, how about a new one?  The Auld Dubliner:

A standard shop conversion, a corridor bar with Irish decor very well done.  When I get home I'll check Streetmap to see what it was before, I don't think it was a bar - Ah, Thomas Cook. 

My Guinness was part filled and then left to stand above the taps before being finished, that's how it should be done.  And no shamrock, of course. 

Again, the cricket was on the giant screen behind the counter, and again I don't think anyone was watching.  Except me, briefly - The Aussies seemed to be doing pretty well. 

Another rather fine boozer, plenty of people enjoying the atmosphere with chatter equalling the music in sound level.

Pub of the day: Southport Coaster, a modern classic.
Beer of the day: Neck Oil
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Canny Farm, Kirkdale

Good Beer Guide 2025

A really impressive thud alerted me to the landing on my doormat of the latest edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.

I can report that in Merseyside twenty-one entries have been removed and twenty added since last year's guide.

As I say every time, if you want to know which pubs they are you'll have to buy the book when it goes on sale on 26 September.

A Bad Start

The morning's torrential rain had eased off as I headed out to Maghull, hoping for a number of overdue ticks plus one new one.

From the station I walked past the Great Mogul, I've already done that one recently, and strolled through suburbia to the Fox:

Google says they open at 12, Facebook 14, so I should be OK at quarter past two?  No! 

Only a short walk from there to my next target, the Old Post Office:

This one was shut too - Not a good beginning to the survey; this is why I've mostly changed to Saturdays when places are more likely to be open in the afternoon.  I've something else to do this Saturday though. 

Some more walking, including passing by the Wetherspoon because I was in there in May this year, brought me to One Central:

More of a cafe than a bar, this one, will it be open and can I get a beer?

Things didn't look good as I entered, every table occupied by gentlefolk drinking coffee or tea, and no fonts on the counter.  But wait, I can see a bloke with a pint in his hand and there are taps on the back wall, and so I was soon served with a pint of San Miguel.

"Anything else" asked the barman as he operated the till.  "Another one" suggested the man standing next to me.  Good idea!

I perched at the corner of an occupied table to relax and enjoy my cerveza.  Chatter and the whooshing of the coffee machine were the main sounds in here.  Is it over the borderline into cafe territory, I wonder.  Oh well, I've drunk in here now, and I imagine the coffee/beer ratio would be very different in the evening. 

The decor involves lots of rough woodwork.  It looks rather good.

Another half a mile of walking took me past the Hare and Hounds, ticked recently, and on to the Meadows:

This Greene King "Flaming Grill" pub is, as all their pubs are, nicely decorated, clean and tidy. 

Four handpumps with three "coming soon" is something of a harbinger of doom (No not Doom Bar) in my experience, but I risked a pint of Yardbird and it was excellent, albeit a little lively resulting in a lot of top-ups before the friendly barmaid handed it to me.  One decent real ale is enough. 

It was fairly quiet in here, just ticking over, but that seems to be the norm for pubs nowadays.  Three or four gentle conversations were the only sound, except for the staff rattling plates, cutlery and glasses. 

I noticed they have the exact same servery software as Wetherspoon do, someone at table 8 has ordered some food.  What I still haven't found out is the reason other tables pop up on the screen in plain grey.  Including mine here. 

I continued to look round:  Hanging behind the bar is a "public access bleed control kit", not noticed one of those before.  Presumably there is a risk of a nasty cut from a broken glass in a pub.  Does one need training to use it?  I don't think I'd fancy applying a tourniquet without some advice on how tight to make it.

Table eight's food counted up to fourteen minutes, it is highlighted in mauve now which means it is ready in the kitchen.  The food appeared just after I wrote that.  I perused the menu of pub standards.  £9.89 for fish chips and peas is fairly cheap in 2024, I think.  Now I feel hungry! 

I wondered about the building.  Twenties or early thirties?  The tall chimneys suggest the earlier part of that period.  I can see it was built with multiple small rooms, now knocked through, so it must pre-date the "improved pub" era. 

Moving on, just a short stroll brings us to Cask Cafe.  In view of my success rate so far I'm a bit worried about a place that advertises opening at four, as it is now about five past:

A sort of secret pub, this, because all the signage refers to its alter ego as a coffee shop.  In fact there's a notice on the door showing that it closes at two.  Luckily I could see someone with a pint in hand through the window, and once I went in I found a lively hubbub of drinkers.  

Four handpumps were in operation, I chose one I'd never heard of from Oakham brewery, now what was it called?  Ah yes, Celeste, it's a very pale rather delicately flavoured hoppy ale, one of their seasonal brews.  Very good.

I sat on a comfortable sofa alone in the back room, while the front room was full of people and conversations.

What a wonderful pub.  I think I might have said this before about other ones, but if a place like this were to open near my home, I might have to abandon the pub guide research and just go there every day.

I was joined at my table by two other people.  What's wrong with the dozen other empty tables I don't know, but the woman did ask if it was alright, and it was, so no complaints. 

Another fairly short walk and a life threatening crossing of the A59 in rush hour (hyperbole) brought me to the Alt Park:

Another chain dining place, this time with Sizzling branding.  This brand belongs to Mitchells and Butlers as do many other well known brands including Harvester, Vintage Inns, All Bar One, Nicholson's, O'Neill's, Ember Inns, Toby Carvery and so on. 

Just like the Meadows, it is pleasantly decorated, clean and tidy. 

No cask, so I had a Guinness. 

Five o'clock by now, and there were a lot more diners in, keeping the staff busy.  Fish chips and peas £8.29 here.

I was interested to note the Christmas Party menu.  Wetherspoon took some flack a few years ago when they stopped offering a "Christmas dinner", replacing it with a Christmas-themed burger.  This pub offers "Christmas Dinner Pie" so clearly spoons were leading the way and the others follow, as usual.  Once again, I ask why my shares aren't going up.

Out of the window I viewed the back garden.  Lots of picnic tables and some, er what's the word, a row of open sided roofed units each with a table and bench seats.  In today's chilly weather no one was out there. 

Time to head towards home, so I walked back to the station for a train in to town.  

Quite a satisfactory survey after a shaky start, or so I thought until I got home and realised I had walked straight past the new-ish Neptune Beerhouse.  So I could have got another brand new tick if I'd been awake.

Pub of the day: Cask Cafe
Beer of the day: Oakham Celeste
Miles walked: 4.1
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Kirkdale, Cantril Farm

Billinge

An opportunity arose when friends visiting me were heading off to Bryn, so would be driving through Billinge.  Normally this is a train ride followed by a bus ride away, so it would be foolish not accept a free lift.  Thanks to Tony and Karyn I was soon dropped off at the Eagle & Child:

Sadly this plain pleasant pub has lost its real ale since I was last here, in 2018.  Even more sadly, there were no other customers at half two on a Saturday, which doesn't bode well for the long term survival of this one that, for reasons I can't put my finger on, I really like.  Is it just the attractive exterior? 

As I sank my Carling one or two other customers appeared, I think there were some in the back garden.

I checked my database; there are five Merseyside pubs called Eagle and Child, it is of course the crest of the Stanley family, Earls of Derby. 

Just across the road is the Stork Inn, sadly (I must stop writing sadly) closed for some years, with redevelopment work proceeding very slowly if at all:

Heading down the hill we reach the Foresters Arms:

Something of a plain down market place, this one, but clean and tidy, friendly and welcoming, and with a lot more customers than the previous call.

Quiet sports commentary, I don't know which sport (Probably rugby?), was mostly overpowered by gentle conversations as I enjoyed a second Carling.

I passed by the Billinge Arms, saved for later, and on down a tiny side road to the lovely Masons Arms:

What a fine pub this is.  Despite being "in the middle of nowhere"  (So much so that CAMRA don't even know which county it is in!) it is much busier than the previous calls.  There can't be any passing trade, so everyone is here because it's a great pub. 

Four handpumps on the counter, I selected Moorhouse's Premier, a rather excellent traditional bitter which I don't think I've tried before. 

Multiple conversations were the main sound in here, I think the rugby might have been audible in the background.  There was some kind of live music going on at the back of the pub, audible when I went to the gents and from the street, but undetectable inside the pub itself. 

Back in the light rain up to Billinge's main street, and in to the aforementioned Billinge Arms:

A hubbub of activity in here with some kind of function going on out the back, but no problem getting served by the efficient busy bar staff, and no problem getting a table inside the main room.

The restaurant at the side has reverted to Italian again, I think, it's called Bellinis.  They also do food in the pub part, I didn't read the menus but the specials board looked very tempting.  I'm not sure if it's part of the same operation?

It is nearly five on a Saturday evening now, and this pub is showing how things should be done, with a continuous stream of customers at the counter keeping the staff busy, plus a regular flow of food coming out of the kitchen. 

I felt a little guilty occupying a whole booth table as the place got busier, but I was here first!

Pub of the day: Masons Arms
Beer of the day: Moorhouse's Premier
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Cantril Farm, Kirkdale, Southport

Lark Lane

Time for an overdue visit to the Bohemian enclave that is Lark Lane.  I took a walk the length of the street photographing various locations before I started in Milo Lounge, a large popular cafe bar:

The fine decor in here includes some attractive (modern I think) arches between the knocked through rooms.

The place was doing very well at two on a sunny Friday, at first glance all the other customers seemed to be eating.  I stood at the Please wait to be seated sign, and my "Can I just come in for a beer" was answered positively.  A pint of Cruzcampo from the selection of foreign lagers started my day's drinking.  On reflection I should have tried the Italian one I'd never heard of, Menabrea, but I'm saying that purely because it would tick a box, not because there was anything wrong with my cerveza.

Quite a few people were sitting outside in the street, enjoying the sunny weather.  The same applied to many of the bars along the street as I walked up.  I'm surprised they haven't gone the next step and banned cars altogether, although thinking about it this would make deliveries very difficult.  And some people still live here, where would they put their cars?

As usual on Lark Lane, today I'm faced with the difficult question of the border line between bar and restaurant.  This one is just on the bar side of the line, I think.  I ordered and paid for my pint at the counter, and I could see one or two others who were drinking.  Before coming in here I took a look at what used to be Que Pasa Cantina, now Minna which I decided to categorise as a restaurant.  If anyone wants to complain, it's my guide so my arbitrary decision.  No, actually, if you have a good reason to disagree let me know and I may revise my decision.

Next, the Albert:

No problem with the bar/restaurant decision because this is neither:  It's a pub. 

I selected Landlord and sat in solitude in one part of the traditional interior.  Someone once told me that the "historic" interior of wood panelling and the wonderful bar back is entirely modern, and if you look closely it doesn't seem to have the decades of wear found on real examples.  (Er, is that what they call patina?) Who cares, it's beautiful.

A slow trickle of custom kept the barmaid occupied most of the time, while I enjoyed the peace and quiet and a fine pint of Landlord. 

Is it something to do with the artistic ethos of Lark Lane?  There's no mobile data signal here, at least not from either of my providers. 

Sky Sports was on the tellies, silently thank goodness.  It's transfer deadline day, apparently, so football's business transactions take precedence over an actual international cricket Test Match, currently under way at Lord's.  I wonder what the score is?

Across the road is Keiths, which has sat on the bar or restaurant fence for many years.  I resolved to decide one way or the other today.

OK, that's settled.  I walked in and up to the counter where the cheerful barmaid soon served me a pint of Timothy Taylor's Hopical Storm from one of the two keg taps I could see. A bloke standing at the counter was drinking from a Carling glass so maybe there were more taps elsewhere? 

Having poured my pint the barmaid turned to the till to ring it up but left the tap on.  Beer overflowed the glass in great quantities until I alerted her.  No need to ask for a top up!

I don't think I've had this one before, it's quite a tasty keg pale beer.

Most of the people in here were eating, but not all so this new tick for me has certainly won the accolade of 'bar'!  The main sound was happy chatter, pretty much drowning out the background music.  More and more customers came in, the place was soon busy.  The food I could see looked very good. 

There was a better signal here and I could see Sri Lanka were at Nelson for six so it doesn't look good for them.

Moving along Lark Lane, the next possible tick is La Parrilla:

Now this one is definitely a restaurant but they were happy to serve me another pint of Cruzcampo after parking me at the least visible table!

Fun Mexican decor in here, plenty of customers outside and a few indoors, all dining except for me. 

Now I have a quandary:  This looks to me like it is not a bar, so it shouldn't be in my guide.  But then I won't get a tick!  I think I'll "do the right thing" and exclude it from the database and therefore from the guide.  Have I wasted a drink?  Of course not, a pint of beer enjoyed is never a waste!

Some very tempting sizzling food was delivered to a nearby table, it looked and smelled very good. 

Good grief, a Spanish version of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill.  Where did that come from? 

Another reason why this is a restaurant not a bar:  I haven't paid for my pint yet.  I hope I remember and don't just walk out...

Moving on, the next place is Love and Rockets:

I think this one had cask ale last time I was here, back in 2017, but it doesn't now so I had a pint of Neck Oil and selected a seat with a good view of the Test Match on the telly.

This bar is mainly aimed at pizza and burger eaters and I must say the food looked very good as it passed by. 

On a sunny Friday afternoon the outside tables were full but there was plenty of space inside. 

Five pints to the good I ought to head home, but there is one more place I want to visit; it was Ink In The Well when I was there in 2021, so it's not even a required tick, but it has since been taken over by the wonderful 1936 Pub Company and is now called the Green Man:

A typical "1936" pub, they've knocked the plaster off the walls leaving bare brick and added the usual stag's heads and other odds and ends.  Most importantly they offer a number of real ales, including my favourite White Rat.  It came in an Ossett Brewery conic making it taste even better! 

Not packed but doing well, by now it was five o'clock and family groups, gangs of blokes, and even solo pub researchers were keeping the place going. 

I tried to remember what the Ink In The Well was like; the answer is nothing like this, it was a restaurant with a small drinkers' area at the front, and I don't recall any bare brick walls although checking my notes I find it had some.  It was rather unusual because it served quality cask ale.

Six!  Taxi for Merseypub!

Pub of the day: Green Man
Beer of the day: White Rat
Miles walked: 0.8
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Cantril Farm, Kirkdale