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.
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.
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!
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!
Not a pub survey, just a shopping trip in town, or at least that was the plan, but I couldn't resist the latest addition to the 1936 Pub Company's chain of wonderful places (e.g. Vines, White Hart, Queen of Hope Street, etc etc) So I headed up Duke Street to the Monro:
This was a foodie pub which nevertheless offered decent cask ale when I last visited back in 2007. Subsequently it went more food oriented so I didn't go again. It closed last year, I think, but has now been resurrected by the aforementioned group.
How to describe the interior? Someone went round with a sledgehammer and knocked the walls back to bare plaster or brick, and removed most of the ceiling. I think they also knocked through into next door, I don't remember it being this big. They then added tankards, jugs and bedwarmers hanging from the ceiling beams, brewery signage on the walls and so on. I don't think I've described it very well, you really need to come and have a look. I really love it, anyway!
At three on a Thursday it was ticking over gently. There was a very long row of handpumps on the counter but I didn't look further than perennial favourite White Rat.
Once again the team responsible are to be congratulated for creating another wonderful pub.
Next, on to what used to be Slaters Bar, now Lanigans of Slater Street:
I can't recall what Slaters Bar was like when I visited in 2003 but my notes suggest I wasn't very impressed. Moving on twenty one years, I found a long narrow room very well fitted out in a sort of church style with wooden floors, pews and even a pulpit. Every inch of wall is filled with stained glass style pictures of famous Irish people. Very pleasant.
I was the only customer for most of the time I was here, so I enjoyed my Guinness in solitude. I bet it's busier later. At least I hope so.
How embarrassing! I looked up what my pub guide said about Slaters Bar only to find a spelling mistake which has been there since 2003 and therefore in every printed edition as well: "... as I had been lead to expect." Ouch!
Just across the road is another long overdue target, the Jacaranda:
A pleasant bar where I had another Guinness. There were many more customers than over the road for some reason, so the music mixed with gentle chatter here.
Again, I can't recall my 2003 tick. Upstairs is now a record shop, I think, and I'm guessing the live music is in the basement later. Comfortable and pleasant now anyway.
At this point I realised my "not a pub survey" plan had failed, so let's get another overdue tick in, Cheers Big Ears:
Last time I was here it was the Crafty Chandler and in 2018 they offered cask ale. No handpumps were visible in the latest incarnation so I had a very nice Neck Oil.
Only two other customers at almost five on a Thursday, I thought this was supposed to be the new Friday, in which case where is everyone?
I was pleased to find the test match on some of the tellies, so I could watch England who seemed to be doing OK at Old Trafford.
It was rather chilly in here, I think in view of the autumnal weather they could have closed some of the doors. I bet the Sri Lankans are suffering in Manchester.
Outside, groups of drinkers were commencing the evening's festivities, eventually one or two came in here, and then some more.
I looked at the weather forecast and initially decided to cancel my rural walk today, but on reflection I went anyway, carrying a coat and an umbrella just in case.
I started with a long bus ride to Frankby where I missed the intended bus stop giving me a longer walk to the first pub. I strolled along a narrow footpath between fields and the cemetery, and I noticed some piles of horse manure. I wonder what the protocol is if I meet a horse, the path is too narrow to pass, especially for someone who has never been close to a horse. Can horses back up or do I have to? I didn't find out and soon reached my first target, the Farmers Arms:
At first glance the closed front door suggested the place might be shut, but then I realised the car park was full.
This old building with a very pleasant interior and patio is mainly a gastro pub but they have a bar area for drinkers. One might have expected cask ale in a place like this but no, so I had a Guinness instead.
Since my previous visit twelve years ago it had become the Old Rathbone which seemed more biased towards posh dining, but I never came here to check. In 2019 it reverted to the original name, and after some problems during COVID it seems to be going strong.
At half past one it was fairly quiet, but not deserted, in fact I would say it was doing well for a Wednesday. Diners and drinkers kept things moving at the counter. More diners arrived and sat outside, despite the darkling sky threatening rain. [First time I've used darkling in anything I've written, I think, poetry or what?!]
I didn't see a menu, but the food coming out looked tasty.
Now, a walk down country roads to the next target. The road has no pavement which was a little scary but to be fair every car slowed down and gave me plenty of room. Soon I had reached the Irby Mill:
A wonderful pub, this. Again aiming at diners to some extent, perhaps, but most of the people I could see in the antique multi room interior were here for a drink. Five cask ales were on offer, including a very good Irby Mill Blonde brewed by Peerless.
There isn't much more to say about this gem, perhaps I could add that the gentle background music was drowned by cheerful chatter. I could also hear sports commentary of some sort, presumably on a telly I couldn't see.
A longer walk of 1.3 miles next, Google Maps wants me to take a footpath, shall I risk it? Of course. The Port Sunlight fiasco is long forgotten. This route turned out to be a very pleasant stroll through the woods. It looked vaguely familiar, I think I walked this way six years ago.
Soon enough I reached my next target, the Cottage Loaf:
Another fine pub, Greene King branded. There's not much historic inside, it has been knocked through and thoroughly modernised.
Most of the customers seemed to be just drinking, I suppose at half past three it is hardly peak food time. The menu of pub standards is at the more expensive end of the range, fish and chips £13.99.
From the two handpumps I selected Greene King Abbot. It was the wonderful toffee flavoured version that I also enjoyed in Blacklers on Monday. It often surprises me that Abbot, which given its ubiquity ought to be the epitome of consistent factory produced real ale, is so variable; sometimes it's a gorgeous hefty bitter, and sometimes it is that but with the addition of a wonderful toffee smell and taste. Personally, I love the normal one and the occasional toffee one is even better.
I have to say, I was pleased to get a proper seat in here, in the last two pubs I had been perched at high tables.
Just as I left home this morning, my internet went down. It looks like it's a significant outage at Huyton exchange, I keep checking for restoration of service, but nothing so far. Is it a coincidence that the departure screens at Huyton station were all off line when I got there?
I didn't see any cask pulled while I was here, they should be congratulated for maintaining the quality with limited demand.
At the end of the counter was a gizmo that looked like a large rice steamer, but in fact it held two goldfish; how unusual!
Only shorter walks remain, it is not too far to the Anchor Inn:
Another pleasant country pub, again food oriented but welcoming drinkers.
Ouch, cod and chips is £17.75 here, that's pushing it a bit. My excellent pint of Landlord was £5.75 as well.
So, very pleasant but expensive is, I think, a good summary. The traditionally styled interior is probably mostly fake but it is very attractive.
As I looked around I couldn't see anyone eating, but it is half past four, I imagine there will be plenty of dining later.
The rain hadn't arrived yet and, once again, plenty of people were sitting outside. Inside, the muzac was very quiet, almost inaudible, most of what I could hear was very gentle conversations.
Still no home internet; I was talking to a friend on Saturday and he asked how my Zen fibre internet was going, I said it hasn't ever failed. Tempting fate or what!
Just a short walk to the final target, the Shippons:
Something of a disappointment here, the Thwaites Original clip was turned round, leaving no cask ale. I had a Carling. My notes record that last time I was here, in June 2018, cask ale was also unavailable.
Another food oriented place, perhaps less up market and certainly cheaper than the Anchor: Fish and chips is only £8.45, that's less than half the Anchor price! It's a flat rate for all the main courses, a bit disconcerting when I looked at the menu and there were no prices, until I looked at the top where it said two courses £11.99, one course £8.45.
Less up market maybe, but still a very pleasant pub, looking round I could see families and groups who have come for food, and other groups just here for a drink. The staff were busily dealing with all the customers.
Despite the threatening weather forecast I kept dry throughout this great pub crawl. Three quality cask ales, five pleasant pubs, what more could one ask for.
Tuesday is not the best day for an afternoon survey as in these post-COVID times lots of places will be shut, but with so many targets in the city centre overdue for a tick I'm sure I can find somewhere.
I started in the Caledonia:
Three pump clips were visible and I chose Urban Shaker which was a delicious creamy stout from Carnival Brewing, just a mile and a half away. How's that for beer miles!
Only two other customers at two o'clock, and I think they were having coffee. Then they left, so it was just me and two staff - Or the one my side of the counter could be a customer after all?
The plain but pleasant enough interior hasn't changed since my previous visit, nether has the high quality of the ale.
I noticed one of the handpumps was offering a 1.8% pale ale, I've never had a beer like that before, too strong to be "low alcohol", too weak to be any good? I suppose I shouldn't knock it 'till I've tried it. So I won't knock it.
This would have been a peaceful relaxing pint except that the builders outside were making a terrible racket. The beer was great, though.
It's downhill now both topographically and, I suspect, beer-wise as I head back towards Lime Street and home.
I wandered down Hardman Street, first passing the Florist. This one was in the guide database, but research this morning revealed that it is a restaurant with no draft beer, so I decided to delete it. My guide, my arbitrary rules.
I came to the alleyway that used to lead to the long lost Flying Picket, a music venue and bar which closed back in 2004. This is now Buyers Club:
Another restaurant but this time they have ten keg taps and my "am I OK to come in for a drink?" was answered favourably, "just order at the bar when you're ready". I chose a pint of Shipyard, always a favourite.
I sat in the bar room which has a bare brick sort of industrial vibe, rather good, I thought. There were no other customers in here with me, I had seen a few dining groups sitting outside as I made my way in. The extensive "beer yard" looks very good, with lots of greenery and flowers to soften the stone floor and brick walls. Inside, as well as the bar area I was sitting in there is a restaurant room which I didn't visit.
I tried to connect what I was seeing with my recollections of the Picket, but twenty two years is a long time to think back and I suspect it has changed quite a lot.
Just a little further down Hardman Street is Beer Engine:
Back in the depths of history this was a regular Friday night call for me, when it was a night club called Plummers.
More recently I think they actually had cask ale, there is no sign of that now but the beer engines still decorate the end of the counter.
One of the signs of getting old: I thought "why is this child asking what I want to drink"? Of course, it was the barmaid, and she quickly poured me a pint of Erdinger (In an Erdinger glass, naturally). Later someone ordered a cocktail of some sort, which she prepared with aplomb, clearly a skilled barmaid whatever her age.
The bare brick decor in here is well done, with lots of breweriania, is that how you spell it?
A handful of customers were in at three on a Tuesday (I hadn't even expected it to be open). It was the pool players who had ordered cocktails, not what one expects for pool players but anyone who suggests they shouldn't drink whatever they want is an idiot. They also ordered some food which, I must say, looked tempting.
I had a look at the menu on my table, it appears rather good; pizzas, wraps, burgers and so on, very reasonably priced. The note at the bottom "£1 increase on all prices from 2:00am" perhaps indicates the market this place is aiming at. I don't remember the last time I was in a bar at 02:00, let alone eating!
I continued to monitor the counter: Hobgoblin IPA came in that chunky Hobgoblin glass, Neck Oil also came in a branded glass, this seems to be the standard nowadays. Mind you, yesterday I had some White Rat in the Big House and it came in a dimple; I know they've got a stock of White Rat conics but I'm not going to complain when the beer is gorgeous, am I.
I skipped the Fly In The Loaf since I ticked it in 2022 and carried on down the hill. Never visited Bock Bar was shut despite Google saying it was open from 10.
I carried on homewards and with a supreme effort of willpower resisted the wonderful Dispensary and went into Danny Macs:
Last time I was in here, in 2019, it was called "Roscoe Arms". Since then it has been Butterfly and Grasshopper and then more recently Danny Macs, but not much has changed, it is still a comfortable friendly boozer, now with something of an Irish theme.
I had a Guinness and sat in the lower part of the pub (It is on a slope to match the street.) on a comfortable leather bench seat along the wall.
I looked somewhat longingly out of the window at the Dispensary across the road where I could be enjoying Plum Porter. (It was in the Dispensary that I first tasted this wonderful ale, way back in 2011.) The suffering I go through for the guide!
I think that's enough for a Tuesday, let's go home.
