Friday 26 November 2010

The Lord Warden

I've been a regular visitor to the The Lord Warden on London Road in Liverpool City Centre for a number of years now. We used to go on a Thursday evening for the free quiz and decent beer.

The beer quality slipped in 2006 and got to the stage where I ordered keg rather than risk another pint of vinegar.

A new landlord in 2007 restored the real ale, but a further drop in ale quality and customer numbers in 2009 saw the place dying on its feet. Sometimes at 9.30 on a Thursday evening it was just my friends and I and the barmaid. The response to falling income was to put the price of the beer up, but with cheaper drink just across the road this reduced the customers even more. Eventually came closure, and to be honest I thought that was the end, but no: Earlier this year it re-opened after a rather good tidy up / redecoration.

We tried it in August and unfortunately got pints of vinegar. Eventually we gave it a second chance yesterday and were rewarded with some excellent Timothy Taylor's Landlord, for a very reasonable £2 a pint. Worryingly, at one point in the evening there was only one other drinker in, but the custom did increase later.

UPDATE Jan 2011: I've been in a number of times since the above was written, and found spot on beer and more customers.

Thursday 11 November 2010

The Beaconsfield

I was in town today for a blood donor session, so on the One Pint Out - One Pint In principle I needed to visit a pub.

The Beaconsfield is a basement bar located on North John Street, and I haven't visited since 1998 when it was called Cains and was a pleasant pub concentrating on live music. Now, it's plain but very well cared for, with a lino floor around the bar and on the dance floor, and a raised carpeted area with some very comfortable leather sofas and armchairs. No real ale I'm afraid, the lone highly polished handpump appeared to be purely decorative.

The place seemed a lot smaller than I remember, did I really see Professor Longhair perform in here? There hardly seems space for a band and an audience! There was plenty of room on a Thursday afternoon, though, since I was the only customer.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Rainhill Beer Festival

Rainhill Rotary's 8th Annual Beer Festival will be held at Prescot Leisure Centre on 11th to 13th November. I'm afraid work and other commitments will probably preclude my attendance.

See http://www.rainhillrc.freeserve.co.uk/frames.htm for details.