Here's a picture from 2002 of the pubs in question. Apparently I took a picture but didn't go in, because in both cases the last visited date is in the last millennium.
First came Riley's - It is fifteen years and four days since I was last here. The first thing I noticed on entering was the rather striking flowered wallpaper which helps create a bright cheerful feeling to the place. I spotted a single hand pump offering Higsons Bitter but, unusually for me, decided not to risk it - I've come across too many off pints, especially in warm weather like we've been enjoying recently. So I stuck to good old reliable Guinness. The rather old-looking bar back with carved wood and leaded mirrors included a sign "Est. 1991" so perhaps it's not as antique as it appears. The regulars were mostly racing fans, watching the many TVs scattered about the place and occasionally nipping out to place a bet. I might have been right about the real ale, because no-one ordered any while I was there.
I moved next door to The Beehive, where I found a single room with a splendid high plasterwork ceiling with the details picked out in red and gold. Behind the bar the chimney breast is covered in decorative ceramic tiles, with a painted glass centrepiece. There's also original-looking cut glass in some of the windows. Once again, racing on the TVs seemed to be the main attraction for the regulars. I noticed the CCTV images visible behind the bar were the same as in Riley's - It would seem that the two pubs have a shared smokers' area at the back. [The original version of this report described it as a "joint smokers' area" but I realise that is capable of misinterpretation!]
When I arrived the pub was quite busy, and I had to stand for a minute before I could get a table, but while I drank my pint everyone left, and by the time I had finished there were only four customers and the barmaid was going round picking up litter and wiping the tables. I hope it wasn't something I said.
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