Old Swan

Just a short bus ride today, and I was soon in Old Swan, trying to ignore the gently falling snow.  I began my researches with two failures:

The Regency was labelled as a piano bar last time I tried to tick it.  When I and a group of friends arrived one evening in mid-December 1998 the bouncers wanted a "tip" in their bucket before they would let us in, so we went elsewhere.  Today, I found the site surrounded by hoardings and building work under way, so it remains "Not visited." in my guide.  It's not clear whether the work was refurbishment of the bar, or conversion to some other use.

Next target was Taffs Tavern:

This was a plain flat house in a converted shop when I visited in 1998, it has expanded round the corner since then but today the shutters were down and a To Let sign was on display, so I was out of luck.

Number three on my target list was the Albany, and it was open, thank goodness:

A remarkable pub apparently converted from two terraced houses on a side street, nicely decorated and well cared for inside, with some dark wood panelling.  Last time I was here, in 2004, they had hand pulled Cains, but today the handpumps were not in use.

A number of cheerful locals occupied the counter and the smoking area outside, their chit-chat mixing with the racing commentary from the telly above my head as I drank my Guinness.

On to the Millfield Inn, another former Oak Lodges outlet (See last week), with the same decor and split-level (three this time.) layout in a converted shop.  About half a dozen regulars, all men, were engaged in animated chatter at the bar.  One of them must have requested the music be turned up as it suddenly got louder.  I was sitting immediately below a speaker.

Numerous tellys were showing "Doctors", pretty pointlessly with inaudible sound and no subtitles.

The snow had given up as I moved on to the Old Omnibus, which is now called Brambles:

Inside, it doesn't look any different to its second period as the Old Omnibus, after Dickie Lewis's was burned out in 2003.  What were originally a number of rooms have been knocked through to create one open area.

About ten locals, mostly chatting at the bar, plus one pub ticker, comprised the Tuesday afternoon trade.

The telly was showing the rather moving 60th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster live from Old Trafford, where it was snowing heavily, but I was the only person watching, I think.

Next, back for the fourth time today to the road junction which I think of as the centre of Old Swan.  There used to be three pubs here but the Cygnet:

and the Red House:

are long closed.  The Old Swan itself remains:

The large partially knocked through interior is pleasantly done out.  When the barmaid eventually noticed I existed and abandoned her chat, I got another Guinness.

Unlike today's previous calls this place was buzzing with customers and the gentle muzak was completely drowned by animated conversations.  I must say I was surprised to see a pub so busy at four o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon.

By the way, when it says "Please mind your head" over the way into one of the side areas, they're not kidding.  Ouch!!

Finally, just along the road is the Masons Arms:

Presumably this was originally a multi-room pub, but it has been knocked through to create one large open room.  However, the area at one side of the bar has a sign "DINING AREA ONLY", keeping a degree of separation.

Quite a few people, old blokes, families, little kids, were in, although it wasn't as busy as the Old Swan.  I got chatting to a local and it turned out we shared some common history; for many years I worked near here, and he had spent three years working at the same firm.

A member of the "Time well spent" Greene King chain, and quite a few of the customers were eating.

Next week perhaps Prescot if the new micro-pub has opened, or if not maybe West Derby Village.