Today's trip was supposed to be a number of overdue visited to pubs at the river end of Liverpool city centre. However, having learned that they had my favourite ale on, I started with a non-overdue tick in Wetherspoon's Captain Alexander:
Especially suited to today's warm weather, the Oakham Citra went down very easily. The place was pretty busy (why are my shares still down?) but there were plenty of free tables so I wouldn't call it full, which perhaps it ought to be on a Friday lunch time. I suppose now that many office workers don't bother on a Friday the traditional pub visit no longer happens.
Now, I could stay here drinking Citra until it runs out, or I could drag myself reluctantly away and get on with my researches. I chose the latter, and crossed the road to the Liverpool:
Two surprises on entering here: It was very quiet inside, only seven other customers; and the air conditioning was working really well. It was wonderfully cool, much more comfortable than the 'spoons across the road. I had a lovely cold Guinness here.
Some of the other customers were eating, the menu of pub classics looks good.
The decor has changed somewhat since I was here in 2017, it has been modernised rather well, but the historic pictures of various HMS Liverpools seem to have gone. There's still a stage for live music.
The background music here was a rather fine selection of old stuff, Dean Martin and the like. The moment I'd written that, the next track was Message In A Bottle by the Police, now that's what I call a wide variety. Sounds like my "jukebox" at home which plays randomly from an even wider range of genres. Beethoven, Artie Shaw, Pink Floyd, Pink, and so on.
Next, I headed to Castle Street, where I found Bobo, a wine bar not in my database. I think the heat must have been getting to me, as my picture of this one was too blurry to be of any use.
I could see draft pumps on the counter so I went in to this very well done shop conversion for a pint of Sagres.
My beer was delivered to my table without me paying anything, which perhaps puts this place on the wrong side of the bar/restaurant line? Never mind, another one added to the total. I hope I remember, and don't try to walk out without paying!
Once again the air conditioning was doing a good job, and it was comfortably cool in here. The decor, with patches of plaster missing to expose rough brickwork, and dark green ceramics below the dado, looks very good to me.
According to their web site this place is Spanish/Portuguese. I'm not sure exactly what that means, especially as in my admittedly limited experience the two cultures are quite distinct. A pleasant place for a pint, anyway.
I remembered to pay! Now we're doing never visited bars, how about Manhattan:
This is a tiny "bar and grill" in a half basement, plus lots of tables on the pavement outside. The friendly barmaid apologised that they'd run out of Love Lane, so I had Carling.
Two staff were hardly stretched by the handful of customers, in fact I think two would be plenty even if the tiny room was packed.
I eyed up the decor. Someone much better at design than I (Hardly setting the bar very high) has turned cheap wallpaper and bog standard ceiling tiles into something rather attractive.
An apparently drunk fella came in, worryingly he seemed to have car keys in his hands. He chatted to the barmaid and tried to get me to join in, but I resisted. Moments later, he's serving behind the counter, so clearly my assumptions were well wide of the mark.
I studied the drinks menu on my table. Oh dear, under the Whiskey (sic) heading they've got "Jonny (sic again) Walker Blue Label, Black Label, Red Label." Actually, I've never tried Blue, I wonder if they've really got it? "Johnny Black" was a favourite of mine when I lived in Pittsburgh.
I decided to go home, and here I hit a major snag: The next three trains were cancelled. Under these circumstances I would normally take a bus instead, but they're all on strike, so I had to join the taxi queue, which unsurprisingly under these circumstances was rather long.
Miles walked: 1.2
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Crossens, Heswall
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