For the first survey of the year I headed up to Southport where there are umpteen targets awaiting my attention. I walked northwards along Lord Street, noting and photographing (It'll be dark by the time I get back) various targets, until I reached Mavericks:
Here I found a very stylishly decorated bar with an American theme, in one long room. Being a former shop on a corner, two walls are almost entirely glazed, giving the place an airy ambience.
About a dozen regulars were enjoying their lagers and I soon joined them with my first Carling of the year.
Above the counter was a row of eight TVs showing two or three different sports channels.
I'm not sure why but I quite liked this place. Comfortable, warm (It must cost a packet to heat this room with all that glass.) and friendly. Our could it just be that this is my first pub of the year!
A number of the places I noted on the way here were close to the pub/restaurant border, so I think it might be time for a game of pub or not pub. But, often, the decision depends on my mood, and today I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to sit in the corner of a restauranty sort of operation where everyone else is eating. So I peered through the windows and then rejected (for now) Lord's Cafe Bar and House of Ivy, and carried on to Ra Bar:
No doubt about this place, no food so definitely a pub! A shop conversion, perhaps two shops knocked through, rather wonderfully decorated with a great stone floor - It must be fake, surely? But a fake stone floor wouldn't have the occasional hole in the grout?
Once again it was warm and comfortable in here, over the years I have got used to keeping my coat on when surveying on cold days, it costs a lot to heat a pub and at times of financial struggle turning the thermostat down is a good way to save money. No sign of that today.
A new (to me) Guinness dispense system, it came out of a normal looking font and then the glass was placed on a stand which lit it up while the bubbles rose. After a minute it was topped up before being handed to me.
The only other customers were one group of blokes sitting at the counter. I think they were all on Guinness as well.
That reminds me: Have you blog readers had the "pleasure" of my rant about the alleged Guinness shortage? No? OK, soapbox out! We were treated during December to multiple reports in the media of a shortage of Guinness. This included at least three stories on the BBC website. In all the pubs I have been in over the last five weeks I have never seen any which had run out. I reckon the whole thing was cooked up by the Diageo (Owners of Guinness) promotions team, and the BBC should be ashamed of being so easily duped into providing free advertising.
I could see two TVs from my seat, both were showing different fires; one in a fireplace, the other in a snowy forest. I still think a real fire is better, but they are rather attractive nonetheless.
As I finished my beer a number of other customers came in, keeping the pub ticking over at half three on a Saturday.
Next, over the road to Punch Tarmey's:
Another Guinness in this fake Irish pub, part of the Lords Hotel complex. Again the "settle" stage of the pour was on a little illuminated stand. There are a number of handpumps on the counter but no sign of any of them being in use. Last time I was here I had some decent real ale.
A bit livelier than the previous two ticks, with quite a hubbub of cheerful chatter filling the partially knocked through room.
I can't think of anything else to write about this pleasant friendly boozer.
Now, back across Lord Street and in to the Bold:
This one has been substantially redone since my previous visit, I think, and it is rather fine. Part restaurant, from which was wafting some great smells, and part bar where a number of groups were enjoying their drinks.
I wasted some moments dithering over the keg fonts (I couldn't see any Carling) before I spotted that one of the handpumps had a clip. So naturally I chose that, and it was a tasty pale one, my first cask ale of the year. Unfortunately I forgot to note what it was, not a good start!
The bar side was quite busy but not so much as to run out of tables. The muzac mixed with multiple conversations. More and more people came in as I enjoyed my ale, by the time I left it was getting full.
Well; two new ticks, four required pubs, all of them warm and comfortable. The crucial question is can I get home before the threatened blizzard? [Update, Sunday: Pah! What Blizzard?]
Beer of the day: Er, the one in the Bold
Miles walked: 1.3
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Litherland
