Aintree, Fazakerley, Walton

Today's survey is something of a mopping up exercise, I'm aiming for a few odds and ends and if all goes to plan I will walk past umpteen pubs to find the overdue ticks.  I started in Aintree at the Queens:

Gosh, that's a spectacular paint job, I think it was plain beige last time I was here, in 2019.  They've also got some kind of festival on this weekend according to the banners, with a large marquee and bands.  Will it be packed out as a result?  Not at one o'clock, there were only three customers in the two sided pub.  The decor is plain-ish and attractive, the interior has two sides arranged around an Island servery.

Unusually they don't have Carling so I resorted to Foster's instead.  Is there any difference? 

I could hear a soundcheck outside, the band sounded rather good, especially doing the wonderful Local Boy In The Photograph.  Should I stay and see the festival?  No, there are pubs to tick. 

More customers came in as I drained my ugly Foster's glass.

Now on to a pub which was unaccountably shut when I was doing Longmoor Lane last year, let's see if I have better luck today at the Prince George:

Yes, it's open, and what a beautifully cared for pleasant boozer it is.  I really can't praise the immaculate interior enough. 

About a dozen customers at two on a Saturday, mostly on lager but I could see one cider.  I had my usual Carling.  With one obvious exception all the drinkers know each other.

The sounds in here were a TV music channel mixed with conversation.  Later the music was replaced by horseracing.

My next destination is technically not a required tick.  I visited Jaxons in 2021, but after a period of closure it is now the oddly named Terra Preta.  I think I'll give it a visit to see how it has changed.

The cask has gone, as I expected, but this is still a great craft ale and coffee shop, with an interior that looks better than I remember, but I can't be sure of that. 

From the eight taps I selected Erdinger which was very good of course.

The place was ticking over gently although there was plenty of room for more customers.  Not enough people to keep the two staff busy, I think.  My vague recollection of Jaxons was that it was packed and I had to squeeze into a corner, but I can't remember what time of day that was. 

As I enjoyed my cloudy German brew a question wandered in to my already beer-addled brain:  If your Weissbier sells slowly what stops it dropping clear in the keg?  Will the cloudiness really stay in suspension for ever, or does the barman have to kick the keg occasionally.  Of course this is the opposite of real ale when bumping the cask results in a cloudy pint and they have to wait for it to settle again, perhaps adding more finings.

The cakes on the counter, including a raspberry and white chocolate doughnut, look very tempting, but I resisted! 

Now my mission is to walk past about a dozen or more pubs ranging from meh to great which are not due for a tick, these were Black Bull, Tiny Tavern, Cove Bar, Wetherspoon, Vale, Rooney's, Windsor, Joey Orrs, Orrell Park Bar, and L9 Lounge.  My goodness, there really are a lot of pubs around here!  Eventually I reached the never before visited Von's Bar:

Well, what a great shop conversion this is, with pleasant decor and filled with happy chatter.  No Carling so I had Madri.  Am I allowed in 2025 to say that the cheerful friendly barmaid was coloured.  That's still pretty unusual in Liverpool pubs nowadays, I don't really know why. 

Sky sports news was on one of the TVs, silently, Everton are holding out against Man City on one of their last games at Goodison.  My friend Simon, mentioned previously in this blog, managed to get a ticket for today, I hope he's enjoying his last match at the old ground.  One problem with silent Sky Sports News is that the 0-0 score kept popping up with a pundit waving his arms around commenting, but I've no idea what had happened except that it doesn't include a goal.  Still 0-0 at half time.

This is a rather fine pub, customers of ages from five to seventy-five (both a guess of course) were enjoying their Saturday afternoon out.

One of the passed by pubs listed above is actually overdue for a visit, so let's finish in the Orrell Park Bar conveniently located opposite the station:

D'oh.  I got to the door but it was locked.  Time to head for home, I think, annoyingly I've missed a train by about a minute but them's the breaks, as they say in America.

Only three and a half required ticks today but that'll have to do.

Pub of the day: Prince George
Beer of the day: Erdinger Weissbier
Miles walked: 2.1
Maybe coming soon: Anfield, Norris Green

Harrington Street

I headed into town to do some shopping, but of course I'm going to tick a pub while I'm there.  Last week I learned of the existence of Scruffy Murphy's on Harrington Street, a location hitherto unknown to me, so why not head there?  Of course if I've missed one there might be more so I took a stroll along the street.  There is a new one coming, the Echo says it is to be called Harringtons, located in the former Ethical Glass but the builders are still in so it wont get ticked today; they hope to open in May.  Then there is the Baby Croc and the Crocodile, which I had in the wrong order on my map.  And finally, in the former Pen & Wig and Aphrodite's, another place unknown to me:  Abbey Road.  Let's start there:

A rather well done modern bar, I think.  TVs for sports, two pool tables and a table football one as well in the comfortable back room with booths around the walls.

My Carling was only three quid, it was slightly delayed by problems with the card machine which didn't want to work so my offer of cash instead was gratefully accepted by the friendly barmaid.

I scanned the food menu, burgers, pizzas, wraps and the like, it looks rather good.  For eighty quid you can have one of each burger - I think that's seven - along with sides and if you finish it in forty minutes it's free and you win a bucket of beers for you and your mates.  I've always fancied a career as a competitive eater but, despite being something of a greedy pig I don't think I would be very good at it.

When I arrived, the sole customers were one group of half a dozen woman who were noisily enjoying a boozy lunchtime.  Soon, they were silenced by the delivery of a lot of food!  As I drank my beer two more people came in for a game of pool, and then more customers arrived.  Eventually the music was drowned out by cheerful chatter. 

Next, the Crocodile:

Why haven't I been in here since 2012?  I was somewhat stunned by the beautiful historic interior of which I had no memory at all.  I wonder how much of it is modern-ish fake but I don't really care because I like it a lot. Some of the "cut glass" windows are clearly modern replacements but there was also some old-looking leaded glass panels.

A number of customers were keeping the place ticking over as I enjoyed another Carling.

Next door across the courtyard is the Baby Croc, I think it's only there for live acts?  Not open now, anyway, so it stays on the never visited list.

Next, the original reason for my coming here, Scruffy Murphy's:

Down stairs from the street is a large beautifully done out basement bar.  Definitely no excess of Irish decor, the whole place is tastefully decorated.  

There were more customers in here than I expected, probably two dozen or more, and the main sound was multiple conversations.  Plenty of room for more, though, and I took my Guinness (what else?) to a small table.

I noted a small stage area, I guess they do live music sometimes.

I scanned the menu.  The food comes from "sister venue Abbey Road" where I've just been.  I guess someone has to dash along the road - Don't order if it's snowing!

When I was wondering where to have my one pint on today's shopping trip I was surprised to find that I haven't recorded a visit to the Wetherspoon Welkin for over five years, making it overdue for a tick.  All thoughts of my shopping mission forgotten, I headed there next:

Ah, now I remember why I rarely come here.  This pleasant Spoons on two floors was packed out, as always, and after queuing to be served for a minute or so I took my pint of Jaipur on a tour of the whole pub before finding one free table upstairs by the toilet doors.  I have had a number of pints of this favourite ale during their "on in every pub" promotion, but this is the first one to be served in a branded Jaipur conic.

You know what a busy Wetherspoon is like, families with kids having lunch, groups of blokes out on the ale, solo drinkers and the occasional pub surveyor.  

Four required ticks, including two brand new ones, that's pretty good for a day when I wasn't intending a survey at all.  I still managed some of my planned shopping on the way back to Lime Street for the train home. 

Pub of the day: Crocodile
Beer of the day: Jaipur
Miles walked: 1.6
Maybe coming soon: Walton, Aintree, Anfield

Carling All The Way

A couple of trains quickly carried me to Old Roan, from where it was just a short walk to my first target, the Packet Steamer:

That's not a very attractive picture, is it?  I don't think I'll get a job as a photographer any time soon.

One always feels a little doubtful going in to a Beefeater, what will their attitude to drinkers be?

No problem here, turn right inside the door to the side with the counter.  All the tables in this side have only drinks menus, no food.  (Although, if you "wait to be seated" at the door you may be handed a menu and sit here, if you wish.)

In this comfortable pleasantly decorated pub there weren't many customers at one on a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon, although having said that there were more outside. 

The cask ale I recorded in 2019 has disappeared, so I started today with my usual Carling. 

Next, not far down the main road is the Bakers Dozen:

Another pleasant "plastic" food-oriented pub, this time a Hungry Horse.  Once again, no problem getting a Carling for a non-diner.

There were two handpumps on the counter but they didn't look like they had been used for some time, purely decorative I think.  Cask ale has disappeared since my 2019 visit.

This one seemed busier than the Steamer, although that might be just the noise level due to some children.  Not that they were annoyingly noisy, just giving the place a more occupied feel. 

Next, a one mile stroll continuing along the always-busy Dunnings Bridge Road to another chain dining pub, the Netherton.  Not exactly a stroll as it turned out because the roadworks were carefully configured to avoid inconveniencing drivers, and so made me cross the busy road three times.  We can't delay car owners, can we?  Anyway, finally I reached the Netherton:

My notes from 2018 record poor real ale but today the handpumps are nowhere to be seen, so I had another Carling.  Again, busier than the previous tick - it's nearly three o'clock by now - but still not full at what I imagined would be a peak time.  Maybe evenings are better? 

Outside this would appear to be a classic inter-war roadhouse, I wonder when it was built.  I asked ChatGPT, my new best buddy since it (he?, she?) solved a software problem for me yesterday, but it didn't know. 

I scanned the menu.  Fish and chips at £9.29 is pretty good value nowadays. 

Another mile's march to Cooksons Bridge:

After three "plastic" dining places this is a more of a proper boozer.  One pleasant comfortable room filled with chatter, the classic soundtrack of a good pub. 

Two decorative handpumps on the counter but no cask so I had Carling number four.  All four so far have been in the proper glassware, by the way.  That's four consecutive pubs where real ale has disappeared since I was last here.  That's the way things are, I fear.  

This really is a great boozer, everyone who comes in seems to know the bar staff, and has a chat while their drinks are poured.

The music beneath the chatter was quite a good selection, lots of Kate Bush and not just the obvious ones, and then favourite Closing Time by Semisonic.

My next target is something of an architectural gem, if it is still open and still unspoiled.  It is also another mile or so to walk, will my ankles stand the strain?  The Jubilee Inn:

Wow, this is a historic pub and no mistake.  It has been redecorated over the years so only the multi room layout remains.  That is not to fault the decor which is very good, just not original. 

The front room was busy, I retreated to one of the other spaces with my Carling, it was very quiet, in fact I was on my own until two other blokes came in.  One was vaping creating a, I hate to admit it, pleasant strawberry waft.

I looked around.  Over the years one or two of the leaded windows have been broken and replaced with plain glass, but most survive.

I'm going to ask ChatGPT again, this time it knows the answer and it says that pub was built in 1935.  It replaced two older pubs nearby as part of a redevelopment initiative.  Back then there was a general push for so called "improved" pubs and breweries often had to agree to close two or more existing pubs to get permission to build a new one like this.

Well; five required ticks and a long distance walked.  I'm tempted to treat myself to an Uber home.  Otherwise it's another mile to walk to the station.

The Uber price went up three quid between when I wrote that and when it was time to go, so I decided to walk.  I got to the station with 30 seconds to spare for a train in to town.

Pub of the day: Jubilee Inn
Beer of the day: Five pints of Carling
Miles walked: 5.3
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

Childwall and Broad Green

A couple of buses took me to Childwall on a day when the town centre is to be avoided at all costs.  I started my research in the attractive Childwall Abbey:

Inside the historic building the pub interior has been remodelled more than once so I don't think it counts as "historic", but it is pleasant and comfortable, which is what we want, after all.

It was ticking over gently at two on Aintree Saturday.  I selected a fine pint of Bombardier from the small range of cask ales.  The customers were a mix of drinkers and diners, plus one or two checking in for the hotel.

If I'm going to nitpick, the soundscape in here was slightly too loud music and racing commentary which could have done with being turned down and off respectively.  Not too bad, though, a comfortable pub all told. 

I noted that a number of tables were reserved for diners later.

Next, the Halfway House:

This one hasn't changed at all since my 2020 visit, it is still a pleasant comfortable two sided pub which also has a restaurant area at the back.  A little busier than the Abbey, perhaps, but not packed, despite Everton being on the tellies.  (They finished one all while I was there.)

Three handpumps were in operation. (By the way it was zero in the bar side, make sure you go in the lounge.)  Unusually, it wasn't three "standard" brews, they had Wainwright and two I've never tried before.  I chose York Brewery's Calmer Chameleon which was a very good pale fruity one. 

A special mention of the barmaid/landlady who was exceptionally cheerful and friendly with all her customers, including me.  This is quite a rare skill and deserves to be praised.

People were coming in to watch the National later, 16:00 I think, and also phoning up to book tables at that time.

Next, it's not far to the Fiveways:

Now a Wetherspoon, of course, but I used to come here regularly many years before they took over.  They didn't really change the interior of this 1930s roadhouse very much, it's just as great as it was when I drank here in the 1990s.   Compared with the previous ticks this one was very busy, but once I joined the throng at the counter I soon got a delicious pint of Jaipur, selected from the wide choice of cask ales.

I see something on the Wetherspoon website suggesting Jaipur is going to become a standard offering, although I'm not sure because in classic Wetherspoon website style, clicking on the story gets a page about Kronenbourg 1664.  They really need someone better to run their web presence, but I don't think they could afford me.

Although the pub was very busy I managed to find a quiet corner in one of the little side areas to enjoy my ale and write this.

Once again I am wondering why my shares are going down when every Wetherspoon I visit is busy.  I ticked a few in Greater London last weekend, and all seemed to be doing well, or in some cases packed.  Even the one at Camden Lock which I described as an "oasis of calm" was still doing a good trade in food and drink.  I don't think I've used that phrase before to describe a spoons but compared with the touristy bedlam outside it certainly was! 

So far, three decent real ales, I've got a feeling that isn't going to continue, but you never know...  Next, a short walk along Queen's Drive took me to the Rocket.

As I strolled here, I paused for a moment for a look round.  It is an overused phrase, perhaps, but there was literally not a cloud in the sky.  That must be good for the racegoers.

I arrived two minutes into the big race.  The pub was very busy but not so much that I couldn't get a Carling and a seat.  Actually, perhaps the National being under way meant the counter was a little less busy.    The majority of the customers here seemed to be watching, there was a collective "ooh" when one horse fell.

I see they still offer a Sunday carvery, I was impressed when I tried this back in 2008.  The menu looks rather good, it would appear to be an independent pub rather than a chain, and the menu is unique to here.

The hubub stabilised but didn't really die down once the race was over, I was trying to decide how many people were here just for the National, what will it be like next Saturday?  I don't know.  What if it's raining?

Irrelevant aside:  I have always been very fond of the Carling glass, something about the waist and the ribbed grip makes it a favourite.  Friends suggested I should pinch one from one of the many pubs I drink Carling in, but I decided last week to buy two from Amazon.  They will often be used for pints of water!  Stealing glassware is an awkward question; in my collection I have a GR stamped ten-sided pint which my father said he pinched from Alexandra Palace.  So I don't really have the moral high ground, do I?

Finally, just a short walk away is the Turnpike so I let's tick that one as well:

I'm not sure whether that picture is artistic or just rubbish, I suspect the latter.  I had intended to take another shot once I was in the car park, but my mind tends to wander after four pints, so it was forgotten.

Another busy but not packed pub.  The three handpumps offered just Doom Bar but I'm afraid I bottled it and had another Carling, so I won't know if this one does drinkable cask for another five years! 

A busy pub at five on a Saturday, only a few TVs so most people weren't here to watch sport.  Plenty of "sizzling" food was being sold.  Just like the last one, this pub seems popular, friendly and well run, what else could one ask for.  As I sank my pint lots of food came out of the kitchen.

Five required ticks, three quality cask ales and I avoided the transport chaos that is the Grand National, I call that a success.  Just across the road is Broad Green station for a train home.

Pub of the day: Childwall Abbey 
Beer of the day: Jaipur, but Calmer Chameleon gets a special mention for a great pun.
Miles walked: 3.2
Maybe coming soon: Litherland

2025 Book

While I was enjoying the pubs and other attractions of London and Kent at the weekend, my proof copy of the 2025 edition of the Merseyside Pub Guide was delivered.  It is now on sale.

This year's edition lists 2,041 locations of which I have visited 1,534, and is up to date to 19 March 2025.

You can order a copy direct from the printers by clicking here, or it is available from Amazon and other popular distributors.