It was cold and damp today as I headed under the river to Bromborough where I was hoping to tick some bars I'd only learned of a few days ago. (Thanks Carl!)
At this point I would like to raise a town planning complaint: When they built a new "bypass" for the main shopping street, what idiot decided to give the new and old roads the same name? So as you approach along The Rake there are two right turns 220 yards apart, both called Allport Lane. How confusing is that?
I started at what I thought was the Vault but it's called Voltage, and not open. Not a good start. Maybe I'll try again later.
Tucked away in a little pedestrian shopping street is the Tipsy Cow:
A plain shop conversion this, warm and comfortable inside. My hopes were briefly raised by a Wainwright handpump but "We don't sell it any more, I don't know why that's still there". Stella was also off, I had 1664 for a change.
Only a handful of customers at half one, two playing pool, the rest chatting. They all know each other, I'm the odd one out. The predictive text made that "old one out", perhaps I'm that as well?
There's a DJ desk in the corner, I expect it'll be noisy later. Maybe karaoke?
Next, let's try Gin & Milk:
Compared with the plain and perhaps slightly tatty Cow, this place is rather posh and up market and most of the customers at two were drinking coffee. But there is one font at the end of the counter, so that confirms it as eligible to be included in my guide, and I had a pint of Asahi ordered at the counter and delivered to my table.
Again many of the customers knew each other, Bromborough might be a bit insular!
I wondered about the odd name. I looked at the drinks menu and they do offer a cocktail called gin and milk, with ingredients including cherry gin, egg white and milk. Sounds disgusting but I'd probably like it if I had one. Maybe. I've never experienced egg white as a drink ingredient, it seems weird; but don't knock it till you've tried it, I say.
Some food came out, it looked very good.
As I drank my "Japanese" lager (Where is it brewed? My guess was Burton but Google says Greenwich, Cornwall, and Chiswick!) I wondered what makes this place so pleasant. Not sure what it is exactly, but I felt very comfortable here.
I mustn't forget to pay before I leave! (I remembered.)
Next, something more in the line of a "normal pub", the Bromborough:
This classic boozer belongs to Greene King (Don't they all?). Inside the brewers' Tudor building a few features have been preserved including some old leaded glass, and what looks like a hundred year old fireplace opposite where I sat. Of course, that could be modern repro.
Should I risk the solitary Old Golden Hen handpump? I did and it was very good. It came in an Abbot glass, I would have preferred a pint of Abbot!
Quite a few customers were here at half two, but there wasn't the same level of interaction as in the previous two bars.
On the telly in my eye-line was racing, lots of blokes were wearing top hats so I'm guessing it is a famous race meeting?
Next, another "normal" pub, this time with Hungry Horse branding, the Royal Oak:
Once again the lone handpump offering was Old Golden Hen, should I gamble again? I did and I won another good pint.
This place is a lot busier than the previous ones, families eating seemed to be the main type of customer. They need to employ another member of staff to clear tables after people have gone, as many tables were piled up with eaten or half eaten food. (I resisted the spare chips and chocolate cake on offer where I sat.) Soon after I'd written that a friendly waitress cleared all the debris.
After kicking Facebook very hard (I'm not sure why Google wouldn't send me to the right page) I found what might be up to date info for Voltage which says it opens at four. Should I try again? It would be rude not to!
Yes, it's open, my third new tick today. A rather fine contemporary bar, the interior decor is very good.
I eschewed most of the wide range of keg beers and finished my survey with a Carling.
I was on my own in here, just me and the barmaid to enjoy the eighties music selection, Wired For Sound followed by Nik Kershaw's Riddle. Sometimes the music in an empty pub is too loud but here it wasn't. On the other hand the flashing disco lights were probably unnecessary! And drowned out by the sunshine from outside.
Not really my sort of bar, but it's so well done and well cared for that I can't fault it. I hope they get lots of customers later on, they certainly deserve to. I wondered if anyone else would come in but I can't wait all night, and no one did.
Until, that is, just as I was finishing my pint two customers arrived so I didn't have to leave the place empty.
Oh wow, five required ticks, three brand new, that's a really good crop, time for home. Grand total now 1,549.
Beer of the day: Old Golden Hen
Miles walked: 1.6
Maybe coming soon: Thatto Heath
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