I headed out to Southport on a cold damp November Saturday in the hope of mopping up a few targets. Was I on a hiding to nothing during the November slump before the Christmas rush? Would anywhere be open?
Things didn't begin well at the Carlton where, contrary to what the internet and the sign suggested, it wasn't open shortly after one.
Just a short way along Lord Street is the Prince Of Wales Hotel:
This is the wrong side of the bar/hotel dividing line, I feel, but it sometimes has cask ale so I thought I'd give it a try.
The Moorhouses pump clip raised my hopes, but the barmaid apologised, turned the clip around, and poured me a Guinness.
I was in a surprisingly small hotel bar, warm and comfortable, but I wondered if there was a larger space somewhere, there isn't much room in here. Mind you, I was the only customer when I arrived, so maybe it is big enough. Two more came in later.
I was somewhat irritated to hear a Christmas song play, further listening revealed that we were hearing Smooth Radio and to be fair the next few songs were not seasonal. (I saw a bus displaying "Happy Christmas" in Manchester yesterday. Bah humbug!)
I wandered towards the sea, to the Conservatory which is probably also the wrong side of the bar/hotel boundary, but it's closed so we won't find out today. I turned back towards Lord Street and soon spotted no less than three interesting places of which I wasn't previously aware. The Chop House and Bar Thirteen weren't open ...
... but Avenue was:
A modern bar this, the decor sparse but rather attractive. I noted a small stage at one end of the room, I can imagine this place buzzing on a Saturday night in season. At half two on a Saturday afternoon it was ticking over with about half a dozen customers.
No Carling on offer, I could have had Fosters to say goodbye before they water it down even more, but I just stuck with Guinness.
I was impressed by the background music which was at just the right volume. One could hold a conversation if desired.
As I neared the end of my beer a musician turned up and started setting up on the stage. I'm all in favour of live music in pubs but it looks like I'll be gone before he starts.
I had a look at the Scarisbrick Hotel in which the Barons Bar is rather good, and there are two other bars as well, but the whole place is closed. If you have a booking it's been moved to the Prince of Wales, says the sign. I really must come here in the summer, I think this is the second time I've found the whole complex "closed for maintenance".
But across the alleyway is the Hideaway, another one I wasn't previously aware of:
This time we are in a coffee bar or cafe, but they have draft beer so I had another Guinness. I didn't realise until too late that the tap on the counter was only symbolic and my beer came from a can via a surger, I probably should have selected one of the true drafts, Mahou or Stella.
This one is remarkably busy, it looks like they were running out of free tables, and the two serving staff were working hard bringing out beers, coffee and food.
The gentle background music was mostly masked by multiple conversations in this busy comfortable place.
Belatedly, I noticed a sign on the counter, "Payment by cash is preferred but card payments are accepted". If I'd seen that before getting my drink I would have paid cash. It's uncommon to see a place expressing a preference and I'm sorry I didn't spot it until too late.
Where next? Could the Carlton be open now? Probably not, but it's worth a look:
Happily, I was wrong, the lights were on and it was open.
Last time I was in the Carlton, back in 1998, I described it as a multi level disco bar. If I am being honest I have no recollection whatsoever of that. After some years as Eighty Eight (Its number on Lord Street) the name has reverted to the previous one. What I found today was a rather pleasant bar, nicely decorated and comfortably warm.
I had another Guinness and looked around. About ten customers in total in here, plus one or two smokers in the pleasant looking front garden area. (Pleasant looking but neither attractive nor popular on a cold grey November day!)
Maybe one more before I go home? Cable street has a number of pubs on it, one of which is the Ship and Anchor which I have never visited. Could it be open this afternoon? Let's see...
I don't know why I've never been in here before, it seems to have been shut on every previous occasion when I have come into this short cul-de-sac with three pubs.
In any case, what I found today was a busy lively boozer full of people mostly younger than I, playing pool or darts or, mainly, chatting and drinking.
I had a pint of Carling, and perched on a stool at the end of the counter, the only available seat in a remarkably busy room.
This is the first lively place I've come across today, and it is rather pleasing to find one, I must say.
Anyway, time for home I think, but hang on a minute, over the road is the Fox and Goose which is an evenings only place, or so I thought, but it seems to be open...
Sorry, it was too dark for a photo by now, this one is from 2022. There were no customers other than your guide in this large cold pub, and the barmaid seemed slightly surprised to have a customer, but soon poured me a pint of Fox and Goose Lager.
What a strange contrast to the busy one on the other side of the road, this pleasantly decorated plain bar was freezing cold and totally empty. Never mind, I'll take the tick - At least I got a table and a seat! By the way, my notes from 1998 say they had real ale in here.
To be fair, this one feels like a rather good night club sort of place, so I imagine at eleven tonight it will be lively, but it's not doing very well now!
I sat in one of the side areas where there were two pool tables, I would have thought that pool fans could keep the place ticking over at quiet times but apparently not. The pool table(s) in the Ship and Anchor had been in use.
Another customer appeared, he seemed to be playing the fruit machine without a drink, perhaps that creates more income for the pub?
Hmmm, six pints is probably unwise before the long train ride back to Liverpool, I'll have to cross my legs... Not helped by the gents at Central being closed when I got there! What a splendid crop today, four brand new entries for the database and four (not the same four) places never ticked before and the other two were last visited in the previous millennium.
Beer of the day: Guinness
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Don't know.
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