On another beautifully sunny, if somewhat chilly, day I headed out to Ainsdale where there are some cafe/bar type places I need to visit. I started with two almost next door to each other, first the Tipsy Toucan:
A small shop conversion, pleasant inside but perhaps a little too green. I'm not sure how much of that was for the upcoming St Patrick's Day.
Unfortunately the cooler was broken, so no draft beer at the moment. On the spur of the moment I had a bottle of Desperado, I'd forgotten how sweet and tasty this beer is. I first met it in Arizona back in 2001. Does it still have Tequila in it?
Not much custom at one on a Saturday afternoon, I hope they do better later. No draft Guinness is not good for this week, although they said it was fixed and was cooling down so should be OK later.
More customers came in and were advised of the lack of draft by the cheerful bar staff. All seemed happy with bottles instead.
Next door is the Harbour Bar:
Another very nicely done shop conversion, this one has been here since at least 2016. No problem with the chiller so I had a pint of Theakston Pale, which I must say was a lot less flavoursome than my Desperado. It came in a Theakston branded goblet.
This place felt slightly busier than next door, and quite a few people were sitting outside. I'm not that keen on drinking al fresco in general, but in ten degrees I can't understand the attraction, even with the sunshine. Of course, some of them were smokers. I stayed in the warm in a very comfortable armchair.
On my way from the station I had spotted another possible target not previously recorded in my database, so let's try Dukes:
Well, this is something of a contrast to the previous two. Also a shop conversion, I assume, but this one has been a bar longer than Streetview goes back. It is larger, more aimed at food, and remarkably busy. Nonetheless they were happy to serve me a pint of Brooklyn Stonewall, and immediate payment also ticks a "does it count as a bar" box.
The waitresses/barmaids were kept extremely busy, and I was only about a quarter down my pint when the last free table was occupied. Not sure what their secret is but this place is doing really well.
Most of the outside sitters were just drinking, perhaps I was supposed to go out in the cold as well?
Well, I think three brand new ticks has exhausted the opportunities available to me in Ainsdale, so it's time to move on to Southport. Very close to the station is the brand new (opened ten days ago) Bugle Tap.
Annoyingly, I forgot to take a picture. Sorry.
Gosh! A small shop conversion, every table occupied but I need the tick so let's go in. Oh yes, four handpumps and the coffee vanilla stout I had was wonderful. I forget which brewery, the pump clip design was of a compact cassette. I'll try and look it up when I get home... Whitworth Valley Brewing, from Rochdale.
After a few minutes standing at a table (Actually a barrel) one with seats became available so I moved. Still a barrel but at least I had a stool to take my (not inconsiderable) weight.
A really popular bar, this, I wonder what they do that makes them so much better than all the others. Or perhaps the nearby cask places (e.g. Tap and Bottles) are also packed? I hope so.
This really seems to be a successful operation, filled with cheerful drinkers, a proper 2020s boozer. Pub of the day, I think.
Time to go home? Or maybe the Baron's Bar in the Scarisbrick Hotel is overdue a visit - If it has bothered to open? And the answer is no.
So I had a quick wander past there to check out the other places nearby. Bar 13 shut, Chop House shut, but I can hear some noise. Some noise? A lot of noise! Jungle:
Jungle is lively, I would almost say frantic. Not my sort of place really, but one has to admire a busy place full of happy inebriated people having fun at four on a Saturday afternoon in March. Everyone in here is young enough to be my children or grand children, or so I thought initially until I spotted some people of my own age. The DJ/MC was doing an excellent job keeping everyone active and entertained, with dancing competitions and the like.
A well decorated space on split levels, with a generous provision of ivy and the like giving it a very pleasant green ambience.
I'm too old for this! I have to admit I'm at a loss to categorise this place, I don't think I've ever met one quite like it. It feels like a night club but it is only four o'clock. My honest reaction is that it's brilliant, why wait until eleven for this sort of atmosphere?!
What a tremendous result for a survey, five brand new ticks taking my total to 1,606.
Beer of the day: Coffee Vanilla Stout
Miles walked: 1.3
Maybe coming soon: Undecided.
