A Wirral Wander

On a sunny Thursday I took three trains to Upton from where it was an easy walk of a mile and a half to my first target, the Wirral Hundred:

I think this pub was built in the 1970s, an unusual decade for pub construction, but I could be completely wrong.  Anyway, inside it is very pleasantly decorated, one open room partly split into two halves.  If it is older than the 70s it will have been knocked through, it's hard to judge from the interior whether that has happened.

Just a handful of regulars were indoors, more of them were enjoying the weather on the pleasant terrace.

I stayed inside with a pint of Strongbow - I have decided to reduce my consumption of Carling, and in any case they don't serve it so it would have been Fosters here.  Factory cider is, I think, more refreshing and certainly sweeter than factory lager!

Next, a short walk to the Swan:

This is very much a "cookie cutter" bog standard dining pub inside.  The Landlord handpump was "back soon" so I had another cider, Thatchers Gold this time, in a Thatchers Gold glass.

At half two on a Thursday the pub was ticking over well, I think most of the other customers were eating.  There was plenty of room for more, though.  The background music was completely drowned out by multiple conversations.

The menu, under the Sizzling brand, looks good, and good value.  That'll be why the place is popular.

Next, a long bus ride to Liscard.  And it was a long bus ride!  I don't know why my taxes are wasted on buses and trains around here when everyone gets in their car and jams up the roads!

At long last I reached Scrap Yard:

A rather strange place this, I really like it.  A concrete floor and bare brick walls are softened by nicely done quirky decor and colourful sofas.  The other chairs have been stolen from Wetherspoon (Only joking but they are exactly the same as the plastic chairs Wetherspoon use outside, perhaps they bought these when the Moreton one closed.)

The service was a bit disorganised when I arrived, with people wandering about but no one serving me, but soon enough I had selected a gorgeous Vocation Chocolate Orange from the twenty keg brews on offer, there were quite a few others that looked tempting, it's really a good range.

Last time I was here, in 2018, everyone else was on coffee - for which there is a separate little counter - this time it was about 50/50 coffee to booze.

There are quite a few other pubs in Liscard, but only two are overdue for a visit.  I checked Apres Ski but it was shut as expected, opens 19:00 on Thursday.  So, skipping the Wetherspoon and the Wellington I headed on to the Tower:

A proper classic boozer this one, full of (mainly) blokes drinking mostly lager.  I reverted to Carling in order to fit in, but a Strongbow would also have worked.  There were two handpumps on the counter, I bet they haven't been used for many years.  Someone has put some effort into polishing them, anyway.

One big open room knocked through, I suspect, with an l-shaped counter in two parts where two barmaids were kept busy serving lagers and ciders and the occasional Guinness.  Sitting quite near the counter, I noted a Carlsberg being poured in a Carling glass, tut tut.

As is standard in "plain" boozers nowadays the whole place was clean, tidy and well maintained. (And so were the majority of the customers!)

Four required ticks is pretty good at the moment, I'm finding it very difficult to get a cluster of wanted pubs within walking distance, hence the long bus ride.  Never mind, today puts my pubs visited in the last five years up to 1,005.

Pub of the day: Scrap Yard
Beer of the day: Vocation Chocolate Orange
Miles walked: 2.5
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

Out In The Countryside

Not intended to be a full blown pub survey today, but a couple of long overdue visits in a rural part of Merseyside were beckoning.  A train to Garswood, where I noticed the Railway wasn't open yet, and then a very pleasant ride through the sunny fields in a minibus took me to the village of King's Moss.  The 157 does a remarkable three point turn in the street right by my first objective, the Colliers Arms:

This well done out pub has, I'm pleased to say, not changed much since my previous visit in ... Checks book ... Good grief, 2007!  Of course, I'm sure there has been redecoration since then but it is still a splendid village pub with multiple rooms.  Nicely decorated throughout, and the stone floor is great.

Three real ales on, I chose Purity's Bunny Hop, a hazy pale which wasn't to my taste, oh well, you win some you lose some.

At three on a Thursday the pub was fairly quiet but ticking over steadily, of course everyone except me was a regular.

The menu looks good in here, and they were selling some food even mid-afternoon.

Next, a pleasant walk through the rural scenery to the Red Cat.  Some of the roads had no pavement but all the cars gave me a wide berth.

Another attractive country pub not visited since 2007, again it is ticking over on a Thursday afternoon.

At the entrance I chose Bar against Dining, and found myself alone in a small pleasant bar room.  I selected Landlord from the two handpumps, and it was very good.

In due course a couple more people joined me in the bar, but the pub remained quiet throughout my visit.

I didn't see a menu here so I can't comment on that.

Now, there is one more overdue tick in this general area because it was unexpectedly shut last time I tried it, but it is nearly three miles away and I can't be bothered.  On further consideration, anywhere is a long walk from here unless I wait ages for the bus back to Garswood, so perhaps it is time for the lazy option...

Have I mentioned before in this blog that I am a great fan of Uber?  We have all experienced the taxi driver who goes the long way round at a quiet time to maximise the charge, and so, even though that is rare, it is so much better to know the price before you book.  I made plenty of use of them when I was in America a couple of years ago, and regularly in the UK since then.  Today, my cab arrived promptly and on time as usual, and quickly took me to the Windle:

Not visited since 2018, this place hasn't changed much but it has clearly been well maintained and cared for over the intervening years.

I went in the small bar side which is nicely done out, from what I could see the lounge side, more aimed at diners, is also pleasant.

No cask in here so I reverted to my standard Carling.  Three other customers, clearly regulars, were propping up the counter while I sat on the long bench seat under the giant telly showing golf.

Something of a classic, this place, a popular friendly local's pub in a fine late 1950s building.

What next?  There are plenty of buses around here so no more Uber, but due to the rebuilding of the bus station I will end up some way from the station.  Perhaps a call in to the 'spoons to finish my day off?

And so after the bang on time bus carried me to the temporary bus station, I headed in to the always busy Glass House:

Elgood's Golden Newt is an "ordinary" pale one, rather good I must say.

This Wetherspoon is very popular in my experience, perhaps even more so since the other branch closed.  Still, I found a table to sit at and enjoy my third cask ale of the day.

There's not much to report about a Wetherspoon that you haven't already read, except to note, as I have before I think, that in St Helens almost nobody eats in the pub:  I looked around the room and could only see two tables with any food.

So ends a rather good mini-survey, I'm meeting a friend on Saturday so won't be able to do any pub research then.  (Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be drinking, just that it'll probably be in my local Wetherspoon.)

It was only after getting home that I realised I hit a milestone with today's trip:  For the first time in a long time I can say that I have visited one thousand different Merseyside pubs in the last five years.  This is a sort-of target which means I am near to visiting every open pub every five years.

Pub of the day: Colliers Arms
Beer of the day: Elgood Golden Newt
Miles walked: 1.5
Maybe coming soon: Cains Brewery Village

Around St Helens

Avoiding the city centre on Grand National day I headed away, to St Helens for a long walk.  I marched eastwards in the blustery wind to a long standing target never visited before.  Would it be open this time?  The Church Inn:

Yes, it is.  Inside the old building I found a pleasant pub knocked through but retaining separation between the areas.  It was nicely decorated, and clean and tidy inside.

I noticed a number of signs in the windows and doors call this "The Tav".

Football and racing commentary mixed, and one or two of the handful of customers were watching the racing.  I sat on a comfy sofa to enjoy my Carling (In the correct Carling glass) trying to ignore the footie.

On the way back to St Helens I have to walk past the Queens Arms so it would be rude to skip it:

A proper two sided boozer this, very popular at two on a Saturday, I sat at the last free table in the bar side.

I couldn't see any Carling so I had Fosters, as it was poured I spotted the Carling tap which was right in front of me!

Now this is a true classic pub, the racing commentary completely drowned by animated chatter from the regulars.  A steady stream of bets went to the nearby bookies.  Aintree was on the telly, of course.

I've already walked three miles, how much more can I do in the strong winds and intermittent rain?  The required ticks are almost all miles away on the other side of the town...  What a wimp, let's go for it.

I headed across the town centre and westwards.  Not the prime target out this way but let's give that one time to open and call in first to Perry's Bar:

Previously ticked in 2018, this is a plain pleasant shop conversion filled with with a decent quantity of regulars.  Rugby on the telly here, this is a rugby town after all.

I particularly like the tiled floor in here, that's what I want for my kitchen, I think.

At the front of the room is a small stage so I imagine the atmosphere will be rather different later, much noisier and more lively with live music or karaoke perhaps.  A place that can be a quiet boozers location in the afternoon and a lively place later on is to be admired, I think.

An addition to my list of amusing signs, I rather like "Give your brain the night off!  Ice cold beer"

Next, a very desirable tick last visited in '04 when it was a large pub called the Orange House.  I'm struggling to remember exactly what that was like all those years ago.  Streetview tells me that a part of the imposing building is now Cinema Bar:

To be honest I've no idea how this relates to the large interior of the Orange House, but what I found today behind the small entrance was a well done bar, very impressively decorated.

One part of the room was reserved for a private party, and their buffet looked very good, but no problem for walk-ins to use the rest of the space.

I moved a little up market and had Erdinger here - It came in the proper glass of course.  No Carling on offer, the only "ordinary" beer I could see was Guinness.

Next, according to my database there is one new tick right in the middle of town, so, since it's on the way home let's have a go at Imperial Quarter.  I wasn't unduly surprised to find that it was shut, as it was last time I tried, clearly the Google opening hours are rubbish.  So, on towards the station but I must visit the refurbished Royal Alfred:

Only one handpump in the new place which I must say looks pretty much the same as it always did, although very well done out. Anyway, my pint of Landlord was spot on.

This one was packed; initially I had to stand at the end of the counter until a table nearby was vacated and I managed to grab it.  The whole pub was full of cheerful groups of drinkers, the majority of whom were ignoring the racing on the telly.  The menu on my table looked good, especially the all day breakfast.

The Grand National is over, I must say I was rather amused to note that the BBC web site says it is run at 16:00 GMT.  They need to learn about summer time.

A good day out, one brand new tick and one from 2004, and five in total, that'll do.

Pub of the day: Cinema Bar
Beer of the day: Landlord
Miles walked: 4.3
Maybe coming soon: Crank

Hoylake

I wasn't intending to do a survey this week but I was reading Retired Martin's excellent blog this morning and he had a link to the National Bass Directory web site which includes a list of pubs serving Bass.  I was startled to find there a pub in Hoylake which I'd never even heard of. Time for a trip to Wirral.

And so, in to Twelve Sixty:

This pleasant shop conversion is a very well done spacious bar.  Research on streetview reveals that this has been a number of different shops and before that was in my database as Tides, noted closed by 2017 and never visited.  I presume it is connected to the (also excellent) place with the same name in Liscard.

Six handpumps on the counter, no Bass on this occasion so I had something pale and good, Hen Harrier from Bowland.  It came in a Bass conic.

No one in except me and the barman, which is a shame at two on a sunny Thursday.  Just as I was finishing some more customers arrived.

Now I'm here, a few places not visited since 2021, starting with Black Toad:

This place always seems a bit ramshackle and chaotic inside to me, but no less pleasant or comfortable for that.

My Higsons Oatmeal Stout was superb, it has a hint of coffee in the taste I think.  I had some Honey Porter from Conway - oops, that should be Conwy - yesterday in the Huyton Wetherspoon, also very good but more honey flavour would have improved it.

Ticking over gently, most of the other customers were regulars who spent more time chatting with the barman than drinking.  That's not a criticism, it is a sign of a great pub.  Strangers also came in for a drink.

Where next?  How about the wonderful Plasterers Arms?  Hang on though, what's this?  Right next to the Wetherspoon which I was intending to visit later on, I see Bank Cafe and Bar:

Bonus!!  Another new one for me, definitely more of a cafe type of place, but offering a number of keg brews.  I had Bank Lager which was rather good. And only £2.95.

Presumably a former bank, it has a rather good interior with wood panelling.  If it was a bank it was a very small branch!

Quite a few customers in here, all except me were on coffee I think. The staff (two of them) were poised for a booking at three, a big table had a 60 balloon flying above it.

Now what?  There are three ticks from 2021 around here, but I won't do them all today, so maybe I should save the Plasterers for a future jolly boys outing and just finish with the Ship?  Or the spoons?

But wait!  There used to be a Belgian bar here.  I ticked it in 2021 and I had promised myself a whole day visit trying various Belgian brews but I never got around to it before the place closed.  But now it's called Mr Smith's Parlour:

The physical layout looks the same as I remember from the Trappist House, but the decor is different, and very well done.  There is a limit to what you can do with a shop unit but this one is really attractive.

Four keg taps on the counter, all offering Titanic brews.  I tried the Mr Smith's Pilsner which was very good.

Sadly, I was the only customer at half three, I hope they get more later.  There seemed to be at least three staff, I don't think my pint would cover their wages .

There is a rule that you should always leave them wanting more, so you can come back.  So I think I'll head home now and leave a few ticks for next time.  On the other hand, the local trains seem to be disrupted so perhaps another pint is called for.  Let's visit the 'spoons:

Nothing new for me to record in here, of course.  They had a number of Peerless brews on tap including Ten Gallon Hat which I'd never seen before - It was gorgeous, pale and fruity.  If I had to say something negative about Peerless it would be that they keep coming up with new beers which are all pale and fruity.  And wonderful, so not really a criticism!  Of course, they also produce the fantastic Oatmeal Stout, so it's not like all their beers are the same.

A conversation in a pub yesterday touched on breweries where I always assume I'll like the beer, such as Peerless, and breweries where I assume I won't.  Warrington's Coach House is an example of the latter, I'm probably being unfair but, offered two ales I will always choose the one that isn't theirs.

So, time for a train home, the disruption is over and all is normal on the ride back to Liverpool.  More new (to me) ones today, I keep finding them!

Pub of the day: Twelve Sixty
Beer of the day: Higson's Oatmeal Stout
Miles walked: 1
Maybe coming soon: No idea.