Birkdale

Amazon decided they would deliver a parcel on Saturday so I quickly rescheduled my survey to Friday, and headed under grey skies towards Birkdale, getting off the train at Hillside.

I've mentioned before that sometimes I have to walk past good pubs because I'm heading for somewhere else.  So I ignored the Pines and the Grasshopper and headed on to the Crown:

A standard Ember Inns, this, perhaps less twee than most?  Pleasant and peaceful inside with not many customers at two on a Friday.  At least, it was peaceful until something upset the dogs.  I know this opinion is unpopular but I prefer dogs to be kept outside.  Eventually the family and dogs left and calm was restored.

I selected Boddingtons, I don't often see the new version from Lees.  Was the real Boddies this bland?  It wasn't my favourite back in the early eighties when I lived in Manchester, but it was good enough.  I wonder if the easy availability of very flavoursome beers (e.g. White Rat, Oakham Citra, anything from Peerless etc etc) has resulted in "ordinary" bitters seeming dull nowadays.

Once the dogs had departed I think there were only three customers in here, surely that is not enough to make a profit?  Later four more people came in, and then more.

Across the road is Taylors, will it be open?  Google says yes but my eyes say no.  Maybe at two o'clock?  I had spotted a "Sorry, we're closed" sign in the door and it seemed to still be there ... but wait, on closer inspection it has been turned round!  In we go:

Just the cheerful barmaid and I in the pleasant interior of this place.  I'm not sure what market they are aiming at; is it a cocktail bar?  There were no cocktail or wine lists visible on the tables or on the wall.  Never mind, there were two handpumps and my Wainwright Gold was tasty.  I wonder if this is that fake real ale CAMRA are complaining about?  Good anyway.

The decor is a bit hard to define, "contemporary" is suitably meaningless so no one can say I'm wrong!  Anyway, it is pleasant and comfortable in here.  Too many high tables, perhaps, but plenty of proper height seats as well.

I found myself wondering why anyone would come in here instead of the Crown over the road.  What does this one offer that Ember Inns don't?  That's where a good wine and or cocktail menu might come in, perhaps?

No one came or went while I enjoyed my pint.  The barmaid was busy sorting out behind the counter, she was out of my vision but I could hear the slicing of lemons (guess) and then the clink of bottles being arranged.

Outside, the weather looked even greyer.  Am I going to get wet?  We'll see.  Next, a long walk to somewhere I believe is probably closed but I need to check, the Woollen Pig.  Still standing, but not open, this was a rather quirky place; mainly a bakery but offering beer including real ale and I'm sorry to find it has gone.

Next, on to the Beer Den:

A pleasant shop conversion, larger than most, perhaps two or three shops knocked through.

The friendly barmaid abandoned her position up a ladder cleaning the front windows and served me a pint of Fell Walker I think it was.  Definitely past its best, I'm afraid, possibly the first out of the pump today?

Two other customers and one dog (well behaved but I'd still prefer it outside) were hardly keeping the place going, it was half three by now.  I seem to recall finding this place packed last time and thinking I might have to stand.  I checked my own blog, yes, that's right, it was very busy on a sunny Friday just five years and a week ago, so here's a clear indication of the decline of pub custom.  Mind you, maybe they'd get more customers if the beer was better.

Now I've got a number of options.  A very long walk would get me to three pubs last visited in 2022, at least one of which may well be closed.  Or I could take the lazier choice and head the other way, towards Birkdale station, possibly with a call or two on the way.  Lazy it is, of course...

So, on to the unusually named Upsteps:

Now this is a truly great pub and I'm glad I came here even though it's not due a visit yet - Last time was in 2024.  As I approached I could hear the noise from inside.  No, not karaoke, not loud music, not arguments, not even dogs barking; just a hubbub of cheerful chatter.

I tried to ease between the blokes sitting at the counter and the on-the-ball landlady/barmaid had my order before I reached the front.  Two real ales on, I had Wainwright.  Spot on, and it came in a Wainwright glass.

What can I say about this magnificent local's boozer?  Everyone knows everyone else, and welcomes their friends when they come in.  This is one of the best pubs in Merseyside, I think. One day I'll have to come here sober to see what it's really like!!  Two bar staff are kept busy, that's not something I've seen so far today.

The grey weather had faded away and the sun was shining.  Maybe one more now I'm on the way to the station.  I was aiming for the Barrel House, a great micro pub, but hang on a moment, what's the Oosha Ba:

Well I never, a new one.  The menu concentrates on wine and cocktails but they also offer six draft beers including Neck Oil, in the correct Beavertown glass.

Popular but not completely packed at five on a Friday, this tiny bar is nicely decorated including a bare brick fireplace - Is it original?  Looks good anyway.

So, time for home.  4 required ticks, including one brand new one, not bad at all.  And I'll be in for my parcel tomorrow!

Pub of the day: Upsteps
Beer of the day: Wainwright
Miles walked: 3.2
Merseyside pubs visited in the last five years: 1,014
Maybe coming soon: Cains Brewery

More In Town

Odds and ends in town today, let's start with a new tick, Flight Club:

Behind the modern frontage is an antique-style bar on two floors. Dark woodwork, leather upholstery and even a fake brick arch create a pleasant ambience. The quirky lighting strips add to this.

At half one on a Friday there were two darts games underway, plus a group of drinkers relaxing at a large table.

My pint of Neck Oil cost £6.95, I get the feeling today's jolly is not going to be a cheap one.

I noticed they've also got a Flight Club branded shipping container on the grass outside serving drinks to outdoor customers, it is surrounded by picnic tables.

Next, All Bar One:

The real ale I enjoyed here back in 2011 is long gone, but nonetheless this is a very pleasant bar/restaurant.

I selected Jubel Peach for a change, £7.50 and very tasty.  All the tables are laid out with cutlery but the dozen customers I could see were all drinkers, both beer and cocktails. Perhaps they do more food sales at other times?

Now, literally across the road is a bar I only learned of this morning, so definitely a required tick.  McSwiggin's:

I wonder what this little building was before?  (I'll check streetview when I get home:  It has been disused since 2018, before that it some business called Reed.) Now, it is another one of the many new "Irish" bars that seem to pop up every other week in Liverpool.

I had a Guinness, of course, and it was only £3.50, that's less than half the last drink!

No real atmosphere in here I'm sorry to say, despite it being a lot busier than the previous two ticks.  I'm not sure exactly what it is missing.  Last time I did a new "Irish" bar, the Baby Temp'l, I really loved it, so is it just the randomness of judging a pub on one brief visit or is there something different?

I was somewhat surprised to see White Rat on keg in here, I've not noticed that before.  It is branded White Rat Nitro, next time I see it I'll have to give it a try.  The friendly barmaid was already pulling my Guinness before I spotted it.

I was intrigued to notice an "historic" mirror except it didn't say Bass or Guinness, it said McSwiggin's Derby Square so was clearly created this year for this pub.

I wonder where the gents is in here, I can't see a sign...  As I was looking round, another bloke asked something at the bar and was pointed towards the other entrance, so I guessed that is the answer.  And it was.

Just round the corner is Neighbourhood, and I haven't been in here for thirty years:

Wow, my notes already described this as a spectacular interior, but it really is wonderful, I'm stunned.  Formerly the North and South Wales Bank which later became part of the Midland.

Mainly a posh cocktail place but they were happy to pour me a Cruzcampo, and at only £5 it is reasonably priced (ish).

A big party received a remarkable metal tree filled with little glasses of drink, with a firework at the top.  I checked the menu, it is called a cocktail tree.  As I always say, why isn't bloody Mary on the list of classic cocktails.  If British Airways can do one at 30,000 feet, surely this place can?

On the "is it a bar?" scale, the fact that my pint came with a bill rather than me paying for it is definitely a negative, but on the other hand they don't seem to do food in here so it must be a bar.

Finally, the Castle Street Townhouse, last ticked in 2019:

Perhaps unwisely I chose Asahi here, in memory of my Japanese holiday.  I'm guessing this one was brewed in a factory in England, and it tasted even blander than in Japan, if that is possible!  The Japanese national brews, Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin and so on were all a bit boring and I was pleased when I found some more local, and interesting, brews.

This is a very well done cocktail bar and on this street it can't fail to be popular on a sunny Friday arvo.  Plenty of customers inside and on the pavement at the front.

That's enough for me, time to head home even though it's only half past three.

Pub of the day: Flight Club
Beer of the day: Jubel
Miles walked: 0.8
Merseyside pubs visited in the last five years: 1,013
Maybe coming soon: Undecided

Crosby and Waterloo

Yes, it's me, I'm back!  A month in Japan and two or three weeks when I was busy doing other things have prevented surveys, but I should be OK for a few weeks now.  (No promises!)  If you want to see what I did on holiday I am creating a record here, it is mainly trains but there are a few beer and bar reports.

Today I headed to Crosby to revisit a couple of targets, starting with the Corner Post:

This is a classic micro pub, a pleasant friendly shop conversion offering excellent real ales.  Shortly after their two o'clock opening there were only two other customers, who were chatting with the friendly barman.

I had a fine pint of Glacier from Beartown, a pleasant pale one, and relaxed on the bench seat.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again:  If someone opened a place like this near my home, I'd be in every day and the pub guide could go hang!

Just round the corner is a more traditional pub, the Royal Oak:

A rather fine building knocked through inside with not much original remaining except for some leaded glass in the back windows.

I reverted to my usual Carling here.  I drank quite a lot of Asahi in Japan so I was used to this, and there were a couple of other boring "national" brews, Sapporo, Yebisu, and so on.  I also had some much more interesting beers from micro breweries, at up to 14%.

Only two or three customers at three on a Saturday.  Hopefully they are busier later.

That reminds me, I wonder how many pubs will be open in the early hours of Monday for the footie.  If there is one near me I might go just to say I've had a pint at half four in the morning.  Regular readers of my blogs may know I visited Smithfield Market in London especially to get a pint at 7am when the pub opened!

The plan was to head to Waterloo next, but Google Maps threw up a target of which I wasn't aware, so next it's the Oxford Bar:

The Morning Advertiser loves to go on about how many bars are closing, but they really need to count openings as well, I keep finding new (to me) ones in unexpected places, such as this.

A standard, but very well done, shop conversion, and I was pleased to see two handpumps.  Less pleased to find my pint of Kalaidascope from Strawberry Fields was a little tired.  I drank it anyway.

Three groups of customers, of ages ranging from about six to older than me, were filling the small room with cheerful chatter, the place is clearly doing well.

Rugby was on the telly, I saw lots of fans as I passed through town, is it at Anfield?  No, the match on the TV is in Cardiff.  Eventually I got Google to tell me that the fans I had seen were heading to Rugby League at Everton's new stadium.

Where next?  In Waterloo there is one pub overdue for a tick, and one never ticked, so let's start at the Liver, a long standing favourite of mine.  No, let's not.  I headed for the Bodega del Lobo:

This tiny shop conversion is really pleasant inside.  It is a special target because last time I was here they were closed for a private function, so I was really keen to get in today.

There were five taps on the bar back and I chose Mahou, a tasty lager from Madrid.  I noted I didn't pay for it, I hope I remember when it's time to leave!

Five other customers were creating cheerful chit-chat which was drowning the muzac.

I'm not sure what it is but I really like this one.  Could it be that one of the taps is Guinness which is always a good option in a bar, I think.  (I noticed the two blokes in here were both on the black stuff.)  The place is also beautifully decorated and fitted out.

Can I add my usual grumble that the cocktail menu doesn't include my favourite, a bloody Mary?  Even British Airways can do this on a long haul flight, and they have a bottle of Worcester Sauce ready!

Just two doors down is Soul Train Club Tropicana from which a lot of noise is emanating, but I think I ought to try it:

Definitely a night time place this, with a small front bar room and a larger back room.  At five on a Saturday I was the only customer.

The decor is rather good, sort of Hawaiian style I think, I imagine this place is packed later on, (and it should be) but at this time it's a bit early.

I enjoyed my San Miguel in total solitude.  Directly opposite my seat was an historic Four Tops poster.  I saw them live on Monday, not really my sort of music but I had won free tickets and they were really very good, along with The Temptations.

The "boss" was fiddling with the audio, eventually resulting in a period of silence.  Three more customers came in, maybe the peace and quiet attracted them!?

Next, there's a bar I've never ticked just a short distance down the road.  Could Bunratty's be open?  No, it isn't; is it ever?

So just one more required tick locally, a favourite of mine, the Liver:

I forgot to take a photo, it's always difficult here without getting run over especially after a few pints, so this one is from 2021.

Still a great pub but no real ale any more, I'm afraid, so deleted from my favourites list. Never mind, I enjoyed my pint of Strongbow.  Which came in a Strongbow glass, as it should.

Not packed but doing quite well at five on a Saturday, although I couldn't see anyone eating.  Rugby was on the giant screen but I don't think anyone was watching.

Well well, three new ticks, I didn't expect that.  Time for home.

Pub of the day: Corner Post
Beer of the day: Beartown Glacier
Miles walked: 1.9
Merseyside pubs visited in the last five years: 1,012
Maybe coming soon: Undecided