A Few in Town

Pub surveying is currently severely disrupted due to family commitments, but I managed to escape for a quick trip to town, starting at the relatively new Port Bar on London Road:

Here I found bright cheerful quirky decor with walls of corrugated iron and shipping containers, and lots of bare chipboard.  They've also got a genuine-looking railway colour light signal.

When I arrived there were just two women sitting at a table, one was the barmaid.  Two unexpected handpumps on the counter, but both had clips reversed, so I had a Blue Moon for a change.

Two blokes came in, and took lots of pictures of the interior, before settling down for some beers.  Owners planning a redecoration?  I don't think it needs it, the place is immaculate.

I noticed a "25% off for NHS staff" sign, obviously hoping to attract people from the Royal up the road.  That's an impressive discount; how about 25% off for pub bloggers?  But then my review might be biased. 

Doubling back down London Road I called in to Paddy's Bar:

The first time I came here it was a classic scruffy smokey boozer called Dixie Dean's, busy with drunks.  Needless to say, it's not like that now.  Clean and tidy with the walls covered in Irish stuff, and with only two other customers.

The sound in here was racing from Fontainbleu, hasn't English racing restarted yet?

The two other drinkers left to find their hotel, so it was just me and the barman.

Next, a few doors down is the Lord Warden:

This used to be regular haunt of mine, a group of us failing to win the quiz for week after week (We suspected the landlord's mates always won!)  The real ale was usually good.

Today I found no real ale, just two naked handpumps, so it was a half of lager for me.

Only two or three regulars were scattered around the pleasant well cared for interior, the sound was just the music.

After a bit of shopping I headed for another never-visited location, Brownlows Inn:

Here I found a plain well done corridor bar, busy with regulars.  A bit of a theme today, two handpumps on the counter, but no real ale.  I'm not sure how long this has been a pub, it must be at least ten years, but I've never got around to visiting before.

The music mixed with cheerful chatter from the regulars, creating a comfortable friendly atmosphere.  I could see racing (From Wetherby, answering my previous question.) on the telly, but no-one seemed to be watching it.

The "salesman" in here was offering an anorak.  That's a new one!

There was a tray of sandwiches on the counter, but I wasn't sure if one had to wait for the cover to be lifted.  Eventually one of the regulars helped himself, clarifying the protocol.  I resisted, nonetheless.

Pub of the day: The Lord Warden, for its pleasant comfortable interior.
Miles walked: 1.8 miles, but most of that was for the shopping.
Maybe coming soon: To be honest, I don't know.

Smashing The Next Milestone

On the final (I hope) train strike Saturday I took two bus rides to Croxteth, starting at the Viking's Landing:

A milestone achieved, this takes the pubs visited count to 1,300.  A bog standard modern food-oriented place, located by the East Lancs Road.  It was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon, with most customers dining.

I pushed past the queue waiting to be seated - There wasn't a sign, why didn't they just grab a table?

Eight handpumps on the counter but only Wainwright available.  I had a rather short, but otherwise excellent, pint.  A sign on the bar said "Try our bottled cask ales", surely a contradiction?  I presume they mean bottles of Pedigree or whatever.  A good thing, that more pubs should do, but don't call it bottled cask, for goodness sake.

The hubub of chatter and occasional clatter of crockery were doing their best to drown the gentle background music, while I rather selfishly occupied a table for six.

Next, a walk taking a shortcut across waste ground.  This is a slightly scary part of Liverpool, there were groups of youths on cycles, others on motorbikes without helmets, and cars stopping in the middle of the road to chat to pedestrians.  But that could just be my paranoia; no-one took the slightest interest in me, even when I stopped to take pictures, and I soon reached the Lobster:

Well, the milestone didn't last long, as this is number 1,301.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I certainly didn't predict a large plain spotless lounge side with no-one in except me and the barman.  Both of us kept our coats on as it was pretty chilly.

I could see a couple of regulars playing darts in the other side, and later two more customers came in and headed through to join them.

With my architectural eye I noted that little original remains inside, except perhaps the basic layout.  I don't think the carved wood counter front is more than twenty years old.  In any case, the place is rather pleasant, and it's a shame there aren't more customers.

On to the Abbey Road:

Another new one - 1,302 and counting!

This larger than average shop conversion has one big open room.  On entry I was assailed by very loud music.  The customers were one family group with children at a table, plus half a dozen blokes standing at the counter.  Their chat, even the youngsters, was pretty much drowned out by the music.

Once again, despite the slightly tatty exterior everything inside was clean, tidy and well maintained.

Man United were winning on the telly, but no-one was watching.

To one side of the room was a roller-shuttered doorway, I wonder where that leads?  Function room perhaps?

There ware a few moments of peace, until one of the noisy family fired up the jukebox.  Oasis?  A Manc band in Liverpool??  Excellent!

Later, another group came in, two blokes and two children.  It's good to see that the traditional family Saturday afternoon in the pub isn't completely dead.  The little 'uns had colouring books while dad and grandad swigged ale.

Walking towards the next tick, I passed the location of the Brewer's Arms, now replaced by housing.  This pub is a contender for my award of the scruffiest ever visited, I think:  Back in 1998 I recall someone had thrown up on the floor.  Now, that could happen in any pub, what made this one stand out was that it looked like it had been on the floor since the previous day!

Next, the Sefton Arms:

Sadly, this rather fine 1950s or maybe 1930s pub would appear to be closed, let's hope I just arrived on the wrong day.  Their last Facebook post was a year ago which doesn't look promising.  Looking on the bright side, this was the first of today's targets that I've been in before, so at least I can claim to have visited.

On to the Western Approaches:

There was some kind of "do" on in one part of the large open lounge side, complete with decorated tables and chairs, balloons etc.  "Boy or girl" said the sign.  What's this, then, an "expecting" party?  I've never heard of that.  Maybe a "baby shower", but I thought those were women only?  They were finishing up and leaving, I resisted the temptation to "minesweep" the buffet leftovers!

The rest of the lounge was quite busy with umpteen regulars, this place is certainly doing a lot better than the Lobster.  Chatter was generally louder than the music.  I think the other side was closed, on leaving I discovered it is now a function room.

Another plain, spotless, well maintained boozer.  Surprisingly, the telly I could see was showing the cricket.  I suppose they can't (legally) get the Liverpool match.  I hope I'm on the way home before full time, or my bus back to town will take for ever!

One more pub in the vicinity, not in Croxteth according to the way I draw the borders, but worth ticking off, another one last visited in 1998, the Lingmell Inn:

Back in '98 this was the Royal Oak.  Since then it's been the Oaks and, I think, closed for a while.  Its current incarnation as the Lingmell Inn is a large open one room pub with very well done contemporary decor.  It was doing a good trade on a Saturday afternoon, families, diners, and drinkers occupying most of the tables.

The menu of pub standards looks good value, fish and chips is £8.

My notes from 1998 record this as a two sided pub, I think the other side is still there, but not in use at the time of my visit.  I also recorded real ale then, no sign of that now.

Too many noisy kids in here for my liking, I must say.

Only five pubs today, but with three never before visited and one twenty-one years ago, it's not a bad haul for a trainless Saturday.  Time to go home before the footie lets out.

Pub of the day: Abbey Road for its lively friendly cheerful atmosphere.
Miles walked: 2.7
Maybe coming soon:  St Helens

Not Southport

I had intended a trip to Southport today but luckily my final pre-flight check was to see how the trains were running, which revealed there are no trains to Southport this week.  So I headed to Liverpool instead.

My first target was a long overdue revisit to Peter Kavanagh's:

Happily, this pub hasn't changed since my last visit, it still has the wonderful collection of bric-a-brac covering the walls and ceilings.  On previous occasions I hadn't really appreciated the historic woodwork and leaded glass that would make this place a gem even without the collection.

A number of cask ales were available, I chose something tasty from George Wright.

Only a few customers in, initially all I could hear was quiet conversations, until someone fired up the music - which was pleasantly quiet as well.

Next, the Blackburne Arms:

This is another reliable source of real ale, I forget which I selected but it was excellent.  The one I chose was "a bit lively" so Maggie brought it to my seat once it had settled. 

They obviously aim for dining, in fact I was asked if I was eating when I went to the bar, but there is a drinkers' area at one end of the room.

Custom at one on a Tuesday was a group of diners, a bloke reading the paper, and a pub blogger typing his notes; conversation and music forming the soundtrack.  I sat on a comfortable high-backed bench seat and enjoyed my pint.

I am one of those people who often wonders what would happen if I did something "naughty", but never tries it.  Here, the barmaid went to the ladies, and I contemplated nipping behind the counter and refilling my glass.  I reckon I would have got away with it, but my basic honesty prevented me trying.  And quite right too.

The forecast rain had arrived on time, so it was a quick dash to the Caledonia:

I have previously considered this place a little on the grubby side but I must say it was spotless and tidy today.

I chose a pint of a stout from Northamptonshire and it was excellent, as the beer always has been in here.

A dozen or so customers were filling the echoey room with chatter and mostly drowning out the music.  Unfortunately the place is dog friendly and once one of them started barking, they all did!

Now, on to the Beer Engine, I haven't been in here since 1997, when it was a night club called Plummers:

Rather good modern quirky decor in this enormous open room, which was totally deserted on a Tuesday afternoon.

I stupidly missed the handpumps at the end of the counter and had a schooner of some tasty craft ale, the name of which I forget.  Actually, at this level of custom, cask ale probably wouldn't have been a good idea.

When I said deserted, I wasn't exaggerating, just me and the barmaid in the place.  This made me wonder who would do the cooking if I ordered some food - the menu looked to be quite good value - is there a chef poised in the back?

I relaxed in a comfortable leather sofa and typed this, no-one else came in.  I hope they get more custom at other times, a youth-oriented place serving cask ale is to be commended.

On departure, my trip downstairs to the gents revealed another empty room, and an open kitchen with a chef, answering my earlier question.

I headed on to "Rapid Street", and to a researcher's quandary:  Should I visit the favourite Dispensary, or the overdue for a tick Roscoe Arms.  The two are opposite each other and with a supreme effort of willpower I went in the Roscoe Arms:

Once again I ordered before spotting the handpumps, so I had a half of Carling.  Bombardier and Wainwright were on.

Another deserted place, for most of my stay I was the only customer in the pub.  Pleasant plain decor, clean, tidy and comfortable.

At last, another customer arrived, doubling the trade, and she ordered a pint so actually it was trebling!

Pub of the day: Peter K, obv.
Miles walked: 2.2
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Croxteth

Icy Aigburth

On the coldest day of the season (so far) I put the winter spikes on my shoes and headed off to Aigburth.  On leaving St Michaels station I headed for Lark Lane, first pausing to photograph the closed Belgrave:

I continued, walking the length of Lark Lane, home to dozens of food outlets, many of which seem to change their names each time I come.  The pavement was solid ice, I was glad of the spikes!  Mind you, it was a bit embarrassing, clip-clopping across the hard floor in some of the pubs.  Better than an ambulance to A&E, though!

Today's researches will really test my definition of which establishments go in the guide.  There are many bistros and cafes along here which may serve alcohol but don't really count.

No such concerns about my first destination, the Albert:

Three handpumps on the counter offered Hobgoblin, Bombardier and Doom Bar.  Not really a selection for the real ale buff, but I'm not complaining, the Bombardier was excellent.

The rather fine interior here remains - is it fake or not? - and I was pleased to find it comfortably warm despite the (literally) freezing weather.

Gentle background music, from the jukebox I think, mixed with conversation amongst the regulars and staff as I enjoyed my ale in solitude in the comfortable back room.

On down the road to the Lodge:

According to my records this used to be The Masonic before becoming a restaurant called Negresco, perhaps related to Negresco Deco in Woolton.  In 2010 it became The Lodge Ale House, now it's just The Lodge.

I can't remember what the decor was like when I visited The Masonic in 2003.  The layout now, large bar plus side areas corresponds with my notes then, the inside is quirky and rather good, with some bare brick walls, and everything pastel coloured, grey in the main room, pale green in a side area, and so on.

A few customers were keeping the place ticking over, gentle chatter mixing with the background music.

Only two clips on the four handpumps, I selected house beer The Lodge which was a pleasant bitter.  The other option was Jennings Cumberland.  I didn't see anyone else order cask while I was here.

It was a bit colder than the Albert, I kept my coat on.

Next, Maranto's:

Really a restaurant, this, but I wanted to tick it again because I've drunk in here before so I don't want to demote it to "not a pub".

I entered to find two tables of diners, and the rest of the place empty, with no sign of any staff.  I was about to abandon my visit and designate it a restaurant when the waitress appeared, and served me a pint of Love Lane, earning bonus points for serving it in a Love Lane glass.

I must say I like the decor, Tiffany lampshades, fretwork banisters and so on.  I'm sure it's all a modern confection but it works really well.

Next, the Parkfield Inn:

The opposite end of the spectrum here, a plain pleasant down market boozer perhaps a little out of place amongst the bistros and cafes of Lark Lane.

Formerly an Oak Lodges (See this blog passim.) pub, the decor in this "corridor bar" is traditional, and well cared for.

Various regulars, aged between five and eighty-five, kept the place lively, with a pop video channel providing background music.

Good grief, they're advertising Christmas savings clubs on the telly.  Already?

That's enough of Lark Lane, is there anywhere else around here I need to tick?  Yes, so a walk along Aigburth Road took me to the Fulwood Arms:

Transformed since my last visit, much lighter inside than the dark decor I found in 2008, and now featuring bookshelf and bare brick wallpaper creating an unexpectedly pleasant ambience.

A few regulars sat at the counter chatting with the barman, while I sat on a comfortable leather sofa and drank a half of Carling.

The sounds in here were regulars' chatter and Sky Sports' reports on the transfer deadline.  It seems this is more exciting than an actual football match, judging by the frenetic commentary.  I was amused to note the transfer window countdown clock in the corner of the screen shows hundredths of a second - Considering the latency of digital satellite television transmission this is completely meaningless, in fact the whole seconds are suspect.

Finally, up Victoria Road to the Victoria.  There's no way I would have made this part of the trip uninjured without my spikes, especially on the pub's skating rink:

Last time I passed this way this pub was shut although clearly still operational, so we have to look back to 1998 when I had a drink in what was then called the Aigburth Arms.  To be honest, I don't think much has changed since then and it looks about the same - Obviously, fresh wallpaper, a new carpet and new paint will have happened in the intervening years.  Changed or not, the decor is rather pleasant, although perhaps better suited to a crowded Friday night than a quiet Thursday afternoon.

Just a few customers in the large empty-feeling room.

Twenty-one years on the real ale has gone, so I had a half of lager.

Red Dwarf aficionados will know that the Aigburth Arms has an important role in the series:  Lister was found, as a baby, in a box under the pool table.

Interestingly (or not) this is pub number one in my database.

Time to go home, I think.

Pub of the day: The Albert:  Decent ale, decent heating, pleasant decor.
Miles walked: 2
Maybe coming soon: Southport or Croxteth?

The Book

I am pleased to announce that the eleventh edition of the Merseyside Pub Guide book is now on sale.

There are 1,849 pubs listed in this edition, with details of almost thirteen hundred I have visited.

Click here for details, and to order a copy.

The price this year has been held at £8.00 plus postage and packing.

Dining Chain Pubs in Aintree

A bright and chilly Thursday found me at Old Roan station.  The eponymous pub has been closed for some time:

On to the dual carriageway traffic's roar on Dunnings Bridge Road, and the Bakers Dozen:

A standard Hungry Horse located on a retail park by a busy dual carriageway.  Pleasingly, there's a small corner dedicated to drinkers with no menus and no table numbers, and a pool table.

At the bar the three handpumps were out of action so I had a Guinness and settled in the drinkers' corner alone.

Observant readers of the Merseyside Pub Guide will have noticed that I have dropped the beer list, to be honest it has been an annoyance for some time:  My short term memory has always been poor so I often found that by the time I had sat down in a pub and got the tablet out, I'd forgotten what the bitters and lagers were, so I had to crane my neck or get up and have another look.  It's much easier not bothering!  As this is the first pub visited since I made the change, I'll note that from my seat I could see taps for Carling, Fosters, Coors and John Smiths.

An occasional family kept the place from being completely dead, but it was very quiet.  I suppose that's not surprising for a weekday afternoon in January.

By the way, the name comes, I think, from the fact that there is a large bread factory next door.

Next, I wandered down to the Park, where my outside observations confirmed what I had already suspected, it's just a residential hotel now:

Back past the Bakers and on to another chain dining place, the Packet Steamer:

This one is a Beefeater.  Once again there is a drinkers' area which was quite busy with a number of groups, including a wake.

Four handpumps on the counter but only one clip, Doom Bar, and I decided not to risk it, sticking to lager.

The drinkers' area was filled with a hubub of chatter and laughter, it was certainly doing better than the Bakers.  I couldn't see how busy the dining part was.

A quick check of the menu showed that with fish and chips at £12.59 it's not cheap, but I must say some of the menu items look very tasty.

Back past the Old Roan and on to the Valentine:

Another step towards the next milestone as this is my first visit, making it pub number 1,299.  It wasn't open when I passed last time.

I went in the lounge side, where there were a couple of customers standing at the counter, but no sign of any staff.  I headed through the connecting door to the bar side.  There were a couple of handpumps in the lounge side but none in the bar, so I stuck to lager.

Architectural notes:  It's hard to guess when it was built, 60s I think.  Not much original inside and the former off-sales has been knocked through into the lounge.

The barmaids chatted with the two or three regulars in the bar, while I sat in a corner and typed this.

The decor in the bar side was plain and pleasant, everything spotless and well maintained.

It's not far to the Blue Anchor:

Another dining chain pub this, Hungry Horse again, and with Fish and Chips at £7.79 it looks to be good value.  The rather fine inter-war building has been knocked through inside creating an enormous open nicely done food-oriented place.

At half three on a Thursday it was ticking over nicely, and chatter from the mostly non-dining customers was louder than the background music.

Four handpumps, three with clips, so I risked the one I'd never heard of, Anchors Away, and it was a rather good bitter.  A quick Google failed to tell me anything about it.  (Isn't the phrase "anchors aweigh" anyway?)

Now a long walk across the racecourse - I think the road is closed and the horses run across it in the Grand National - and eventually I reached the Queens.  A moment of concern when I came to an Indian Restaurant in what could have been a former pub building, but no, two doors further along was the pub:

Back in 2006 I recorded this as a two-sided pub, it has now been knocked through, with the servery forming an island between the two sides.  The plain decor is immaculate and very well done, with just a little quirkiness to lift it above the bog standard - I particularly liked the two foot tall silver stag displayed above the bar back.  Silver coloured rather than actual silver, I presume - Otherwise it'd be worth more than the pub!

The sound here was background music overlayed by chatter from a number of regulars who were keeping the place going as Thursday afternoon moved on to evening.

What I should have done now was move on to the Toby up the road, to complete my Aintree targets but I couldn't be bothered with another dining chain place so I headed back to the station and home.  Unfortunately it was too dark to take a picture as I passed the Sefton, now a curry house.

Pub of the day: The Valentine because it was a "proper pub", and a rather good one too.
Miles walked: 4.5
Maybe coming soon: Croxteth
Also coming soon:  The 2019 edition of the book is at the printers, so should be on sale before too long.

Thatto Heath

I commenced a visit to a rather grey Thatto Heath at the British Lion:

I must say the external appearance didn't fill me with confidence but in fact the side door was open and I entered a warm comfortable tidy pub.

Just a few regulars were occupying the one room, the main sounds being gentle racing commentary and occasional chat.

Unusually, someone else asked where the gents was, so I didn't have to when it was time to go - I realise "go" has two possible meanings in that sentence, in fact both apply!

On my way to the gents I was able to observe the "other side" which appears to be usable but was in darkness on a Friday afternoon.

Next, the Elephant:

Now this was the reverse of the Lion; the Cask Marque badge on the outside raised my hopes, only for them to be dashed by two handpumps with no clips.

It's "only" six years since I was last here, and nothing seems to have changed, it's still a large L-shaped room, well cared for, clean and tidy.

A few regulars chatted and/or watched two different racing channels on the tellies.  The pub dog occupied my attention for a while.  It circulated around the pub, checking all the regulars, and then hovered by the gents door for someone to pass through so it could get out to the yard, where it waited patiently for a smoker to come and play with it.

Fifty yards down the road is the Vine Tavern:

I wonder what V+R means on the front of the building.  Is it old enough for it to be Victoria Regina?

Another spotless clean and tidy boozer, this.  I went in the bar side, where I was hard put to find a free table.  Perhaps there would have been more seats in the other side.

Again we had two racing channels to watch, but the majority of the customers didn't seem to interested, unlike in the Elephant.

Now a slightly longer walk, to the oddly named Brown Edge:

What a nice pub!  Partly knocked through inside, but retaining two sides.  Only two handpumps, one had the clip turned round, but the other provided a good pint of Banks's Sunbeam.

The signs say "under new management", from what I can see he's doing a good job.

Not many customers at four on a Friday, but the place was gently ticking over.

Next, the York.  Whatpub says it opens at four, but at quarter past it was still shut:

Their loss.

So I headed back towards the station, and my final target, the Springfield (Photo taken earlier, it was pretty dark by now.)

I entered the wrong side as usual, and the interconnection was not obvious so I sat in the bar side alone for my final lager of the day.

From what I could see and hear, there weren't many customers in the rest of the pub either.  I noticed a half-full pint of lager standing on the counter, as though its owner had just gone to the gents or for a smoke, but no-one came for it while I was there.

The decor in here is plain, but as usual, well cared for.  However, I sat on one of those long bench seats where there is a gap between the squab and the back, and looking through the gap I could see a lot of rubbish, so a dustpan and brush is needed!

Pub of the day: The friendly cheerful Brown Edge, also the ale of the day.
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Aintree