Apiary

I headed out on a largely unplanned excursion into town today and on a whim I started at old favourite the Lord Warden, which is now called Sketch:

I used to be a regular in here, friends and I competing in the quiz every week when it was the Lord Warden, which was a traditional boozer which for some of its history served good real ale.  Now it's received a spectacular redecoration inside and out and become Sketch.

The transformation didn't involve anything structural, the old layout remains almost unchanged except you can't get round the back between the two sides any more.  The decor inside matches the outside, bright colours and rough wooden planks on the walls.

Not many customers in at two on a Thursday, the barman eventually dragged himself away from his pals to serve me a Guinness.

While it is always a shame to lose a traditional boozer, I must say the new styling is bright and cheerful and rather attractive.  Sacrilege?

Where next?  How about a brand new tick, number 1,411?  The GPO Market:

I thought the entrance would be outside but in fact it is in the Met Quarter shopping centre. A number of food counters plus a large bar area at one end.  I ignored the app ordering system, I wasn't alone in that, and walked up to the counter where I ordered a half of something 7% from Carnival, whose taproom I visited last week.

The barman, presumably new, poured it and then fiddled with the till for ages, eventually asking his colleague how to sell a half, the answer was that the draft beers only come in schooners, so he had to pour the half into a goblet and add some more.  Seems daft, especially as the goblet has a half pint line.  It cost £4.50 by the way.

Eventually I was able to sit down and taste this peculiar chocolate beer which I have to say I didn't like very much.  Usually I like sours, but that taste didn't seem to go with chocolate milkshake.  Actually, I did grow to like it more as it went down, but certainly not a favourite.  I'm left with the worry that they sell so little that it has gone sour in the keg and the tang is not intentional.  Oh well, I've got my tick and I don't need to come here again for a few years!  Having said that, the food options looked very tempting in here, so maybe I'll come back for dinner some time.

Just along from the front entrance of Met Quarter is the Beehive, not visited since 2012, so let's move away from modern places to something more traditional and try that one next:

Well well!  If there was one place I would have predicted had lost its cask in the ten years since I was last here it would have been this splendid traditional boozer, but no, three handpumps on the counter and my Landlord was excellent.

The front part of the place was quite busy so I headed to the back, only later spotting the notice informing me that this area is reserved for food service only until five.  Oh well, no one complained, and there were plenty of empty tables.

The pub was ticking over nicely at four on a Thursday, the music mixing with gentle chatter from the regulars.

Where to after the Beehive?  I had an idea:  How about the other Beehive, last visited in 2013 so long overdue for a tick just like its namesake:

This place is completely unchanged, I'm pleased to report, and it remains a classic town centre boozer.  When I say it hasn't changed, it has obviously been redecorated a few times in the intervening years because it's immaculate in here.

The walls are covered with pictures of film stars and movie posters.

The music was mostly drowned by chatter in the somewhat echoey room.  In between serving, the barmaid joined in the animated conversations.

My Guinness came with a shamrock drawn in the head.  I can report that in the dozen or so pubs I visited on my recent visit to Ireland I saw this exactly zero times, and that included three or four of the main tourist pubs around Temple Bar in Dublin.  

I checked my trains home.  Four of the next five are cancelled and the remaining one is late, what kind of service is that?  I said some time ago that if we re-nationalised the railways it would all fall apart, and it looks like I was right.  I keep seeing adverts for Northern Rail (who are controlled by the DfT, so effectively nationalised), surely if they put more effort into actually running trains and less into advertising things would be better.

Opposite where I was sitting was a Wurlitzer Jukebox.  How do those bubble tubes work, I wondered?  Good old Google to the rescue, the tubes are filled with an organic liquid which boils when warmed at the bottom, so the bubbles are actually vapour and they gradually condense as they rise and cool.

Having done the Beehive it would be rude not to tick Riley's next door - See picture above.

Another place that I'm happy to report hasn't changed significantly since I was here in 2013, although it has had a good refurbishment.  As I observed last time it is popular with racing fans.

Again a beautifully maintained traditional interior, I hope this pub and next door continue for eternity.

Perhaps not as many people in as in the Beehive, but still ticking over with a high proportion of the customers watching the horses.  I wonder where the nearest bookie's is, presumably they have to nip out to put their bets on.  Oh, of course, it's next door to the Beehive, so two doors down from here.

I rechecked the trains, after the cancellations the next few services are all apparently running, so I think my extra Guinness (I was originally intending to go home after the Beehive.) has worked out OK.  Although an hour's worth of passengers on one train might be a bit crowded!  Perhaps I should drink slowly and get the second train out, which is also shown as running.

I dawdled over my beer and the second train was not overcrowded and soon took me home in relative comfort.

Pub of the day: Beehive, the first one, for the quality ale.
Beer of the day: Landlord
Miles walked: 1.75
Maybe coming soon: To be decided.

Along Regent Road

I decided that for a change I'd do a survey of the (mostly) closed pubs along the Docks before everything changes with the opening of the new stadium.

I headed to Bootle to commence my tour, starting at the long closed and never ticked Clarence:

Next, down to Regent Road which was to be my main route today.  On the corner stands Kerries Bar, another one I never got to.  I think it was also called Shenanigans at some time in its history:

A quick dodge back up to Derby Road for a picture of the Woodhouse, last visited in 1998:

Back on Regent Road, next came the Atlantic, which has been flattened I'm afraid, along with the Iron Horse concert room next door:

As I photographed the site of the Atlantic, a large gaggle of blokes appeared out of a side road and started walking along Regent Road ahead of me.  What could they be up to?  I guessed an organised party of Everton fans on a visit to look at their new home.

I carried on, to the long closed Sandon Lion which is still standing, perhaps poised for future football traffic:

But what's this a couple of doors further along?  What used to be Coast, and before that Sherlock's and before that the Convivial Hotel, is now the Royal Crest Hotel, and the gang are going in.

I followed, half expecting to be told it was a private function, but I was allowed to share the pub with what turned out to be a stag party.

I was very pleased to get a tick here as I had recorded Coast as closed as long ago as 2011.  A well done very recent refurbishment in modern style has created a very pleasant one roomed boozer.  It looks so different inside compared to my visits to Sherlock's in 1999 and 2004 that I initially concluded I'd got the wrong place, but later internet research revealed it was the same building.

The massive quantity of customers all at once caused a bit of chaos, especially when the Stella turned out to be sour!  The lone barmaid efficiently sorted things out, the stags were served and I got a Guinness.

The room was decorated with pink heart-shaped balloons, not really what I would expect for stags, perhaps left over from a function last night?

Was it specially open for the stags?  Without them it would only have been me in here.  On second thoughts there were two other blokes who weren't joining in, so actually three customers.

The party departed, to where I don't know, leaving the pub peaceful.

On a little further, looking at the new stadium, which is well on its way, to the only pub I had expected to be open along here, the Bramley Moore:

Would it be full of stags?  No, just a dozen or more regulars.  One has a new smart phone and was taking pictures of his pals and the landlady.

I wonder where the stags went, and why they were in this area in the first place.  Why not do this pub as well?

Pretty much no change since the last time I was here, in 2004, but clearly it has had a couple of redecorations in the intervening years, because it's very well cared for and tidy.

Was this the pub where a regular once said to me "That's the first time anyone's ever done the Times crossword in here", I'm fairly sure it was somewhere around here.  I used to sit quietly in a corner and attempt said crossword on my early surveys.

I must say I was surprised just how well this pub was doing, I had the area down as being totally dead, with the remaining pub(s) hanging on for the football fans, but no, there were seventeen customers at three on a Saturday.  Hardly busy, but the room was filled with cheerful chatter.

The racing channel was showing somewhere in Ireland, I guess all local meetings are cancelled.

I continued my trek along Regent Road.  Now here's two places I've never heard of.  Murphy's Distillery was only open for a private party according to the sign at the entrance, so I didn't push my luck:

Next door is Ten Streets Social:

My goodness, this is a big room, full of bench seats and tables.  A stage at the far end and a long bar counter along one side.  Bare brick walls and a cement floor complete the industrial vibe.

No Guinness as far as I could see, I selected Staropramen for a change, two or three pints of froth came out before a pint of lager, but it tasted good in the end.

I could see food and drinks disappearing through a side door, there must be another room (Or could that be Murphy's?)

I rather like this place, I bet it would be good with music on.  I have resolved to see more live music in future, let's see if I actually do...  I studied the what's on listing.  Most events seem to finish about 3 or 4 in the morning; I'm afraid that's well past my bed time.

Now here's an annoying feature of the decor.  They've got no less than eighty of those fake retro lightbulbs, but these have got an extra feature whereby every now and then one will flicker and go out, recovering a moment later.  I wondered if they were individually random but I think they are in a fixed sequence.  Rather irritating anyway, there's always one flickering in my peripheral vision.

Carrying on towards the city, there are a couple of brewery taps hidden in the last bit of industry before you get to the commercial centre.  First, Azvex Taproom:

A medium sized warehouse this, half brewery and half bar.

I briefly studied the list of twelve beers, and soon ordered some Vantablack Creatures which claimed to be an imperial stout with peanut butter brownie.  At 11% it's lucky I only had a third of a pint;  Oh wow, it was gorgeous, extremely sweet and sticky and I could taste the PB.  Beer of the month, possibly of the year.

I counted fourteen customers inside, plus more than that in the sunshine outside.

For those who don't like "strong and/or strange" beers I should report that one of the twelve beers on tap was Cruise Liner at 3.8% which I would guess is very quaff-able.  There were a few other slightly stronger pales as well.  On the other hand, if you want dark beers I think mine was the only one.

The food in here, currywurst and hot dogs, looked very tempting.

Just across the road is Carnival Tasting Room:

This is another warehouse which is half brewery half bar, perhaps a bit more colourful than the last one, and it seems a bit busier.

My first choice, a blood orange IPA at 9.3% was not on (Can't they amend the blackboard?  Surely that's why it's a blackboard!)  so I had a rather fine, if weaker (5.2%), pale with Citra hops.  To be fair, while I enjoyed my second choice beer, someone crossed the blood orange one off the board.  Perhaps they read my mind?

I was half way down my drink before I noticed the cask blackboard.  If they had had pump clips I would have had some but I had assumed the two pumps weren't in use.  Oh well, I probably would have enjoyed the pale or even the pina collada haze, but it's too late now.  I didn't see any use of the handpumps while I was drinking my very tasty "Dreaming of Twinships ".

In here, the food was tacos, but I didn't see any served, unlike in Azvex where quite a few sausages came out.

Time to head for home...  As I walked past a modern warehouse building I could hear quite a lot of crashing banging noises.  I looked at the sign, it's "Hatchet Harry's Indoor Axe Throwing". What the ****????

Pub of the day: Royal Crest Hotel, because I thought it had been closed for years.
Beer of the day: Azvex's Vantablack Creatures
Miles walked: 4.1
Maybe coming soon: No idea!

Too Early in Heswall - All My Own Fault

A visit by a friend who collects Wetherspoon's was a good excuse for a trip out to Heswall to see the new one, last visited by me in 2019 when it was the Exchange.  It is now Wetherspoon's Prense Well:

They have done a very good job of the refurbishment, the pleasant decor includes pale wood panelling.  The layout is pretty much as I remember it in the Exchange.  It was surprisingly quiet at one on a Thursday, ticking over gently as we enjoyed our quality ale and curry.

Next, the Jug and Bottle:

The interior of this food-oriented pub is beautiful, spread over a number of rooms.  Again, not busy, just ticking over quietly, mostly with dining families.  I had an excellent pint of Peerless Triple Blond.

Next, we headed for the Black Horse, failing to read my notes which say it opens at three:

Needless to say it wasn't open yet, and I can't even complain about unreliable opening hours, it was all my own fault this time.  And it would have been a brand new tick as well!

So, a long slog back up the steep hill to the Dee View:

No change in here, a pleasant open room, and a selection of quality ales.  The White Rat was beautiful as always.  No other customers, perhaps it has only just opened.

One or two more came in, some choosing to drink outside in the lovely sunshine.

It's after three now, should we re-try the Black Horse?  I don't think I could face that climb again!

Back towards the centre of Heswall, hello, what's this?  A new one called the Blind Pig:

It's not open now (too early again!) but I'll add it to the database.

As I turned away from the Blind Pig I noticed this shop two doors down with the builders in, and I could see a counter with beer fonts:

So another new one coming soon, I think.

On to the Johnny Pye:

I have had a mediocre pint in here before and it certainly doesn't look like a cask sort of place, but my pint of Directors was spot on, served by a friendly landlady.

A pleasant enough modern construction this one with a decent number of customers.  It was filled with background chatter along with the piped music.

Pub of the day: They were all very good.
Miles walked: 1.3
Maybe coming soon: To be decided.

Getting Cross (-ens)

A bright sunny Saturday saw me on two trains and a bus to the most northerly extremity of my purview, at Crossens.  I started in the Marsh Harrier:

It's hard to put a date on this building.  It could be 70s or even 2010s but I'm going to guess 80s.

Indoors is a two sided layout, very well decorated in restrained modern style, I really like it.

I eyed up the three handpumps and dithered.  "I'll make it easy for you", said the friendly barman, "I've only got this one on."   So, a pint of Theakston Light Foot, and very good it was too.  The barmaid suggested turning the clips round on the other pumps, but apparently "he doesn't like it".  I advised that "he" was wrong!

I relaxed on a comfortable bench seat to enjoy a good pint.  Only a few customers in to keep the place ticking over at two on a Saturday, with more gradually coming in, including dining families.

Just a short walk through suburban streets is my other Crossens target, Beer Den 2.  Oh!

Colour me grumpy, but if a pub can't be bothered to open at half two on a Saturday, when the internet says they are, then I don't see why I should bother to spend any money there.

I considered going round and banging on the back door to see if anyone was setting up, but decided not to bother, so I caught a bus back towards Southport, jumping off early for another new tick, the Imperial:

This is a rather well done dining pub in an old house.  It is run by Holt's and the real ale offer is two of their brews, my Two Hoots was spot on.

The quiet background music was mostly obscured by cheerful conversation and the rattle of cutlery.  I looked at the menu, a good selection and reasonably priced.  What's "Wexford Chicken", I wondered - I passed through there two days ago, but didn't stop to check out the local cuisine.  Google tells me it's in a creamy mushroom sauce.

England seem to be slowing to a halt in the test match, while both local footie teams are winning, according to the large, thankfully silent, screen above the fireplace.

I looked around.  This seems to be an above average chain dining pub, for some reason I can't put my finger on I really like it.  A little voice in my head says "That's because it's open!"

Next, can I get a third new tick?  I headed for Coopers:

I hadn't researched this one much so I didn't know what to expect.  What I found was a very nicely done shop conversion with a small counter in one corner offering three real ales.  At first swig I didn't much like the one I chose, called Hubble, but that was purely a matter of personal taste, there certainly wasn't anything wrong with it.

Live music is obviously an important part of this pub, judging by the guitars, amps, mic stands and so on on the stage area.

No live music at four on a Saturday, and only two or three customers.

I noticed in Dublin this week that all the "tourist" bars had live music, the quality varying from good to excellent, although I wish they wouldn't all murder Beatles numbers.

The ale was growing on me as I drank it, actually I quite like it.  My handled mug came from IKEA, surely the wholesaler is cheaper than that?

Next, just round the corner used to be the Bottle Room, is it still there with a different name?  Yes, Beer Inn.

I seem to have forgotten to take a picture.

From my vague recollections of 2014 this place hasn't changed at all apart from the name, it's a very narrow corridor bar.  Unfortunately the handpumps were not in use, but my pint of Beavertown Neck Oil was great.  One of my favourite keg beers, I think.

Not many customers in, I'm afraid, this place deserves to do better than two of us inside and two out in the street.

I scanned the impressive selection of bottles on shelves and in fridges.  From Titanic Plum Porter to Oude Geuze Boon via Hacker Pschorr Hefe Weisse, what a fantastic range.

Gosh, LFC are 9-0 up, Everton now drawing, and in the cricket England are slowly grinding on towards a win, I think.

I looked around.  I'm the only customer now!  Two came in as I was finishing my pint.

Time for home.

Pub of the day: Marsh Harrier
Miles walked: 2.2
Maybe coming soon: Heswall

A Few More in the City Centre

Today's trip was supposed to be a number of overdue visited to pubs at the river end of Liverpool city centre.  However, having learned that they had my favourite ale on, I started with a non-overdue tick in Wetherspoon's Captain Alexander:

Especially suited to today's warm weather, the Oakham Citra went down very easily.  The place was pretty busy (why are my shares still down?) but there were plenty of free tables so I wouldn't call it full, which perhaps it ought to be on a Friday lunch time.  I suppose now that many office workers don't bother on a Friday the traditional pub visit no longer happens.

Now, I could stay here drinking Citra until it runs out, or I could drag myself reluctantly away and get on with my researches.  I chose the latter, and crossed the road to the Liverpool:

Two surprises on entering here:  It was very quiet inside, only seven other customers; and the air conditioning was working really well.  It was wonderfully cool, much more comfortable than the 'spoons across the road.  I had a lovely cold Guinness here.

Some of the other customers were eating, the menu of pub classics looks good.

The decor has changed somewhat since I was here in 2017, it has been modernised rather well, but the historic pictures of various HMS Liverpools seem to have gone.  There's still a stage for live music.

The background music here was a rather fine selection of old stuff, Dean Martin and the like.  The moment I'd written that, the next track was Message In A Bottle by the Police, now that's what I call a wide variety.  Sounds like my "jukebox" at home which plays randomly from an even wider range of genres. Beethoven, Artie Shaw, Pink Floyd, Pink, and so on.

Next, I headed to Castle Street, where I found Bobo, a wine bar not in my database.  I think the heat must have been getting to me, as my picture of this one was too blurry to be of any use.

I could see draft pumps on the counter so I went in to this very well done shop conversion for a pint of Sagres.

My beer was delivered to my table without me paying anything, which perhaps puts this place on the wrong side of the bar/restaurant line?  Never mind, another one added to the total.  I hope I remember, and don't try to walk out without paying!

Once again the air conditioning was doing a good job, and it was comfortably cool in here.  The decor, with patches of plaster missing to expose rough brickwork, and dark green ceramics below the dado, looks very good to me.

According to their web site this place is Spanish/Portuguese.  I'm not sure exactly what that means, especially as in my admittedly limited experience the two cultures are quite distinct.  A pleasant place for a pint, anyway.

I remembered to pay!  Now we're doing never visited bars, how about Manhattan:

This is a tiny "bar and grill" in a half basement, plus lots of tables on the pavement outside.  The friendly barmaid apologised that they'd run out of Love Lane, so I had Carling.

Two staff were hardly stretched by the handful of customers, in fact I think two would be plenty even if the tiny room was packed.

I eyed up the decor.  Someone much better at design than I (Hardly setting the bar very high) has turned cheap wallpaper and bog standard ceiling tiles into something rather attractive.

An apparently drunk fella came in, worryingly he seemed to have car keys in his hands.  He chatted to the barmaid and tried to get me to join in, but I resisted.  Moments later, he's serving behind the counter, so clearly my assumptions were well wide of the mark.

I studied the drinks menu on my table.  Oh dear, under the Whiskey (sic) heading they've got "Jonny (sic again) Walker Blue Label, Black Label, Red Label."  Actually, I've never tried Blue, I wonder if they've really got it?  "Johnny Black" was a favourite of mine when I lived in Pittsburgh.

I decided to go home, and here I hit a major snag:  The next three trains were cancelled.  Normally, I would take a bus instead, but they're all on strike, so I had to join the taxi queue, which unsurprisingly under these circumstances was rather long.

Pub of the day: Captain Alexander, for the lovely beer.
Miles walked: 1.2
Maybe coming soon: Southport, Crossens, Heswall

A Few in the City Centre

I headed out aiming for a few overdue ticks around Lime Street station, plus one new one, the Dough Bar:

It looked a bit deserted as I approached and I wondered if perhaps it was shut out of term time, but I climbed the steps and pushed on the door and it opened.  The large interior was deserted, and I startled the barmaid who probably wasn't expecting to see anyone.

A good selection of about a dozen craft beers on tap, I chose Paulaner for a change.  Irritatingly, I only spotted the Clwb Tropica tap after I'd ordered.

I'm not sure how to define the style in here.  The wooden tables are almost rustic, whereas the metal chairs are more industrial.  And at one end there are some leather sofas.  Well done, anyway, I really like it.

I don't think my one pint will sort out the pay of one bar staff and one kitchen staff.  Come on folks, I can't save the hospitality industry on my own!  The moment I'd written that, two more customers came in.  They sat down and perused the menus, so probably a lot more profit than I provided.  Tourists perhaps, they seemed to be waiting for a non-existent waitress.  No; one went up and ordered.

As I left my 1,401st pub, two more customers entered.

Next, inside the famous Adelphi Hotel is Wave:

Not very impressive looking at the side entrance, this is a very well done hotel bar once you get in.  The decor in the large split level room is rather fine, with lots of polished brass railings.

A least a dozen customers were in here, so it's doing a lot better than the Dough Bar, but still very empty and the two or three staff were hardly stretched.  Much quieter than on my 2013 visit, but all the customers were older than me, same as last time.

My Guinness was only £2.45, it being happy hour.  In a few week's time I'll be enjoying "proper" Guinness, in Ireland.  Does it really taste better there, or is it all in my head?  I bet it's more than £2.45!

Next, along Ranelagh Street are a number of bars.  I have ticked all of them this year except for Ranelagh's Tavern:

Sadly, the unexpected choice of cask ales I enjoyed back in 2017 has gone, so it was another Guinness for me in this rather fun shop conversion.  Plenty of customers, all my age or older, were maintaining a hubbub of chatter, competing with the background music.

The decor here differs from my notes from '17, the floor is now dark, not sure if it's real wood or vinyl, whereas it was pale wood before.  The counter is built of rough timber, as is the bar back.  

I read the Carling beer mat on my table; it boasts of being brewed in Burton-on-Trent using 100% British barley.  I'll have to stop referring to it as Canadian, I suppose.  Shouldn't it say Burton Upon Trent?  Wikipedia research was inconclusive, both names seem acceptable, so I'll have to allow it.

Electronics aside:  On the wall are three "lanterns" with flickering LED lamps in them.  That's simple, you can buy flickering LEDs easily.  But wait, they are all three flickering in synchrony, how's that done I wonder?  Must be a special feed just to those lamps I guess.

On to Charlotte Street now, and once again there are many pubs recently ticked (Including Wetherspoon's last night - The Wobbly Bob was great) and just one overdue, Nelly Foley's:

No real change to the appearance here since 2017, it remains a well done Irish bar.

The rather objectionable music, including a song about joining the IRA and blowing up the British, that I noted last time I was here has been replaced by silence, although the live music from further down the street was clearly audible.

Quite a few customers were keeping the place busy but on a Thursday afternoon there was plenty of room for more.

I wondered, as it's not even four o'clock yet, should I tick another one?  Obviously, the answer is yes:  Can it really be five years since I drank in the "new" McHale's after they'd moved across Lime Street?  According to the database, it is five years to the day, so I headed to McHales Irish American Bar:

This really is a tiny boozer, pretty busy with older customers, the majority of the dozen tables were occupied.

The barmaid made a bit of a palaver out of pouring my Guinness, she announced that it has to settle for 90 seconds before topping up.  "It'll be great when you finally get it", opined a bar fly at the far end of the counter.  She asked if I wanted a shamrock in it, I said yes but she failed to produce one.  Never mind, it was a good pint.  Will I get a shamrock in Dublin?

I remember the older McHale's, along with the Shamrock next door, they were classic boozers.  I think they shared gents out back so maybe technically only one pub?  They closed when that side of Lime Street was redeveloped, with McHale's being granted a space on the other side of the road.

Certainly the most lively pub of the day, with a constant stream of people in and out, and chatter mostly beating the background music.

There's a tap on the counter offering "Caines Lager", what on earth is that?  It's not Cain's, is it?

In conclusion, four ticks five years old and one new one is a good score which I will hope to match in future trips.  The really desirable targets are dependent on the bus strike ending.

It only occurred to me when I got home that today was a case of very bad planning:  I should save a cluster of ticks close to the station for a wet winter day, and walk further afield in nice weather like today's.  Oh well, too late now.

Pub of the day: Too difficult to choose one.
Miles walked: 0.8
Maybe coming soon: Heswall, Crossens, Southport, Liverpool.

Fourteen Hundred

Back to Prescot only two weeks after my last visit.  The buses are on strike so I had to take the train, a less frequent service and a longer walk.

I started by checking the Mermaid Tavern, located in part of what was the Red Lion.  I had noticed it, not open, last time but they're ready now, having launched just eight days ago.

Very pleasantly done out inside with comfy leather sofas and bare brick walls.  Is that parquet floor genuine?  I think so.  Did the Red Lion have such a floor?  I don't remember.

No cask, so I had Guinness, at five quid the most expensive I've bought for some time - I can't see your average Prescot woolyback paying that much!

Only one other customer at half twelve, a scruffy bloke* watching the footie on the telly and muttering to himself; now that's more like the sort of clientele I expect in this friendly down market town.  He had a pint of something lager-coloured but it wasn't going down very quickly.

[* To be fair, no scruffier than me.  Except I won't wear shorts in public in the UK.]

Built on a hill, I remember the Red Lion had rooms on different levels.  As they've only used about half of the old pub, everything is on the same level here.

Next, just off the main shopping street is Lord Strange:

Opened in 2019, this splendid shop conversion has managed to survive through COVID.  The draft beers seemed to all be German lagers including one I've never heard of (Maxlrainer), except for the Guinness tap.  I chose the always good Erdinger, shame they don't have the Dunkel which I like even more.

Six quid for my pint, again we're not aiming for the local drunks here.

There's more seating upstairs, and quite a few tables in the (pedestrianised) street but with only one other customer these aren't really required at one on a Saturday.  Also upstairs is a display of optician's equipment from the building's former use.

My Erdinger came in the proper glass, of course, but it was a promotional one with a picture of Herr Klopp who I think is still the manager of a local football team.  It also had a pint line.

That reminds me of something from a couple of weeks ago:  I enjoyed a pint of the wonderful Cain's F.A. in Doctor Duncan's and it came in a proper F.A. glass.  I was surprised to see a crown stamp on the glass, is this a positive result of Brexit - we can have British markings on glasses - I wondered.  No, according to the barman they acquired loads of old glasses when they took over the defunct brewery.

The rain that had been threatening arrived as I finished my pint, but it was only very light.

On the main shopping street, I found Eden:

The tiny downstairs space was mostly full of a hen party, I paused for the "sorry, private function" but it didn't come, in fact I was called to the counter by one of the staff.  I nearly baled out when there were no fonts on the counter, but then spotted a number of taps on the bar back.  

My pint of "Eden" was a rather good Pilsner, and was "only" £4.50.

Unable to find a seat as the live musician was setting up in the only free corner, I retreated upstairs where I sat alone on the tiny mezzanine.  The barmaid followed me up to provide a candle on my table, not really necessary!

Downstairs remained busy, with loud conversation echoing around the space, and mostly drowning the quiet background music.  Then the musician started.  A bit loud, perhaps, but he was rather good*.  Jamie Higgs, it said on his guitar.

[* Until he did Coldplay, we get more than enough of that crap on the wireless.  Having said that, his rendition of I Will Fix You was much better than that whiney multimillionaire.]

So that's 1,399 pubs ticked, can I complete the century?

Of course I can, there's another bar on the same street, called Spanish Caravan:

Another shop conversion, with a pleasant interior plus tables out on the street.

There seemed to be some kind of private function going on upstairs, and there were no vacant seats downstairs so I took my schooner of Estrella 1906 outside, luckily the rain had stopped.  They wouldn't sell me a pint of this rather wonderful beer, probably wisely as it's 6.5%, so I paid £5 for a schooner.  Unusually dark for a lager, and very tasty, I certainly recommend it.  I think you'd probably call it a Bock?

I enjoyed the full continental experience, with shoppers passing up and down the street while plenty of customers sat with me in the open.  Two attractive young ladies on stilts proceeded past, promoting local entertainment and pausing for selfies with children and adults alike.  I wonder how long this sort of activity can continue?  Hopefully indefinitely.

Having achieved the fourteen hundred milestone, I think I'll head for home.  Prescot seems to be a place of contrasts nowadays, mixing the down market boozers I visited two weeks ago with up market cafe bars.  What a great combination.  When was the last time I saw live music at two in the afternoon?

Pub of the day: Difficult to choose one, the Spanish Caravan stands out, because it was number 1,400.
Miles walked: 1.2
Maybe coming soon: Crossens, Southport, Heswall