retiredmartin

Micropubs and craft beer bars haven’t infiltrated “Tameside” yet, but no doubt they will.  I’ve no idea if the folk of Ashton and Mossley feel any particular affiliation with “Tameside” akin to, say, a “Potteries”or a “Cambridge Boglands”.

In 1995 the little CAMRA guide to the nine towns seemed to capture an area distinct from smart Manchester, with its guest beers like Landlord, and Stockport with it’s other-worldliness.

I much enjoyed the Vaux and Websters in proper smoky pubs, though Mrs RM always made sure we stayed in bijou B&Bs in Delph and Rowarth, which even then cost double what I pay for a room nowadays.  Before IKEA came along, Mrs RM used to buy household goods (mainly Teletubbies bedding as I recall) at prices that stunned our southern friends.

With better camera skills than me, you can make some of these places look quite dramatic in your holiday snaps.

Two new Tameside pubs, which is par for the course, and both trad boozers of that 1995 model. Back then “Q“ was one of the full entries, as much because of the record-breaking name as anything.  I can’t recall Q in the Beer Guide this century, but clearly competition from Bar Liquid, Legendz and the Conservative Club is fierce.

BRAPA had some issues with Q in November. I always defer to Simon’s judgement on pubs; he has a bigger notebook than I do.  It wasn’t the warmest welcome ever here, but then again this isn’t Barnsley (though it’s closer than you’d think).

Clearly I’d have preferred that 1995 Banks/Pedigrees line-up, but the Hydes Original at a bargain £2.45 was typically fine (as in OK), NBSS 3.

I was taken with the glass windows, less so the exposed brickwork and local radio played at Megadeth levels which made my BRAPA-esque nosiness difficult. What was clear was that Q gets a good range of customers, and accents, late afternoon;

• The old muttering bloke
• The Mark E Smith lookalike at the bar (hope that wasn’t Quosh)
• The comfortably miserable couple in their ’30s discussing shower fittings
• The girls in their ’20s with a bottle of prosecco discussing ‘phone contracts
• The sad lonely pub tourist taking photos

You don’t get that range of customers in Islington.

Staly itself was not exactly buzzing on Wednesday afternoon, though traffic looked typically gridlocked on its way to Mottram. I was grateful that Tameside has decent rail connections these days. Sadly, they don’t extend to Dukinfield, not Beeching’s fault for a change, so I had an enlightening stroll along the B6175 at rush hour.

I’m arrogant enough to think that if you asked me, I could tell you something about any English town.  I knew nothing about Dukinfield except that it filled that crucial Hyde-Ashton gap.

QUIZ TIME – TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT DUKINFIELD, PLEASE

I can now tell you it has a pie shop that can use apostrophe’s correctly, and a wonderful new GBG entry in The Angel.

Attractive outside, functional club-style within, with a lounge (on the right Simon) housing the pumps and the banter. My notes also say two types of Prosecco, which may or may not be pre-match hysteria, or the shock of the Man U section of the public bar.

Lots of debate about Bradley Walsh, lots of good-natured swearing, and a very funny joke I might tell Dave And Dick at Christmas.  Also, exceptionally loud loos.

The Outstanding 3.9 was a great session pint served cellar cool and well presented (NBSS 3.5).  Again top value with all beers £2.55 (compare and contrast, £4.20 in North London).

I assume the pub sells enough cask alongside the Carling to maintain exceptional quality.  Another find for High Peak and Tameside CAMRA.

Any chance of a new entry in Audenshaw in GBG 18 ?