Never hold grudges. There’s no money in it. In March 2008 I really fell out with Farsley for complex reasons involving teenagers, spit and a Cambridge United defeat to a team of part-timers with an axe to grind in their sole season in National League football.
In more than 40 years of watching football, this was the most intimidating atmosphere I’ve ever experienced. And I’ve been to the Gay Meadow.
The club went bankrupt, allowing a successor to find their proper level, playing Glossop this Saturday (3pm kick-off, £7. Go on, you deserve a treat).
Despite staying in the Innkeepers Lodge at Calverley a few times, somehow I’d avoided the charms of Farsley itself until this week. I’ll wager 99% of folk couldn’t place the town on the map. Here it is in the centre, obscured by the A6120 marking.
99% of people will have heard of Pudsey, but probably expect something a bit cuddlier from the collection of towns and villages on the west of Leeds. Calverley has the sandstone houses, Horsforth the posh shops, and Newlay the great pub.
Farsley has the tower block. It also had thick fog for a while, but that cleared to reveal street after street of neat terraced housing, and an impressive mill redevelopment.
The parish church has some of the largest tombstones I’ve seen outside the Falls Road too. This one was taller than the church.
More importantly, Farsley has finally got a place in the Beer Guide too, even if nasty Leeds CAMRA have cruelly stuck it in under “L” for Leeds.
The Fleece is a worthy entry, as good as its namesake down the road in Pudsey.
A fine beer choice too, though we know what a double-edged sword choice is. Tetley round the back called me, but I was first in (I see a trend emerging) so couldn’t gauge turnover.
I asked the jolly barman what he’d have. “Gotta be Abbeydale, hasn’t it ? “. He was right, of course (NBSS 3.5 for the Moonshine). Some folk like barpersons to keep conversation to the formalities, I like advice, unless it’s a Sam Smiths pub when no decisions are necessary.
A proper pub, perhaps a bit modern for the purist, but clearly with a decent lunchtime drinking trade (all Tetley incidentally). And no spitting.
retiredmartin 
At 2.9%, that’s either Tetley Mild or a mistake!
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Even Tetley Mild is 3.2% IIRC?
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Presume a mistake, though can’t work out how. I never look at the chalk board when the pumps are in front of me…
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I’ve never visited the scenic splendours of Farsley but some beer related points spring to mind.
Crucially the blackboard seems to bear little relation to the beers available, including your choice of Moonshine.
And I spluttered into my morning caffeine on seeing the one great Tetley (never Tetley’s) reduced to near beer strength. I thought it was still around 3.6, or is this an example of Farsley humour?
If 2.9 is correct, £3.10 a pint is pretty much a rip off.
Going for a lie down…..
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You go for a lie down.
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I know you have previously mentioned it, but what map publication do you use?
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Looks like the Philips Navigator atlas to me. The one I’ve got suffers from not being spiral bound, and thus being awkward to use in the car, but I see that newer editions are spiral bound.
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Thank you. It will be my next purchase.
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You can have my 2012 one free when you come across again. Assume it’ll cost a fortune to post.
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Spiral binding is the equivalent of handled jugs n my book.
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As Mudge says, it’s the Philip Navigator (Millennium edition). Recent editions aren’t any good for marking up, a first world problem of the highest order.
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I hope the 2017 version is up to par.
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It won’t be. Actually I have a second copy of 2000 painstakingly acquired by e-bay to mark up when my original falls to bits. This is the evidence of madness Mrs RM will surely cite against me.
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Is your 2012 version a dimpled mug?
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You’re banned.
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Sorry, handled mug.
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Still banned.
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Why not? Excessively shiny paper?
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Yes, paper changed a decade or so ago.
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Thank you for your offer. Before I saw it and the handled jug comment, I ordered the spiraled version of 2017. I hope it doesn’t suck.
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Oops. Forgot I was banned!!!
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If I knew how to ban folk (or why I banned you) you would be !
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I’m not sure whether there is an administrative way to ban commentators on WordPress, I can’t see one on Blogspot. In any case, I’m sure it would be possible to get round any ban. The only truly method of banning is surely death.
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Thanks, Tom, very helpful indeed.
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I’ve heard of Farsley, but only because it’s where Ray Illingworth lives,
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I disagree. always keep grudges. For example, I still hate ‘world’s best referee’ Mark Clattenburg for sending Ian Ashbee off against Scunthorpe at Fer Ark. I always will hate him. He could give us 9 penalties. remove Wenger from the touchline the grounds that he is an arse and disallow a Robin van Persie 93 minute winner on Saturday and it wouldn’t change anything. It gives me great pleasure whenever we beat him.
I suspect that most people will not actually have heard of the West Yorkshire town of Pudsey and will only know of the bloke. quite possibly a paedophile, in a bear suit.
Did the bloke with the big gravestone crash his bus or get murdered by his speccy?
NB. For legal reasons, I must point out that I have no evidence to suggest that Pudsey the Bear is a paedophile.
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For legal reasons, I must point out that Pudsey the Bear is not a real bear.
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Wasn’t Ray Illingworth born in Pudsey? Len Hutton too, I believe.*
* Note for our American readers; the above two Yokshiremen are former England cricket captains.
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Who doesn’t know those two! We get all of Tom’s references😀
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I had you and Dick down as Tavare fans.
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I would be lost without google. Someday I will understand cricket. I am still working on the obstruction rule in football, and I coached high football(soccer) for a few years!
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I’d be interested in Tom’s view on obstruction. Personally, even if it’s my own team standing arms oustretched stopping an attacker getting to the ball, I shout “obstruction”. Drives me mad. Play the ball or get out the way.
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Tavare… Another shot over my head.
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Tavaré never played a shot that went above *anyone’s* head!
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Partnered Boycott, who looked rapid by comparison. Once scored 29 runs in 29 overs in a morning session. Probably my favourite sportsman. Legendary moustache.
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“29 runs in 29 overs in a morning session.” If only I had any idea what that meant. I do know that it is cricket, not football.
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I did all pubs in Farsley on the 20th June 2015 and i thought the town looked quite upmarket with quaint shops and some decent pubs,the tower block also looks quite nice,it seems a lot posher that the town i live in anyway.
I did Stanningley on the same day and that is a lot more down to earth,i did Pudsey on a separate pub crawl the same year,there were some good areas with real ale and the middle was almost devoid of real ale.a another more down to earth town.
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Where do you live Alan ? I don’t think anywhere in England is that bad (apart from Maidenhead).
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We live in Stapleford,
a small town that is within the Nottingham conurbation,it is in the borough of Broxtowe the second most densely populated area outside the City of Nottingham.
A single road running through the town that used to be an A road years ago,loads of takeaways and a lot of closed pubs,lots of terraced housing and some really rough estates,though there is a decent estate.
It is far too close to Nottingham to have the shops we really want.
The house prices are probably some of the lowest in the country apart from Middlesbrough.
Milton Keynes would be the worst place to live probably anywhere in the UK.
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In surveys, Milton Keynes regularly proves a very popular place to live amongst its residents. Maybe because it’s actually designed for people rather than being some top-down planners’ vision.
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Yes, people want shops and chain restaurants, and MK gives them loads of them.
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Don’t be offended Alan, but I really don’t think Stapleford is that bad. It’s got parks, takeaways, and a really top pub in the Horse & Jockey. What more could you want ?
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Not offended at all,
I know we have some on the best bus services in the country and we are happy living here being minutes walk from loads of takeaways and pubs that are still open,though we rarely use takeaways.
I like living here,i just compare it to other areas of the country i visit and think they look better,maybe the grass is greener and all that.
I will never go to Milton Keynes for a drink i had reports from my brother who said it is like going to a town in america.
I do not follow house prices but i know they are very low in our area,why is that!
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America is the greatest place in the world Alan. Now it’s been made great again.
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I am not going to be wound up by that comment Martin,
note the small a in my spelling which i always use for it.
This goes back a long way when Reagan said he would sacrifice Great Britain in the event of a war with Russia.
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Sorry Alan, I couldn’t resist it.
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RM, you beat at least two of us to that comment.
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Add it to the list of things Reagan did that we are still paying for and feeling the effects of…We had a president who lost his mind, now we have one who never had one.
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Alan, I have a deep down hatred of Milton Keynes, largely based on the theft of a proper football club apparently so some bloke could build a supermarket. At some point I will go for a pint there with an open mind to enjoy it for what it is. I suggest doing the same, the worst that can happen is you are proven right, the best is you are surprised and have a decent day. If you get half way through the day and think it really crap to the extent you aren’t enjoying it, have an afternoon in the villages or somewhere nearby like Northampton.
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I agree with you on the the theft of Wimbledon and the move from Plough Lane up to Milton Keynes and then taking the piss by renaming the club mk dons,Wimbledons old nick name.
I am sure i would rather have an afternoon watching paint dry than go to Milton Keynes to pick up a few chain pubs with lots of walking.
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Dear Martin,
The Fleece, Farsley is in the GBG under ‘L’ for Leeds because that is where it is!
I am sure if you spoke with the locals they would confirm that they are wholly within the Leeds Metropolitan area, and indeed within the city boundaries. Clearly they are inside the ring road and would say, undoubtedly, they were part of Leeds. Lets face it, their only other option would be to become part of Bratfut, innit. And they wouldn’t want that.
Point of order on a previous comment, it is Tetleys, always has been, but won’t be anymore because the sh1te they turn out in a beer factory somewhere down south is not Tetleys at all. Tetleys – as in ‘Can I have three pints of Tetleys, please.
Yours sincerely,
A Leeds resident (Yes, we live in the Leeds Metropolitan area!)
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Fervently argued Richard, which I admire. Something best discussed further over a pint of OBB I think. The point is, as often, consistency. A few years ago it would have been F for Farsley, as the Abbey Inn was shown under N for Newlay, which is a tiny bit of Horsforth.
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Probably equally Bramley (LS13) and Horsforth (LS18), but I won’t split hairs. It’s a bit like London Boroughs, distinct places, yet all within the same city.
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Nice bit of detail, we like that here.
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