I had a 16.30 train from Huddersfield to Piccadilly to catch. My other Guide entry opened at 16.00 and Google Maps said it would take 13 minutes to walk, plus a couple to get through the inevitable ticket barrier hold-up.
Which meant I’d got a maximum of 15 minutes at the Magic Rock Tap, a place you’re never going to have a half.
As dusk fell St Georges Square comes into its own, even if you’ve no time to visit the pubs.
Due to the obstruction of the “Hygge Tipi Tent” I wasted a minute getting the best angle of Mr Wilson, Huddersfield and England World Cup winning legend.
And another minute getting the Bass barrel shot at the wonderful Sportsman. Quite how I managed to walk past the Sportsman twice without popping in a matter of some shame; it’s a Top 100 pub.
But, quicker than you can say “Raheem Sterling” I’d crossed the Birkby customs point, and reached the industrial estate that has become a site of pilgrimage for folk who write too much about beer. On time for the 4pm opening.
As is now customary, there were already a couple of blokes at the bar.
Clearly there’s a secret tunnel from Leeds or Hebden. Either that or they opened early. Or Huddersfield operates in a different time zone.
Anyway, it really is impressive, feeling more like a cheaper Yorkshire cousin to Manchester’s Beermoth than a beer warehouse. A classy operation with food trucks and events, it even had beer mats (albeit on high tables).
With Mrs RM safely landed north of the border, I didn’t have to order the strongest beer and went for Ringmaster.
Thoroughly pulled through (hurrah !) it was cool, full-bodied and gorgeous (NBSS 4). It was, however, priced at only £2.70, which I know some of you will feel a disgrace. OK, it’s at their tap but I don’t notice beer notably cheaper at other brewery bars.
Not much banter to be honest, but a soundtrack stuck in 1989 made up for it.
It was 4.17pm, with Tap filling up nicely (do these people work ?) when I realised I’d better leg it, even though “I Am the Resurrection” had just started, and you’ll know the last four minutes of that are Quite Good.
I shouldn’t run at my age.
retiredmartin 
I’m not with you.
Do some people think £2.70 for a pint is disgracefully expensive ?
I haven’t had a pint under three quid in 10 years.
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There is a view on the beer blogging circuit that cask is outrageously underpriced and need to be at least £4 a pint (a tenner in That London) to recognise its cultural significance and difficulty in keeping etc etc.
Move to Lancashire Prof; you’ll struggle to spend £3 on a good pint in Wigan or St Helens and the pies are better.
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I don’t even live over there and I think £2.70 is just right. 🙂
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“Sadly not installed in my mancave at home”
I take it your man cave has a rather high ceiling. 🙂
Cheers
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What a place! I am the resurrection as a soundtrack? Cheap good quality beer! Great glassware both full and empty and a statue of Ray Wilson to boot ⚽👍 actually really nice to see a wcw honoured like that
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Good old Ray. Do you remember when the BBC got Jock Wilson and Jackie Wilson mixed up on Top of the Pops ?
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Yes highly amusing! Kevin Rowland looking all earnest with pictures of big Jocky in the background!!!
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It may go against your expectations, but I quite like the first Stone Roses album.
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Not at all! Some good blues funky guitar work on it
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I know you can recognise an exercise in rock classicism. “Fools Gold” 122 for me every time though.
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I often post sarcastic and sometimes tongue in cheek posts on here. However, a serious issue has arisen, which, I believe, requires rapid clarification.
Although I have yet to see the ‘Pub Tickers’ rules and regulations written down, surely it is not in order to allocate a miserly 15 minutes to a premises of the quality of magic Rock Tap Room? Such a place requires at least an hour, possibly two, in which to savour it’s unique atmosphere and outstanding cask and keg ales, including those from other brewers. On this basis I would contend that these premises have not been ‘properly ticked’ and as such any annotation in Martin’s GBG should be erased until a visit of a sufficiently extended period has been completed.
Yes, 15 minutes might be acceptable, and count as being ‘ticked’, for a dour, empty boozer, devoid of any atmosphere and serving stale beer (pub shut Sunday evening until Weds teatime) from a ‘so called’ regional independent that is probably brewed in a large shed somewhere in the west midlands, just with a picture of a cheery small town brewery facade on the pump clip to make unwitting punters think it is their local brew.
However, a measly quarter of an hour is insufficient to appreciate or comment on this temple of modern brewing, which is frequented by knowledgeable Huddersfield punters between 18 and 80 years of age on a regular basis, six times a week.
I therefore believe Martin has failed in his quest on this occasion, thus letting down his loyal followers and I call upon him to implement some process whereby quality counts more than mediocrity.
To put it into words that Martin may understand; stop waxing lyrical and at length about teams like Histon and Cambridge United then glossing quickly over Man City and the Champions League!
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“Google Maps said it would take 13 minutes to walk” Time to soup up the mobility scooter then.
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