Just back from the End of the Road, where Mrs RM has kept Beavertown in profit for the year, and youngest son Matt found a band he liked in the last hour of the festival.
You’ll want to see my route back, dropping Mrs RM in Chippenham, a publess town, and only exceeding 60mph as I passed M********d.
Back at Taylor Towers to find the new GBG on the mat a weeks worth of unwashed dishes, and a similar number of posts to write to catch up/
I also note BRAPA has been beating me to some GBG ticks and local pre-emptives Peterborough !) recently, which shows there’s no code of conduct amongst bloggers.
Although Si’s actual ticking in August is positively lightweight, the Blackpool posts were legendary. Hopefully Matthew will be able to step into Si’s shoes if our hero is ever tracked down by Angry Babe*.
Here’s Si warning me about the recent subsidence in our greatest seaside resort.
My last Lancashire GBG tick was in Blackpool, and I’d booked a nice £30 room at Oban House**, no sea view but expertly run by Angelo.
As my review says, ten minutes into town. Ten minutes to remind yourself why Blackpool is to Nice what Birmingham is to Venice. Far superior in every way.
And I’m not joking.
It was looking lovely in our endless Summer, even if the hen party count was a little below Douglas. Bar 19 is my last tick, an unusual cask outlet to match the best the Manx capital can offer.
In duller CAMRA branches you get brewery taps, Ember Inns and cheerless micro pubs as your new entries. Although it’s small, the only thing Bar 19 has in common with a micro is that they both have ceilings, though the upstairs toilet floor seemed to be creaking as I surveyed what appears to be a specialist ice cream machine, so that ceiling may be a temporary attraction.
CAMRA Pub of the Year 2018, offering cask for £2 and those SPBW approved Yager bombs for £1.50. Great campaigning, Fylde folk.
It’s a fun pub, booming music flashing lights, Old Codgers dancing to Scoot classics from 1995, beer prices from 1994. Open till 4am, pleasant at 7pm.
“You’re one of them Camera, are ya ? Got ya card ?” I had.
I gave her about £1.80 in coppers.
“You’ve given me FAR too much luv” I hadn’t.
I took my Lees easy-grip glass full of Bank Top over to a table with a view of the action.
What can I say ? The table was sticky, the beer was cool and chewy (NBSS 3.5), the music being played bore no relation to the videos on the TV, unless Destiny’s Child really did cover “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” before Beyoncé left.
The young people came over to admire my lacings.
And blocked my view of the toothless Old Boys at the bar.
Realising I didn’t fit the core demographics for Bar 19 (i.e. 19 or 69) I didn’t stay for a second pint, but I loved this place.
But the night wasn’t over. Oh no.
*Newer readers will wonder what this nonsense is all about. Tough.
**Other accommodation may be available on your own autumn visit.
retiredmartin 
Why does the “A” board say “Award winning ales every daytime till 8pm” ? Do they only serve keg thereafter ?
Can’t help thinking that they should be serving “Top Totty” in that establishment !
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The award is only valid while CAMRA members are awake, Fred.
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Dangerous place late in the evening is Blackpool, only when the customers start talking do you realise you’re in the transvestite chippy.
That looks like a cracking pub though.
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What do transvestite chips taste like. Asking for a “friend”.
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They have a slghtly more piquant sauce.
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I note that BRAPA didn’t approve of Bar 19.
I suppose that the chips will taste different depending on what dressing you put on them.
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Very good, Fred.
I only look at BRAPA pictures. Looked great on his blog.
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“I suppose that the chips will taste different depending on what dressing you put on them.”
(slow golf clap) 😊
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What is a Yager Bomb? Forgive me for knowing but shouldn’t it be Jager Bomb ( plus an umlaut or something ) Love it when they cant even spell their own products. Reminds me of a sign outside the Huntsman Tavern in Charlesworth offering Larger ( sic ) at £2.50 a pint.
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You ought to be careful,taking photos of young ladies backsides,you naughty man “.They were admiring my lacings Officer -honest ! “
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It’s normally the Old Boys who complain and threaten to beat you up outside !
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Have removed that one to avoid any unintentional offence.
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Surprised you didn’t remove the bay windows too !
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I’d have been carrying them around for the next ten hours 😱
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Spoilsport
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Pauline is the Official Arbiter of Good Taste on this blog. Hope Russ has missed it though.
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“Hope Russ has missed it though.”
I saw it and had to go for a lie down.
Kidding, I missed it. 🙂
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I’ve already forgotten what it was
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“and only exceeding 60mph as I passed M********d.”
That’s a funny way to spell Leeds. 🙂
“if our hero is ever tracked down by Angry Babe*.”
I can picture going through Facebook after Facebook profiles. 🙂
“no sea view but expertly run by Angelo.”
Is that some sort of dominoes track in the photo below?
“No Vanilla”
A fair reflection on the type of pub I’m guessing? 😉
“Yager bombs – unusual cask ale dispense method
And those aren’t micropub hours!
“Lacings”
They don’t look like they’re wearing stockings. 😉
“But the night wasn’t over. Oh no.”
Oh oh.
Cheers
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I once spent some happy years in Blackpool making a decent living concocting stories for the national newspapers.
My most cherished was persuading the owner of a tattoo parlour and his best customer to agree to a story that the former was so proud of his work that he had waived most of his fees on the understanding that when the latter died he could have his skin flayed and exhibited in the shop.
A full page photo spread in the Sunday People with that one.
I wracked my brains in the early days of video cameras until I persuaded an elderly local vicar that he hated his bishop brother’s sermons so much he had self-videoed a eulogy to be played at his own funeral so the congregation wouldn’t be bored by his brother.We split the Daily Mirror fee with his part going to church funds.
There were quite a few ” made my excuses and left ” stories on local massage parlours even though one Madam complained to the News of the Screws that while she didn’t mind being turned over she objected to the fact I hadn’t left quite as early as I reported.
The dodgiest was when I had to doorstep Babs Windsor’s rented house when she was appearing in panto at the height of her gangster husband Ronnie Knight’s infamy.
She opened the door sans blonde wig,invited me in for a cup of tea as she saw I was shaking with fear and gave me a nice interview saying off the record ” dahn’t you wurry luv,he’s dahn in the smoke taking care of a spot of business. ”
I loved Barbara Windsor from that day on.
I can’t go into the reason why Stuart Hall and I brawled over a woman or why a Bay City Roller gave me endless scoops for not reporting on his love affair with a married MP.
But I do know that I had more fun in Blackpool,with its endless cavalcade of spivs,chancers,nightclubs bouncers,minor celebrities and dangerous boozers than I’ve ever had anywhere else.
A fabulous drinking town too.
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Thanks Prof, you’ve made my day.
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What a place! Looks fantastic …great beer, great prices and a raucous atmosphere….great shout on Brum being better than Venice 😎
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Least Brum isn’t sinking #PoorlyBuiltCanals
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Exactly ….solid industrial revolution heartland’s 💪
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You took one for the team there.
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Mmmmmmm?
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