We were drinking at a moderate pace (by Mrs RM standards), and it was a quarter past one when we arrived at the Angel.
Last time here I was here 5 years ago I met Mrs RM after a Dzeko goal had seen off Crystal Palace at the Etihad. Where did it all go wrong for City ?
That day we enjoyed NBSS 4 White Lion beer, French onion soup and a pianist to liven a busy but civilised atmosphere.
How things change. Look at these ruffians from Minneapolis, Stafford, Stockport and Sowerby lowering the tone at the bar.
Being a Pub expert I’d already sat down ready for my half of something called a beer.
This one came from a range of what I’d call “reliable unfashionable smaller breweries” which I’m sure will upset someone. The half above (my only half of the day, a mistake) was NBSS 3.5. Again, temperature and condition ideal in Mancland.
This was midday on Wednesday 2 January, a little too quiet for some of us, but we had to make our own fun by constructing a drone out of Wilsons’s pump clips and elastic bands to take this aerial shot.
In years past, folk would entertain themselves discussing City’s defence or the future of CAMRA in a KeyKeg world.
Now they take photos of vinegar next to a perfectly good half (if that’s not an oxymoron) next to a sampler glass which has no place in society.
Cosy and homely, I thought. I’ll pop back and eat here on a match day.
I sat next to a lovely young man (i.e. born since England won the World Cup) called Tom who had a litany of demonic traits. Not only was he a rugby fan and wore a French shirt* but he didn’t like Plum Porter. I’d follow his Twitter and berate him if I were you.
I’ve saved the best ’till last.
The outside gents are a throwback to the days when we had the joy of a urinal under the stars, in this case reached via a jumble of art and tat.
And the best graffiti is nearly always found outside.
Time for the Hare Hounds. Or was it ?
*Tom has asked me to point out it was a Courage shirt, not a France jersey.
retiredmartin 
As you know Manchester, do you know a goal mouth at the Etihad where Burton can park a bus on Wednesday?
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Anyone who saw Wigan beat City last year will know what is possible with an inept referee. Presume the Brewers have sold their away allocation ?
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Sold our allocation…of course not. We had 11,000 at ManU for a FA Cup 3rd round replay and it looks like we’ll do well to take 4,000 to a EFL semi final. Shockingly poor support from the town these days.
We need Mike Dean to send off at least 3 City players.
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Etihad Stadium is an anagram of I Must Aid Death.
But TSM’s probably already done that?
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It’s also an anagram of “No Real Ale” if you translate to Arabic.
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“I’ll pop back and eat here” – I would NOT advise that.
The pub was a real disappointment compared to twenty years ago when it was the Beer house kept by Ian Casson who had moved there from Stafford’s Stafford Arms.
Apparently Ian was the Beer House’s last landlord who “left in disgust at the slagging off he received from the local CAMRA branch, whereupon the owning company sold it to a pub chain and it’s gone downhill ever since”.
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I hadn’t in fact been in here since it was the Beer House. I’d heard that it had for a while become something of a gastropub, but it certainly didn’t give that impression on this occasion, and in fact seemed a bit shabby and down-at-heel. And the access through the patio doors doesn’t convey a good impression.
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Martin & Mudgies,
It would seem I’ve been in more recently and this is, bar the outside loos (which to be fair are neither worse nor better than the previous men’s WC), the least shabby I’ve known it. The roof near the patio doors was caving in at one point, though there is a perfectly serviceable side door.
I too am yet to eat here, though I’ve heard nothing negative about the food.
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It works for me, unfussy and charming. Food used to be a high point.
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BP,
I don’t mind a pub being “shabby” but my food was terrible.
Three small overcooked chicken goujons in a none too fresh barm cake isn’t what I expect when ordering a chicken sandwich and £6 was too much for such a snack.
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Which World Cup, football or rugby?
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Its January and The Stafford Mudgie is still in his shirt sleeves.
Not quite sure about the Angel, didn’t quite live up to my expectations when I visited last October.
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Look, with six sausages for breakfast, who wouldn’t be?
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“and a pianist to liven a busy but civilised atmosphere.”
Did he come round to your table with his piano like those violinists do?
“Being a Pub expert I’d already sat down ready for my half of something called a beer.”
Is that because you’d been stuck with the bill for those bloody expensive pints in the Marble Arch? 😉
“but we had to make our own fun by constructing a drone out of Wilsons’s pump clips and elastic bands to take this aerial shot.”
And I’m guessing all of the beer mats were used as stabilising devices on the drone?
“It WASN’T vinegar at all”
I see what you did there (slow golf clap).
Oh, and that sampler glass looks more like a shot glass. Sure you weren’t doing boilermakers or some such?
“Your Proper fire”
Cosy indeed.
“Poetry”
Which means it gets a pass on grammar. 🙂
“*Tom has asked me to point out it was a Courage shirt, not a France jersey.”
You forgot to mention Nike. And these days, who can bloody tell any of these things apart? They’re starting to look like the side of a NASCAR motor. 😉
Cheers
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But can you be sure that Courage beers aren’t being brewed in France these days?
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Well, they won’t be after March 29th 😛
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