A reminder of our itinerary for conquering the historic pubs of central Manchester.
There’d already been a swap between the LT and the H&H. Somehow, Joan, Dave, Luke and I never made it to the Lower Turk for the trad bitters.
Instead, we made a slight detour so Dave could see the joys of Swan Street. It’s a good job Mr Coldwell is in Malta at the moment.
After three pints, you do tend to have your head swayed by “Shiny, shiny” things like Mackie Mayor, even though you know no good can come of it.
“Just like America !” said Dave. Not necessarily as a compliment.
I love Mackie Mayor, just as I love This & That and the Holt pubs across the Irwell. You need to dip into all that Manchester has to offer on your trip, so well done to Joan and Dave for being so game.
At the Jack In The Box, I just asked for “one of each” from the four taps on the right. In 2019, that’s how PubMen will choose beer.
I got something Helles-ish and keggy, Joan came up Trumps with the grapefruit murk.
Then Luke, surprisingly brave for a Sowerby Bridger, went for the Xmas Chaos.
All seats taken, so there was keg, murk, sharing of halves AND vertical drinking.
But the beer was tasty. And entertaining. Dave probably took notes.
We tried to keep up with the Trad Group ahead at the H&H. But by now I was wandering. It’s good to wander. I might even have suggested we pop in here.
Instead, Dave pushed on towards the Café Beermoth, pausing only on the way through Arndale to admire the Shakespeare and snap some shots for use as future Twitter avatars.
Anyone ever been in the Shakespeare ?
retiredmartin 
Mackie Mayor was really well done. The next stop was even more like the US, and I preferred MM to it. I would have walked right past MM if you had not known it was there. The murk was a pretty good beer.
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“Somehow, Joan, Dave, Luke and I never made it to the Hare & Hounds for the Holts” – but that’s the Holts Bitter in the Hare and Hounds I described as “the highlight of my day” so we shall all have to return to Manchester soon and stick to the itinerary !
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Ah, but I also swerved the beer in the Lower Turk some described as disappointing, though the accommodation and pub itself are really good. Sticking to an itinerary – where’s the fun in that !
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My Lees MPA in the Lower Turks Head was fine. Maybe I shall try a bed next time.
Yes, indeed. if we had stuck to the itinerary we wouldn’t have got in the Grey Horse for that lovely Hydes Old Indie.
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If we had stuck to our itinerary we would have ended our day with a pint of Marston’s finest in the Bulls Head.
The Bulls head is just the job for a quarter hour between trains at Piccadilly.
And the Bulls Head would be great in one of those Yorkshire towns where there’s none of Humphrey’s proper OBB to be found.
But the Bulls Head doesn’t quite make the list of Manchester’s top dozen pubs.
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I believe we missed the Lower Turk’s Head which disappointed some of you. We were there for Hare and Hounds since we flipped the two pubs due to opening times. Hare and Hounds is a fave and I really liked the Holts Bitter. You can really taste the benefit of only have a couple beers on. The first night we went to the Hare and Hounds we saw at least nine pints of the bitter pulled. You could really taste the difference.
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Dave,
Yes, I remember you being in the Hare and Hounds because it was my round and it was one pint of Holts between you both, cutting the glass washing for the staff.
I think Manchester is unequalled as a pub town and I don’t know of anywhere with as many unspoilt friendly pubs – such as Hare and Hounds, Circus Tavern and Grey Horse – right in city centre.
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Joan, Dave and Luke certainly did make it to the Hare & Hounds. As the Lower Turk’s Head was closed at 11.30, we swapped it and the H&H round on the itinerary. The Lower Turk’s Head is a nice pub, but you didn’t miss much beer-wise – both Lees MPA and Young’s London Glory were rather tired and lacklustre.
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Good grief. They certainly packed it in. As I’ve said before, these B&P trips should have an official scribe (intern) to record the facts in case of future challenge 😉
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I wouldn’t dare suggest any resemblance to the constipated gnome at this point…
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…but moving swiftly on, to the broader areas of public life, there is a passing one to the recently-departed Paddy Ashdown. (No disrespect, Paddy, RIP)
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Relevance?
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It’s the blog quiz question, Wakey. Come on. You have a go eh?
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It’s a good job I’m in Malta! Although I was really disappointed I couldn’t make it on the 2nd (was still in UK but tied up with family things), when I took that Dave in similar styled bars in Leeds he just said – we can go in a bar like this every day of the week at home!
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Which is why he, his missus and his brother come to the UK to drink in proper pubs serving proper beers brewed in Wolverhampton, Burton-on-Trent, Stockport and Cheetham Hill 😀
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Strange the picture looks like a Modern Uk/Berlin/US crossover place then?
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Only the hand pulls give it away as England😀
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But I thought one was as likely to find handpumps in Italy as Scotland nowadays.
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Shakespeare – yes. As I remember, unmemorable. But I only went in for a comfort break and a swift one. It was that or Burger King!
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It’s actually harder to use the loos in Burger King these days (codes needed) and even McDonalds close their upstairs early. We need pubs !
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“so Dave could see the joys of Swan Street”
Hopefully not the same thing as the joys of the Reeperbaun. 😉
“NOT a Banksy”
Pfft. Of course not! That’s a song from AC/DC.*
*(dirty leeds and they’re done dirt cheap) 🙂
“View from the loos at Mackie Mayor”
Crikey. That could be the GBBF.
“And entertaining.”
Pretty sure that was down to the company. 🙂
“Anyone ever been in the Shakespeare ?”
I think there’s a law against that these days. Necro something or other.
Cheers
PS – I’m back! It’s been a busy three days (mostly on account of my better half – note to self; next life stay single!).
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Never been to the GBBF. Below a trip to the dentist on my list. Have you ?
We’ve missed you ! See my “Where’s Russ” comments on BRAPA. BeerMat in meltdown. Assumed you’d been eaten by a moose or whatever you do for fun.
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“Have you ?”
Nope. Know if from Michael Jackson’s Beer Hunter series.
“See my “Where’s Russ” comments on BRAPA. ”
LOL, saw that, and replied. 🙂
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Have you seen the original “Mary Poppins” ? The Shakespeare line has same effect as the wooden leg joke. Congratulations.
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“Congratulations.”
I’d forgotten that. But, even if I’d remembered, it wouldn’t have stopped me. 😉
(they do something similar over here when a woman is at a conference with a name tag on one side of her, um, chest, so some will respond with “what’s the other one called?”. 🙂
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