After the high of Roger Protz introducing Bad Kitty at Manchester Beer Festival, there’s nowhere else to go. Except Wigan.
30 minutes from Manchester Deansgate, and a few years ago it would have been 30 years back in time. But not these days. “Wigan is Really Great” as they probably say.
Now Duncan had set some hares running (not Monmore hares) when I casually mentioned I’d be finishing Greater Manchester at Bolton and Wigan.
“But I’ve already done Blundells ! You must have done it ?”
Now, you’ll know what Duncan’s record keeping is like, sheets of papyrus kept down his sock probably, but to be fair he gave me a fulsome description of a box-shaped micro with simple tables and typical micro beers. And again to be fair, that could be ANY Kent micro. With my old GBG copies long thrown out, I couldn’t be sure.
So, just like Jack in “Lost”, I had to go back.
And anyway, Wigan always looks stately on a chilly Friday evening.
It’s a ten minute walk from Wallgate station up to Blundells, unless you stop for two flat whites and two trips to the Gents at Spoons as I did. No pictures of urinals, though.
Wigan Lane is packed with former GBG Proper Pubs and takeaways, and I immediately recognise the Basmati where I’d popped in two years ago before heading to Blundell’s.
How could I have forgotten this one ? They’ve even got the apostrophe in the right place.
And a quick look to the left confirmed the earlier visit, as Wigan’s twin city loomed into view on the wall.
I stayed for a half of Prospect (probably, it always is) in a pleasant neighbourhood café setting.
Why didn’t I write it up two years ago ? Perhaps I did. Russ will know.
Anyway, now I’m home I’m going down the recycling centre to see if I can retrieve all those old Beer Guides and work out how many more current entries I’ve missed. About 877, I think.
You can’t afford too many wobbles when you’re a professional GBG ticker.
retiredmartin 
Can’t believe you threw out your old Guides! Shocking revelation (even worse conduct than pouring those beers from the wood into the same glass). They are vital back up to any papyrus based records system. Agree with you on the reliable quality of Prospect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m the KLF of pub ticking to your Van Morrison and Simon’s Mark E.Smith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cutting. More Mogwai than Van. Heard a John Peel quote on R6 the other day about The Fall “always the same, always different” which seems appropriate in our line of business.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll give you Mogwai. Though Van the Man was praise indeed, and you both began your careers in the mid-60s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe, but I never saw him playing pool down the Lamb!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And my Jethro Tull?
“Nowhere else to go?” What about Stockport? 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
A pie on or in a barm – when can we expect that on Tim’s extensive menu ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it’s available for ordering “off-menu” in the Moon Under Water in central Wigan.
LikeLike
Spoons do have regional menu variations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the Welsh dishes, for instance, are some of their best. And you can get haggis, neeps & tatties all year round in Corby.
LikeLike
“Haggis, neeps & tatties” was the “Manager’s Special” – or rather food nearing its ‘use by’ date in the venue’s ‘kitchen’ – in Tim’s Lichfield venue at 9.40am yesterday.
I just had a pint of Pedigree which was the one in the line overnight so everyone else after me would have done better.
Then I had just about my best Doom Bar ever in the Crown next door.
Then the Brewhouse and Kitchen opened at 11am.
Then the Holdens Mild in the Horse and Jockey was as good as I might expect in the Great Western – and other beers on included Golden Glow, Pedigree, Landlord, and HPA.
The Whippet and Bitter Suite are closed on Tuesdays but that didn’t seem to matter.
LikeLike
There are worse things to have on your headstone than “Had the first Pedigree so people after him would get a better pint”, though staff pulling the beer through would be preferable. I really need to see if we can’t find you a Doom Bar as good as the ones I’ve had in 3 pubs in the last year.
LikeLike
“Had the first Pedigree so people after him would get a better pint” and then held the door of the Crown open so a customer could drive in on his mobility scooter – so that’s TWO good deeds for the day, and both by 10.30am.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A pie on a barm in a barn – what more could you want?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gisele Bundchen in the nip pulling me a pint of foaming ale would’t go amiss.
LikeLike
Blundell’s toilets always confused me. Two cubicles side-by-side you would think they are unisex but a closed look on the “big cats” signs on the doors shows they are male and female.
Unless desperate or quiet, or you make an easy mistake.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But does it matter ?
LikeLike
I don’t know, I’ve only visited to loos once and on both occasions there was no queue when I made the “mistake” the first time. Plus obviously no one is really that precious about loo usage especially after I’ve been on as I leave them better than I find them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
BP,
A couple of years ago I was the first customer in a proper town pub twelve miles east of me and on reaching the toilets right at the back I found the Gents locked and, with my wonky knee at its worst and not wanting to trek all the way to the barmaid behind the four Bass pumpclips and back again, used the Ladies instead.
I don’t think that mattered.
LikeLike