More constant Cravens for you, as I make a rare trip to Silsden, which feels like all the best bits of Skipton with the pashminas and micropubs taken out.
By “good bits” I mean cobbled streets like this one.
If you think you’ve heard of Silsden it’s probably because of this record breaker.
Sadly for Vincent Throup, an onion grower from Newark has since taken his record. It’s always Newark, isn’t it ?
For years Silsden has meant the Kings Arms, but now it’s the Counting House.
There’s a party atmosphere as Leeds fans celebrate their win at Derby in the Play-offs and now certain promotion to the Prem.
I’d guess half of the sales are Moretti (wot no Pravha ?), the ads were all for craft gin, and I reckon my Abbeydale was the only cask poured while I was there.
But it was just about GBG quality (NBSS 3), and I’d rather have a vibrant bar for all ages and cask at the margin than a grim ale house with high tables.
Look at the proper seating. DON’T look at the lampshades.
“Very South-east London craft bar” I wrote.
Of course, they were playing the Stereophonics, whose debut LP has finally made it across the Severn Bridge now the toll has been scrapped.
The children being towed around by football Dads looked a bit bored, despite the reading material in the Gents.
A Gents to savour, as it were.
And lest we forget…
retiredmartin 
No, it is not proper to place tables diagonally to the walls. Also wasteful of space.
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– but they’re in line with the parquet flooring.
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Weren’t the Numskulls in The Beezer? I’m sure they had a story where they asked for more hops and poky bars.
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Another pub, another bewildering array of beers I’ve never heard of, probably never will (Abbeydale excluded). Reading your blog reinforces my own long-standing belief that the novelty beer trend is eating itself. What the hell is wrong with having a few recognisable brands in a GBG pub? What is it that CAMRA members so dislike about familiar beers?
Bus stop could be a bit closer…
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“Why would you want familiar names when you can have exciting beers from all over the country”
I was told.
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Diversity! 🙂
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“By “good bits” I mean cobbled streets like this one.”
That looks more like Garbage Alley than Cobbled Streets.
“Winners”
My wife has ones similar to those. It’s enough to make one cry.
“Loads of signs to take in here”
And, just like a real bank, they ask you to keep it down. 🙂
“Looks like a Reading shirt”
If it was red and white instead of blue and white it might be Waldo.
“the ads were all for craft gin”
Craft gin? Blimey. That’s about on par with craft vodka (i.e. they all taste the same).
“DON’T look at the lampshades.”
My eyes!
“Name the comic”
Judging by the top middle page… Pop, Dick and Harry?
“A Gents to savour, as it were.”
That’s a nasty tan on her backside.
Cheers
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Craft gin is made by a bearded couple in a shed in Cheshire.
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I quite liked it there, it’s obviously doing well as was busy at 4 on my visit. All the beers are from Yorkshire apart from Hop Stomper which is Wadworth’s and were familiar (to you as much as me I suspect naughty RM). Admire your eye for things of interest that weren’t immediately apparent to me.
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Busy is good. I’m intrigued by beer selection choices in these sort of modern bars.
Wadworths seasonal suits neither the 6X traditionalist or the Coldwell crafty.
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Agree- fell between two stools and there are much better examples of that style of beer. Most of these types of bar do source (relatively) locally, which I would have thought had to be part of their appeal.
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I agree with Pubmeister – some naughtiness here. For starters comparing Silsden with Skipton is like comparing chalk and apples. Yes, Wadsworth’s (and any other traditional brewers) seasonal ales or modern styles are unnecessary. They don’t hit the spot for anyone. I think Roger P’s excellent article hits the nail on the head. So what beers that everyone has heard of would you like to see? Ilkley, Saltaire, Bingley, Bridgehouse, Copper Dragon, Timothy Taylors? All ‘Locales’. Or are you referring to the bland mass produced Midlands beers you seem to prefer. Last time I saw you, you were driving a decent modern Toyota car, in reality you should be doing these trips in an old Ford Cortina, whilst wearing Amber tinted glasses (medium strength filter, obvs.)!
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Naughty but nice.
In fairness I was saying Silsden had taken the best bits of Skipton and left the bits with gentlefolk and tourists up the road.
I agree with Roger.
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The suggestion that “any traditional brewers’ seasonal ales or modern styles are unnecessary” implies that you wish all long established brewers to eschew all change and wither on the bine.
Seasonal ales, such as Highgate Old Ale and the appropriately named Young’s Winter Warmer, proved very popular and can be as “necessary” to medium sized brewers as new beers every month or every week are to new small brewers.
Any truly “unnecessary” beers, those that “don’t hit the spot for anyone”, won’t sell and will soon be discontinued.
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I didn’t mean the traditional ones, which are often real gems. I meant the unnecessary, the novelty, the for the sake of it. Many new wave brewers pull them off, they’ve probably never had their own traditional style. The long established brewers should leave these alone.
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But older brewers don’t have a monopoly on “the unnecessary, the novelty, the for the sake of it”
Brewers old and new, large and small are forever bringing out new beers some of which work, some of which don’t.
I’m unlikely in a Wadworths pubs to choose the seasonal beer but others do and that’s up to them.
I don’t feel inclined to suggest to brewers what they “should” do, let alone “should leave alone”, anymore that I tell pub goers what they should drink. I don’t understand why most people in the pubs I use drink smoothflow or 4% national lagers but that’s their choice and I wouldn’t dismiss their chosen drink as “bland” or “boring” and risk being accused of being a beer snob.
.
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If I see Wadworths 6X or Stonehouse Bitter or Harvey’s or Bass out and about I’d assume the Landlord knew his beer.
If I saw the seasonal beer from one of those I’d assume t u e Landlord liked the pumpclip.
Harsh but….
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Well, yes, not just landlords but many customers too go by the attractiveness of the pumpclip.
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Disgraceful!
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Couldn’t agree more…a vibrant bar where cask is available is a much better bet than a beer bore bar
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