Harrogate cost me about £9 to get to, and it wasn’t worth it.
In fact the “pubs” were so dull I nearly skipped them completely, except for 3 reasons;
- US “Dave” Southworth will ask me about Harrogate in about 4 months time, and I’ll want to refer him back here,
- Something odd happened involving bar etiquette,
- And it gives me a chance to highlight BRAPA’s wonderful post from January, which contains this all-time classic shot of the Prosecco Express
You’ll understand I was keen on getting back to meet BRAPA in York, as stuff was bound to happen wherever he graced with his presence.
So I gave myself 44 minutes to leave Harrogate Station, pop my head in the Tap and use their superior loos, get two ticks AND some snacks including the word “artisan”.
Even with the slouchiest teenagers in Yorkshire slowing my exit, all that walking only took 12 minutes.
It’s a remarkably compact town. And while some cities have seen the centres become virtual GBG-free zones (Nottingham, Cambridge for two), there’s a good dozen current or recent Guide pubs within 10 minutes walk of Bettys, the spiritual heart of town.
Simon is probably paid by York CAMRA to disparage Harrogate, and he certainly earns his money.
Dick and Dave may be surprised to hear that I’ve given FIVE (5) of the town pubs my coveted Gold star, and four of them were the newer bars. Beer quality has been high here over many Guides.
Things took a turn for the worse in North Bar.
Two more glass fronted shop conversions with big beer boards.
It can work.
And I love North Bar Leeds, even if it’s unfashionable to say that.
It was very welcoming, even to smaller people.
Sadly, the beer looked rubbish.
Not vinegar, just what I politely called “end of the barrel” when I finally decided to take the Atom back, and wished I’d had the session beer;
Well, the response was perfect. Apology, replacement without quibble, and a minute later the barman brought me over the pricedifference between the Atom and the house Pale. It was quite a few shillings, too.
Mudgie saw this in the Alexandra in Rugby last month, but it’s still worthy of note.
Suddenly, my spirits lifted, the bar filled up, the Pale scored a sherberty 3.5, I started to wish I took dull beer back more often (I won’t. Plants need watering).
Two minutes later I was in the Starling Independent Bar Café Kitchen, which has an outside chance of being recognised as the GBG entry with the longest name in the Guide if the Five Miles from Anywhere (No Hurry) drops out.
BRAPA was right about this one. Beardy pizza eaters.
Yes, Beardy Pizza Eaters were just one of the weird Indy bands being played; if I’d come for a flat black I’d have enjoyed it.
Indecisive youngsters cluttered the bar, bemused by the process of buying a beer at the pizza. I’ve seen James achieve this in Sheffield, so University has some purpose.
The Gents was out of order, the Brass Castle was a shadow of its true self (NBSS 2.5/3), but I nobly drank it.
Not BAD, but I’ll not be going back. Not with Harrogate’s competition. But I’ll certainly be back in 2020, unless they get me first.
retiredmartin 
Betty’s is definitely NOT the spiritual heart of Harrogate, it’s just where all the poxy visitors go to get ripped off. Harrogate is a fine place with fine traditions. Dear reader, please do not listen to Martin who is being naughty again.
Sparrows is what it is, personally speaking, if I couldn’t get a seat downstairs i would be walking. Upstairs is soulless, like the cafe in BHS, and look what happened to them.
North bar is a different subject. They have taken their eye off the ball and are concentrating on brewing and the tap room(s). Not had a decent pint of cask on Upper Briggate for a good while, they never have Transmission on – what’s all that about? Actually i know, but it’s not for telling here.
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Goodness me readers, he’s being an argumentative Yorkies today, isn’t he?
Betty’s is York, just as the Wetherspoons Is Cambridge and Aberdeen Angus steak House IS London.
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I was amused to read on another discussion forum a reference to “Betty’s in Beverley, my most frequently Sam Smiths haunt” – as if one of Humphrey’s most proper pubs, the White Horse, can be confused with a tearoom in Harrogate or York popular with tourists.
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Betty was Nelly’s sister.
Easy mistake. Sure I’ve made it 🤔
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Thanks for the shout out!
Glad to hear your “taking the beer back” story had a happy ending. It must be tricky deciding when the line has been crossed– just how bad the beer has to be before returning it is the only option.
I kind of wish I could get my money back for every American-style excessively hoppy IPA I’ve ever had, but unfortunately they’re meant to taste that way. 😉
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It’s a mysterious judgement call, Mark. Is the replacement likely to be better, is the pub quiet and will a local at the bar make a hand gesture if I do?
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Mark,
Yes, it can be tricky deciding when the line has been crossed – just how bad the beer has to be before returning it is the only option – and the older I get the less inclined I am to return beer that’s past its best, or to ask for short measure to be topped up. Wrong, I know, but that’s how it is.
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Same here.
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Harrogate underwhelmed on our visit last year. We really should have spent more time in Leeds. We missed some there…
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The beer buffs know what they’re doing in in nearly fifty years NEVER having had an AGM weekend in Harrogate.
– and they don’t mind Yorkshire as it’ll be ten times there by 2121, Harrogate and Sheffield most often.
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York and Sheffield most often I guess
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Not quite ;
Sheffield – 1991, 2011, 2021
Scarborough – 1994, 2002, 2014
York – 1974, 2020
Bradford – 1982
Hull – 1987
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Bradford 😀
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Somebody once told me an AGM had also been held in Middlesbrough. Is this wrong?
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Possibly confused with Loughborough.
Mind you, if Warwick Uni is “Coventry” then Scarborough is “Middlesbrough” I guess 😉
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I think that Middlesbrough may have been a North Regional Meeting.
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Well I insist we find out.
Can someone start a thread on Discord?
I know it’s all micropubs now, but there’s some evidence that Mboro once had a proper pub.
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Middlesbrough’s not on my list
1972 Nuneaton
1973 London
1974 York
1975 Nottingham
1976 Brighton
1977 Blackpool
1978 Cardiff
1979 Keele
1980 Loughborough
1981 Durham
1982 Bradford
1983 Reading
1984 Edinburgh
1985 Southport
1986 Southampton
1987 Hull
1988 Birmingham
1989 Aberdeen
1990 Norwich
1991 Sheffield
1992 Bristol
1993 Salford
1994 Scarborough
1995 Wolverhampton
1996 Portsmouth
1997 Llandudno
1998 Edinburgh
1999 Hove
2000 Derby
2001 Newcastle
2002 Scarborough
2003 Exeter
2004 Southport
2005 Glasgow
2006 Blackpool
2007 Wolverhampton
2008 Cardiff
2009 Eastbourne
2010 Isle of Man
2011 Sheffield
2012 Torquay
2013 Norwich
2014 Scarborough
2015 Nottingham
2016 Liverpool
2017 Bournemouth
2018 “Coventry”
2019 Dundee
2020 York
There have also been two EGMs, 1978 in Manchester on air pressure dispense and 1985 in London on takeovers and closures.
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“Harrogate cost me about £9 to get to, and it wasn’t worth it.”
Ouch.
“Even with the slouchiest teenagers in Yorkshire slowing my exit,”
I know it’s an age thing but I find myself being slowed by people all over the bloody place.
“Things took a turn for the worse in North Bar.”
Worse than slouchy teens?
“Makes a change from high tables”
Did a nearby daycare go bankrupt?
“You can tell, can’t you ?”
Good lord. Is it trying to be a black and tan without the black?
“and wished I’d had the session beer”
Oh, that’s definitely a beer for a single session. 🙂
“the Pale scored a sherberty 3.5,”
Um, sherbety. 😉
“Shadowy figures”
Is that a painting or are you dabbling in your filtering again?
“Beardy pizza eaters.”
But of course. If they were wearing toques they’d be brewers. 🙂
“Yes, Beardy Pizza Eaters were just one of the weird Indy bands being played”
Ah. My mistake.
“if I’d comed for a flat black I’d have enjoyed it.
Comed?
“Downstairs”
I was expecting something akin to Downton Abbey.
“The Gents was out of order,”
Ahem… water the plants? 😉
“No plant pots were harmed…”
Sigh.
Cheers
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Very expensive, no atmosphere, bad beer… All good reasons to stay away.
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Knew you think that about Starlings. My visit was at lunchtime and it was basically a cafe with a few people drinking beer too, which is ok if that’s your thing and the beer is served in good condition. North was a bit underwhelming. When Richard refers to Sparrows, is that a smaller sister pub of Starlings? 😉 though I am all for the spread of bars named after birds.
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I think we went to Sparrows on a Proper Day Out in Bradford just over a year ago.
“I am all for the spread of bars named after birds” and it’s nothing new. I’ve known Eagles, Golden Eagles and Spread Eagles for about 45 years.
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Thought of the Bradford one! Also numerous Doves, Sparrowhawk (Burnley), Heron (Peterborough) etc etc
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And our friends in Burton are continuing the tradition with their new build pubs
The Sand Martin, Cardiff
The Greenfinch, Didsbury
The Starling Cloud, Aberystwyth
to name but three.
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Great to see a pub change cask no quibble…well worth a mention 👍 what is it with f*****” pizza? People actually ask me if I will go to a pub because the pizza is good!!! Bollox if I want a pizza I’ll go to Frankie and Benny’s not a pub
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Nothing gets you as angry as pizza!
Yes, pub menus all look the same, don’t they. Bring back quail quiche and parsnip rosti like in the olden days.
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My wife and daughter like pizzas so sometimes they’ll have one in the converted NatWest Bank in Market Square while I have a proper meal and couple of pints in the Market Vaults not many yards away.
It wouldn’t do for us all to be the same.
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The Knead chain of pubs (Prince Rupert in Newark plus pubs in Oakham and Stamford) do the best pizzas and Bass memorabilia.
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Absolutely I’d love some upmarket gastro food as an antidote 😄
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