13 minutes from Victoria to the Victorian.
I’d been looking forward to a first proper look at Rochdale in a decade (or two), as it gives me the chance to wheel out these amazing FACTS about the town.
- 99.7% of Southerners couldn’t place Rochdale on a map (given a 300 mile tolerance).
- 82% believe Lisa Stansfield is STILL the MP there.
- Most astonishing of all, there are more keg Sam Smiths pubs than Greggs outlets.
It’s a town on the rise.
Some great art on the half mile walk from the station (metro available for the wealthy), to distract you from the sense this is a town built entirely of taxis and closed pubs.
I didn’t recognise the place till I reached the lovely Spoons.
The Moon is one of a trio of sterling central GBG pubs that have defined Dale for me in my little mind.
Shamefully, I’d forgotten the river,
underwear and briefcase market,
and stunning civic architecture.
OK, it won’t be replacing Preston or Stockport at the head of my table of “Places to retire to” but it’s certainly edged ahead of Walsall, which is nowt to be sniffed at.
The Guide newbie looks a corker.
This is the homebrew craft place, Rochdale’s Remedy if you like, and it’s opulent and calm.
I’m greeted by the sounds of the Christians, who are slowly bringing Northern pub playlists into that difficult year of 1987.
The cheery barmaid notes my admiration for the Tap.
“Are yer up here visiting someone?”
Southerners get asked this a lot.
“Yes, your pub“. It’s the truth, but I don’t think she believed me.
I go for the scary beer.
Well presented, tasty, a bit homebrew but an enjoyable 3.5.
Oddly I’ve brought you a pic out of the window rather than the beer.
I decide to walk the steps to the church and wander back.
But then I saw this…
My first big mistake.
tbc.
retiredmartin 
That THE REGAL MON sign is as if Tim has renamed THE KING somewhere in the Black country.
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“Future micro” or possibly future BRAPA towers….
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Your Northern Victorian could be trusted to build a town hall
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At first I thought you were making a joke, putting in a photo of the local post office! Were there any remnants of the earlier postal days inside the pub?
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(p.s. Loved your reference to “that difficult year of 1987”!)
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I thought you might sympathise, Mark. Up to 1987 I was still buying definably pop records. Deacon Blue, Proclaimers, China Crisis etc. 1988 was the year Stock Aitken and Waterman took over. But don’t tell Simon I criticised Kylie!
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Some post boxes, but it’s more noticeable from outside. Wetherspoons leave more clues to origin when they convert Post Offices.
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“13 minutes from Victoria to the Victorian.”
Using a Tardis? 😉
“Rochdale station”
That couple on the right looks a bit like me mum and dad from the early 50’s.
“Modern street art”
That is eerily similar to the opening bit of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. 🙂
“this is a town built entirely of taxis and closed pubs.”
Oooh. A bit like the chicken and the egg. Which came first? The taxis going round looking for an open pub, or the pubs closing resulting in the taxis being taken to look for a pub that’s open?
“Rare shot without smoker and mobs outside”
Or mobility scooter!
(unless ‘mobs’ is Brit slang for that?)
“underwear and briefcase market,”
Again, I’m reminded of Monty Python. Mr. Gumby would, of course, place the underwear on his head and then punch holes in the briefcase to use as… briefs. 🙂
“Future micro”
I don’t think you’ve quite got the hang of the word ‘micro’.
“Ooh, shiny”
Blimey!
“Oddly I’ve brought you a pic out of the window rather than the beer.”
Obviously the beer went straight to your head.
“My first big mistake.”
For the day; or your life? 🙂
Cheers!
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How we’ve missed you Russ. Do you have a lot more trips back to do ?
“Mobs” is indeed my official short-cut for scooter ?
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Thx. Good to be ‘home’ (both at home and back on the blogs). 🙂
I have to go back for sure next year when the estate winds up but I’m hoping I can do most of what’s left from home. Ran around like a madman for two weeks in order to set it up that way.
Mind you, it’s still a bit hectic some days even from home. 😉
Cheers
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Have the black country mafia not trolled you yet about Rochdale being better than Walsall?
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I can’t make a definitive judgement as haven’t been in enough Rochdale curry house !
There’s a definite similarity in the church, pubs, civic architecture and industrial history. Saddlers better of course.
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Walsall losing out to the mighty Rochdale? We can’t beat any 2nd rate town at the moment.
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To be fair, curry is superb in Walsall. Needs some new life in pubs though.
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It does…
We have just had a Peaky Blinders theme pub (re) open though…
Our future seems to be desi pubs, a couple opened this summer. Unfortunately beer isn’t the priority although one of them does do keg Bass, which I quite enjoyed.
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They’d only need one handpump to match the West Brom in Vine, one of my favourites.
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