“like a gallon of Charnwood Vixen, and a night out in Loughborough” as the song made famous by LifeAfterFootball goes.
My eldest son James could have gone to Lough instead of Sheff, but they seemed a bit sport obsessed or something.
I reckoned Loughborough would make a good life for a student, or a 54 year old Bass fan, having stayed there a few times over the years.
The students staffing and enjoying coffee and cake in No.53 café were some of the friendliest I’ve met (if only they knew what lies ahead), and the art deserves a pic.
I followed True Lovers Walk, the sort of thing Richard Hawley eulogises Sheffield, into town.
The 798 year old Fair was on, though to be fair some of the burger and donuts weren’t that old.
On the upside, the pubs should be busy. On the downside, children on the street limit photographic potential.
Sadly, GBG newbie the Blacksmiths hasn’t quite made it to Autumn.
So that left the Wheeltapper,
I was wondering why I hadn’t taken a photo of the heritage exterior, but here’s the one from WhatPub.
“Modern, industrial style bar” it says.
Perhaps, though the memorabilia is rather more ancient.
The beer range was modern enough to attract one other customer, an Old Boy with a hacking cough. No funfair bonanza then, though a modern Dad had just brought his lad in to use the loo.
But North Riding with its distinctive pump clip can save any day.
It was crisp and foamy, with one of those heads on the beer I know you love (NBSS 3/3.5).
Music from Blur and this one, which sounds like the sort of thing Old Mudgie would like.
No pub cat, but a toy pub cat is infinitely less divisive.
No, I didn’t have a candy floss.
I really wouldn’t like to say, but if pushed, I’d wager that maybe “Loughborough” attracts a wider variety of pronunciation from American tourists than any other English town.
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I think we get most of them wrong equally:)
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It’s “Luff-burruh”, Dave.
But YOU knew that!
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“The 798 year old Fair was on” and if it’s lasted that long it can’t be all bad – but this lunchtime a so called “Victorian Christmas Market” greatly delayed me while driving through Penkridge and it prompted me to take the back route along Filance Lane where I realised that I would be best resting for a while with a pint of Banks’s Original in the Cross Keys.
“All your seaside favourites” except that they should have had Matlock Bath rather than Buxton for the seaside in the Peak District.
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Indeed, Paul.
I’m trying to think of another inland town, which so closely resembles a seaside one.
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The Blacksmiths was on the circuit back then, as was the Tap & Spile (remember them?) and one of the very first Tynemill pubs (remember them?). All I can say is the outside tiled loveliness belies a savagely opened-out single bar townie ho-hummery inside.
The Wheeltapper was on the modern-day circuit until sadly they stopped opening midweek afternoons…
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Wheeltapper painfully quiet for Saturday afternoon.
I fondly remember Tap & Spile. Still a few survivors in Durham.
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The Blacksmiths was shut last time I was in Loughborough…is it in GBG?? That song resonates in the amber rooms most Fridays!
I’ve been to the wheeltapper too! Pretty empty when I went with keen owners, decent beer and no beermats
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It’s new to GBG but was already closed when Duncan visited a month ago. Curse of the Guide.
Lack of custom not entirely down to me, then!
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Not on this occasion even though I forewarned them!!!
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“Modern industrial style bar”.
Thank god for beer.
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