24th January 2020
I can sense reader US “retired” Dave shaking with rage after four craft beer bars in a row on this site (calm down Dave), so this next one is dedicated to him.
Friday. Manchester Beer Festival day. Would I go and drink daft DIPAs or have a few halves of sensible 3.6% bitters ? You never can tell.
Two things happened on the Northern rattler to Victoria. Apart from the WiFi not working, obviously.
My lad texted to say he’d meet for lunch. And reading Irish Sea Dave’s tweets from Ordsall (2 minutes from Matt’s flat) made be suddenly keen to visit a Proper Pub.
Dave, along with Quosh, is the king of the Lancashire estate pub, and you should always bump into him when you’re within half a mile of his latest flat roof conquest.
We arranged to meet in the Egerton Arms, your last Proper Salford Pub before entering Manchester.
A ten minute stroll along the west bank of the Irwell, punctuated with the odd stop to think “Wonder what’s in there ?”.
Holt Bitter on in the Rover’s Return, somehow appropriate, I thought.
The Egerton had a year of glory in the Guide a couple of years ago, possibly as a nod of approval for offering a guest beer. A Holt pub doesn’t need to offer a guest beer.
You don’t come to the Egerton for beer choice. You come for Pub.
United pics on the wall (fair enough, you’re in Salford), a Budweiser flag, ’80s pop, out-of-breath regulars. And a cool, creamy half (NBSS 3).
Dave turned up two minutes later, showed even less hesitation about ordering the Holt, and we settled down to compare notes on,well, everything,
I was bemused by why his beer had a creamier head than mine, but I didn’t dwell on it.
By this time Matt had made the tram trip from Didsbury to St Peters, and we met up at the Abercromby, which I’m starting to think is in my Top 5 Manchester pubs. Cosy, multi-roomed, students and Old Boys, a very good TT Landlord.
Shame Matt had to spoil it by asking for a Hop House 13. Sometimes I feel I’ve failed as a father.
retiredmartin 
All cities should have a Holts brewery. Mediocre beer, but great pubs.
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Ooh, controversial view there, Morten 😉
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Be interested if Dick or Dave tell us about a top pint of Holt they had.
Hare and Hounds, probably.
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Yes, a very good pint of Holt’s in the Hare and Hounds. We like Holt’s very much. I have been to Manchester twice and have not been to the Abercomby. Dave keeps teasing me with it, but wants it to himself.
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Oh yes, I remember that my reigning PubMan did that with her hubby on New Year’s Day last year. One of few pubs bothered to open. Immaculate allrounder.
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Holts Bitter was £3 in the newly refurbished Queens opposite Macclesfield railway station last Saturday – and from firkins not hogsheads there nowadays.
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Hare and Hounds hands down! Great pint there. I appreciate your throwing me a bone, but I am still singed by you awarding my wife the Pubman of the year award. Dick had to have surgery to soften the blow.
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Sadly the awards aren’t down to sentiment, they’re all scientifically calculated, Dave.
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It still hurts.
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Try harder this year.
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Please send the complex formula you use so we can set our goals and work harder.
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You must have had some positive influences on your offspring, they’ve both avoided that there London and headed oop North.
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They’re avoiding us
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You mean they were both headed for Maidenhead until Mrs. RM got employed there?
Nobody trying to avoid you would head for Manchester. They would just stay in Cambridge.
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My Salford pub vote goes to the Ashley Brook. Another Holt’s gem.
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I was there on my 54th birthday, stayed in Weaste, and can confirm your opinion.
https://retiredmartin.com/2018/12/31/get-the-ruby-in-first-eh-langworthy-legend/
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Love that second photo, the one where you can see the window through the Holts glass. Makes me wish I could somehow get my hands on one of those glasses though! Perhaps there’s a black market in these things…
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Send me some of your lovely American 🧀.
Actually, I bought an “American burger” because it promised Monterey Jack cheese yesterday but I didn’t even notice it. Is that the idea?
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“I was bemused by why his beer had a creamier head than mine” Perhaps Dave won the clean glass lottery.
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No, I suspect it’s to do with magic.
And the fact I’d been drinking mine five minutes longer.
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Stayed at the Egerton Arms 2 years ago whilst I did my annual week helping at the Manchester Winter Beer Festival (missed seeing you this year Martin). It’s a cracking traditional boozer and I love the sign that in the day the refurbished toilets were opened by I think Stan Ogden from Coronation Street.
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I’ll be honest, I nearly popped in just to say hello to you and the Tand after I got back from Marple, but it catches up with you, doesn’t it?
A very Corrie boozer, the Egerton. I’m waiting for Citra to tell me i shoulda had Citra.
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