13th February 2020
My penultimate Cheshire GBG tick, leaving the very best ’till last (says reader Lady K Walker).
People who read this blog, rather than just looking at the pictures as advised in the instructions, will remember a visit to Northwich barely a year ago, when I did a fair job of making the place look good.
The locals were out in force to greet me on my return;
At least the new Guide entry isn’t a gastro/creche/bar called Chime.
Before we get to Baron’s Bar, here’s a few highlights I missed last March.
Worth an hour of your time wandering over the bridges and wondering whether the Gary Owen who runs the Blue Barrel is the same Gary Owen of Manchester City fame. With City’s imminent demotion to League 2 I expect to see Sergio Aguero running a fish and chip shop in Longsight next year.
I’m easily entertained.
The Baron is, confusingly, not the bar in the Baron’s Quay complex which has taken over the waterfront, just as Simple Minds did in 1984.
I entered the Baron via the smoking area at the back, the best way to gauge a pub.
Now, you may want to be seated for the next bit. It was open an hour early.
Two cheery ladies were finishing off their mochas in those oddly shaped glass cups.
The nice lady served me a half of the malty house beer, a tasty and unspectacular 2.5/3, and enthused about the coffee and cake trade from 11.
Good for them, the longer pubs are open the better for Stafford Paul.
A pleasant place, bar the exclusively Ed Sheeran soundtrack, which compared to the punk in the Salty Dog a few doors down.
But the Baron does have an upstairs with table football, skittles and a shot of mannequins wearing ladies underwear.
And for some, that will be more than enough.
retiredmartin 
Your knack of going to pubs I haven’t been to is what I would expect from a man of your calibre. Your relentless progress on GBG20 is a source of great admiration in the West of Scotland and, I imagine, beyond.
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I’ve rather fallen behind you on the tally of “foreign craft bars serving Lervig” though.
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Just think of all the lovely out of the way additions to GBG 2021, with obscure opening times and limited public transport options, which local branches are choosing now, just to keep your lives interesting…..
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Those who don’t read your prose should have their subscriptions revoked. I believe some American universities are prepping classes in English beer blogging.
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Can those Universities teach us English first, though?
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Martin is the natural successor to Dickens, with his serial tales featuring a rotating series of grotesque characters, and his soap opera plots.
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I imagine the courses will also cover Duncan, BRAPA and LAF in depth.
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And BRAPA is a recurrent grotesque but humorous character in his books.
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But is the “series of grotesque characters” towards the end of our regular Proper Days Out ?
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Yes, particularly grotesque as a third pub in a row reveals itself to be not open.
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Do they become less grotesque as the day progresses?
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An hour early? Sergio Aguero in a chip shop? Best bits of this blog are always the anecdotal bits. Great post 👍
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