Back to the football/pub/art mash-up highlights packages for you after that brief Lockdown Walk interlude.
What can I tempt you with in Carlisle ?
A cheap B & B
Even cheaper hair cuts
An ancient post box ?
F.U.N.
This is a fun city, perhaps even more so than Newcastle now the Bigg Market crowd have moved on to craft. Pleasingly, Australian bars seem to have arrived in town near the Bingo hall.
Walking up Botchergate towards the Woodrow Wilson I heard more singing than incomprehensible gabble at 8 o’clock, particularly approaching the House of Vodka.
Sadly my pictures of Fun were erased from my phone as I left Cumbria.
Architecture
A decent Cathedral and Castle that will fail to thrill anyone who’s been to Rochester, let alone Lincoln, but there’s just enough character in the centre.
And some lovely leafy streets out to Brunton Park.
Which brings us to;
Proper Football
Always a great away game with Cambridge, and now with a GBG pub opposite the ground. Last time there I had a pint in an Oakwell pub before the match.
Not QUITE a relegation battle to stay in the League, but I remember United’s scrappy 1-0 win being greeted euphorically by the Yellow Army singing “Oooh Marvin” to the tune of “Hey Baby“. The early 2000s were more innocent times.
The fourth division (aka Div 3 aka League 2) table makes exciting reading for fans of Rushden, Bournemouth, Hull and Swansea. Three of those would later have the joys of VAR and Sunday kick-offs, while Rushden & Diamonds would come to regret their overambition.
The Carlisle pub scene looked a bit different back in 2003, but within a decade and a half it was craft. craft, craft.
The Woodrow Wilson was 5 years old and one of the very best Spoons I reckon, and seems to be fighting off the competition with the BrewDog next doors by sticking to Magners and giving you the best lacings in Cumbria.
The BrewDog has AC/DC and proper bench seating to tempt you.
Completing my mini-craft feast, the Fat Gadgie served a pint of Moor Stout I rated NBSS 4.5 AND wasn’t called the Last Zebra, which the Last Zebra was.
“Waddabout Proper Pubs” says Dave.
20 years ago I’d have said “Pint of Theakston in the Howard Arms, Dave“.
And I still would. It’s immaculate, leaving the wood to shine but making the pub a welcoming place for women, who outnumbered me early evening. The women weren’t obviously there for the State Managed pub cartoons.
Theakston Bitter there, and also in the Joiners, a plain pub just west of town.
Not that there’s anything plain about a Proper Pub, with bench seats round the walls, lunchtime opening and beer mats.
A couple of Old Boys get to choose the music, a mix of Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Cher (not at the same time, that would be daft). The banter seems to be entirely about folk who have been banned.
They love their lacings here.
I’d finish the night over the river in the Crown & Thistle, which had a Sam Smiths feel, except they were singing “Human” by The Killers and Humphrey wouldn’t like that.
I had to get back to Yummy, my Chinese takeaway of choice. I’m missing a good Crispy Beef & Singapore Rice more than I’m missing the Bass.
Are you sold on it, then ?
The Oakwell pub presumably was the Magpie, which is now a Sam Smith’s.
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That was the one. A very obvious Sam Smiths purchase; I bet the locals barely noticed the difference. Isn’t that old Oakwell in Kersal due to be a Sam’s or am I dreaming ?
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The Racecourse. It was bought by Sam Smith’s but I think had closed before the lockdown. Massive pub with very little potential trade.
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A pub called “The Woodrow Wilson”? That must be a rare thing– a pub named after a Yank. Are you aware of any others? I certainly hope not. 😉
That photo with the “I can hear Mudgie screaming” had me laughing out loud. If I saw seating like that in a pub I might let out a bit of a scream myself.
I have had the pleasure of Theakston’s Old Peculier, but only in bottled form, and even then, not so many times. Greatly enjoyed it, and can only imagine how good it must be on cask, properly cared for.
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Mark,
There’s the Old Bush in Pelsall.
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Well, The Younger Bush certainly isn’t likely to get a pub named after him. 😉
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‘Ere. There’s the Steel Tank in Eastleigh, me ol’ muckers.
Nice little rubba too.
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Nice pub, nice Chinese takeaway.
https://retiredmartin.com/2019/05/31/youll-never-get-bored-in-chandlers-ford/
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The Old Bush still stands (just about) but will never open again 😢
Been several attempts to burn it down.
https://www.google.com/search?q=old+bush+pelsall&safe=strict&tbm=isch&prmd=minv&sxsrf=ALeKk00R5I1_Esvwno9eiXuZMCRzEThc8Q:1589225566283&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzkuLKxqzpAhXLURUIHWLTDawQ_AUIEygC&biw=800&bih=1280&dpr=1.5#imgrc=37xcLps9sGKpzM
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There’s the John Paul Jones in Filey:
https://whatpub.com/pubs/SCA/113/john-paul-jones-filey
There are also several Man on/in the Moons, including, as Martin will be aware, one in Cambridge, now called the Blue Moon. Some of these were directly inspired by the moon landing.
I thought a 1950s pub might have been named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, but I can’t find one.
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I asked about this on Twitter and people have mentioned a George Washington and a John F. Kennedy. Although it has been pointed out that John Paul Jones was actually born in Scotland 😉
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Thanks.
The John Paul Jones in Whitehaven closed, at least temporarily, due to the marina development.
I was there at Christmas and it was the one pub name I remembered from GBG past.
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If I ever open a micropub I’ll name it “The Mark Crilley”.
It’ll just serve cans of Boddington and Specked Hen and be shut when you get there.
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Sold me. I only need two pubs. Four hours in each.
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You’ll only be allowed 3 pints in each so make them last.
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Although his primary focus wasn’t pubs, Ian Nairn visited Carlisle for his documentary “Nairn Across Britain” in 1972. He was rather unimpressed with the town planning. Some lovely footage showing life in the 1970’s including a monologue from Nairn outside “Martins Bank” in Dent. You can see it here on BBC iplayer. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01rwh55
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Smashing stuff, thanks 👍
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And a famous imbiber 😜
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Interesting to see the league table from the programme. Hartlepool United have never won any national competition. However you’d have thought they would have had a good chance of the Nationwide Division Three title that season.
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Hartlepool missed out on the last day of the season to Rushden, but at least went up and survived the 3rd tier for a while if I remember correctly.
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