Back to the programmes, and back to the Potteries. Why would you ever leave the Potteries ?, except to cycle to Burton-on-Trent.
This 1-1 draw in a proper English ground was a grim finale to the 94-95 season but at least I got to stand for a tenner. You can’t do that anymore.
The highlight was this excellent photography from Vale’s 1959 4th Division promotion season,
and an advert for the traditional Summer trip to the golden Isle of Man to chase cats and drink gallons of Plum Porter Okells Bitter.
Despite the lack of the internet, Titanic chose 1985 to launch their brewery, and have gone on to become bigger stars than Robbie Williams.
I was last here the day of the Manchester One Love Concert,
and caught the locals’ reaction to Robbie singing “Angels” in the Bursley Ale House.
“Eee, ee’s put on some weight, Duck”
I’m a miserable old git as you’ll know, but in his home town Robbie’s bit of gush struck a chord with me, and I had to pop up the stairs to get something out of my eye. It really did feel like a rare collective “moment”.
Burslem is awash with small pubs now, called Ale House, Otter’s Tears, Hog Noggins, Johny’s Micro and Chilz.
Back in ’95 my pre-match pint was Courage Directors in The Vine. Glory days.
These days there’s only two long-running GBG entries, presumably because Newcastle-under-Lyme hogs the Guide action.
Two on the same street, the guest beer heavy Duke William and the classic Titanic Tap that is the Bull’s Head.
As you see from the lacings in the top photo, the Bull’s Head serves the best Plum Porter in the country.
But will it be enough to drag out Old Codgers away from N-u-L and the lure of Bass ? Perhaps not.
retiredmartin 
Despite the distance you spend more time in the Potteries than me.
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I like the various Titanic brews, when I can get hold of them.
There was a Titanic pub in Stafford, not far from the railway station, I always used to see it from the train en route to or from Liverpool and I always used to think to myself; I must get off and go in there one day…
Left it one day too much, pub’s gone now.
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Possibly that’s the Sun, been Titanic’s Stafford pub for a decade, still offering take-out thru the Lockdown. Plum Porter a welcome and regular sight in ‘Pool.
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No, not the Sun but the Stafford Arms opposite Stafford railway station, a Titanic pub from 1993 to 1999 when they sold it to Punch who eight years later disposed of it for demolition and use as a car park.
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The Sun pictured on the Titanic website doesn’t seem to be the one near the station, which I think was a small corner pub that could be seen from the train. I have a note of a visit in 1986 when it was a Bass house. I haven’t been that way for a couple of years but I also remember noting that it was closed. It could be that there was more than one Sun in Stafford, a practice that should be outlawed to avoid confusing tickers.
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Good point, Ian. Stafford Paul will definitely know which pub you and Tony are remembering. I expect he’s down the pub right now. Oh.
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I think that the pub you mean is the Stafford Arms, as it was on Railway Street. I went there in 1994 when it was a Good Beer Guide entry.
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Ian,
Yes, the Stafford Arms was a Bass Charrington pub – and unusual in having handpumped M&B Brew XI during the 1970s – until the mid 1980s. Hayden Roberts bought it and ran it as a very good free house for about five years before Titanic took it on.
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Handpumped BrewXI ? Jealous.
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That’s the proper Brew XI from Cape Hill ( even if it was centrifuged ) usually found at the time of freeflow electric pumps – as also drunk by t’other Mudgie – long before it was rescued by Brains of Cardiff.
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