Is it Tuesday last, or last Tuesday? Russ will know.
Anyway, on last Tuesday last I popped with James to see Matt in central Manchester for some brotherly bonding and a haircut.
The centre of the city, which sounds like a line from Unknown Pleasures, is as quiet as you’ve heard, as we’ll see later.
While Matt spent far too long on James’s hair I went for a wander round Deansgate.
I nearly went to the Jolly Angler, but seconds away the Ape and Apple caught my eye, like the apple of my eye.
It’s a long way from their Edwardian gems in Salford, an attempt by Holt’s to cash in on the lunchtime suits trade with posing tables and cheap lunches.
I stood, stupidly, at the door for 2 minutes like the sign said before the barman waved me in with a “What you waiting outside for?” look.
I hadn’t been since it had a spell in the GBG 20 years ago, and nowt has changed.
The barman asked me what I wanted to watch, and we agreed that Nicola Sturgeon reporting on Covid in Cupar was the best bet.
Two Scousers on a pub crawl came in and inexplicably had the lager. What is it with Liverpool?
For a city pub running at a fraction of matchday trade, the Bitter was superb (NBSS 3.5)
But then, Manchester rarely let’s you down on beer quality.
Right, where for lunch?
retiredmartin 
Same type of crowd as when we were in there. Lovely feel to the pub. I was surprised by how many pubs like this one there are in downtown Manchester. Similar feel to the Sir Ralph Abercrombie to me. I really like them. They would be the best pubs in a lot of cities. In Manchester they feel average.
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I should have got you to write it up, Dave. Spot on, average in Manchester, top draw in many towns. Their Old Monkey is better though.
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Don’t remember ever hearing about the Old Monkey. Interesting. Points off the tour guiding:)
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Old Monkey is in that row on Portland St next to the Circus and Grey Horse so you’ll have passed it many times 😉
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Wow. Walked right by it.
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What? A missed grammar fault by Russ?!
Are these type of pubs really the best picture (draw)? I thought it was an allusion to the prime location for a sliding storage container (drawer)? ;oD
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The Scousers were obviously pub enthusiasts, not beer enthusiasts 😉
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(slow golf clap) 🙂
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A delightful read as always. Your mention of the Jolly Angler made me wonder if anyone has ever made a comprehensive list of pubs with the name “Jolly” in the name. That could make for a quest on the level of that undertaken by Cathy Price.
Must be a nice thing to know you’ve got a son cutting the hair of the other son. But has he cut the hair of the father, that’s what I want to know! If I were in the area, I’d have availed myself of his services by now, multiple times. 🙂
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“Is it Tuesday last, or last Tuesday? Russ will know.”
Technically, it was Tuesday last, last Tuesday. 🙂
” I popped with James to see Matt in central Manchester for some brotherly bonding and a haircut.”
Surely some fraternal bonding as well (unless you were giving the haircuts).
“While Matt spent far too long on James’s hair ”
Blimey. Now that’s some bonding. Shades of gorillas picking nits out of each other’s hair.
“the Ape and Apple caught my eye,”
See! Nits!
“William Morris wallpaper”
If you squint you can make out Matt doing James’s hair.
“and we agreed that Nicola Sturgeon reporting on Covid in Cupar was the best bet.”
Mockery never goes out of style.
“What is it with Liverpool?”
I’m trying to do a brilliant segue from Liverpool –> Beatles –> nits, to wrap it all together but am failing miserably.
Cheers
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“Technically, it was Tuesday last, last Tuesday.” – fast handclap.
Enough of the nits. Incidentally, Matt visited the Beatles Museum in Liverpool last week.
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“Incidentally, Matt visited the Beatles Museum in Liverpool last week.”
My eldest would just LOVE to do that some day.
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I’ve still never been Russ. Might go now as the lad said it’s very good. The free museums (Tate, Museum of Liverpool, art galleries) are all corkers.
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Last year I concluded that the Ape and Apple might be the only pub thereabouts for a Sunday lunch.
I’ve not used it anything like as much as the Old Monkey though.
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You’re probably right. Perfectly good Holts too, though the Egerton at Salford Station a class apart.
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I don’t know the Egerton.
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Literally 10 seconds left at Salford Central station. It’s very basic, but had a year in the GBG when it added a guest beer, which you, me and Dave Halliwell who I met there only this year would all pass in favour of the Bitter.
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