The Sam Smiths post prompted some reminiscing from our friends Reg and Russ in Altrincham, Cheshire’s second town.
And since all I’ve got at the moment is Fenland sunsets (no filter folks),
and simpering about the prospects of a return of pubs on the 2nd/3rd/ever, here’s some random reflections on Alty.
Most of my trips in the mid 2000s were to visit trad pubs and watch trad football at Moss Lane. Is the football ground really that far out of town ?
Cambridge shared five goals with Alty that night in 2007, United contributing a round zero (and they were lucky to get nil).
Both clubs eventually survived relegation to the regional leagues, Alty only by dint of Boston United’s attempt to break Jeffrey Archer out of HM Prison North Sea Camp so he could play right back in 2002.
The chippy at the top of Moss Lane was good, the programme a bit dull. Adverts for the King George in Hale and this Timpereley treat;
My extensive spreadsheet shows the changing nature of the Alty pub scene, a move from trad to trendy.
Back in 2007 there were 4 pubs in Alty I’d been to. I always assumed this lovely would be a Brunning & Price but I was wrong.
The Malt Shovels was falling out of favour with folk wanting a choice of six identical beers, though not with me. You can never have too many pictures of Sam Smiths pubs (all taken with Kodak cameras of course).
And the Orange Tree and Market House illuminated the market square.
Looks a bit different in 2020, by which time Alty had a cheap Travelodge built especially for folk who like bottle shops and craft bars.
I’m sure the Old Packet House had its own entry under Navigation Road last time out, so your three ticks here are all modern bars. And they’re all good.
It’s the sort of shop conversion with Cheshire homebrew I want to hate, but I couldn’t, as their Big Tree was just outstanding last time here.
The “brewery tap in a refurbished market place” model that was so successful that sold it to both Manchester and Macclesfield.
If you can fight your way through the pashminas and pushchairs there’s some excellent beer.
As there is at Pi, one of the best craft survivors.
And if you’re bored of Alty, you’re only 20 minutes from this;
retiredmartin 
A bar called Pie would sound far more comfortable.
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Ah…how do you pronounce “pie”, then?
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Three point one five seven…..
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Not necessarily, Scott
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Ahem,
Three point one four one five nine two seven (rounded up on the last digit). 🙂
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I blame Kate Bush.
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So a beer crawl should be a pint in a modern pub and then a half in a traditional pub…quality and then ambiance. Repeat. Those pints look awfully good.
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Ending up with an Alti Balti ?
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Altrincham always seems to have an odd layout, with the bit at the top by the old market place, and the newer part down at the bottom by the station, which don’t really join together..
I remember when I was a kid there was a level crossing before the flyover was built which was a notorious bottleneck.
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The revitalisation of the market has took it up a notch but it lacks the character of Stockport, even if it attracts more night-time trade.
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Alty’s flyover is no match for Stocky’s magnificent viaduct.
And flyovers haven’t got much of a future judging by Liverpool and Perry Bar.
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“prompted some reminiscing from our friends Reg and Russ”
Yes!
*looks down* Ah, not me then.
“here’s some random reflections on Alty.”
Looking at that OS map, I swear you know I don’t get my new ‘specs’ for at least another week yet.
“United contributing a round zero (and they were lucky to get nil).”
Blimey. That’s about as passionate as your take on Bass. 😉
“I always assumed this lovely would be a Brunning & Price but I was wrong.”
Is it a hotel now? Or, the local jail?
“The Malt Shovels was falling out of favour with folk wanting a choice of six identical beers”
The hell with them! LAF thought it was bonza earlier this month as well.
“And the Orange Tree and Market House illuminated the market square.”
I’m sure that tree helped as well. 😉
“If you can fight your way through the pashminas and pushchairs there’s some excellent beer.”
So, take the pashmina and wind it round the wheels of the pushchair and… voilà!
“And if you’re bored of Alty, you’re only 20 minutes from this;”
OK… THAT’S the jail. 🙂
Cheers
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There’s another Russ, Russ. Did you not copywrite your name ?
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I did. But as ‘Russtovich’. 😉
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