Three days to go ! Then I promise I’ll bring you reports on posh pubs.
Until then, it’s more highlights packages. Let’s Big Up Bolton.
Yes, you’ll find lots or stuff on Twitter reminding us of the decay over recent months, let alone decades, in this proud Lancashire town.
A decade or so in which Wigan has taken the lead in terms of pubs and night-life.
BUT despite losing a string of good pubs (The Alma – sob) on the route from the station there’s still loads to admire.
Best to walk up an appetite on Winter Hill or a gentle stroll round Yarrow Reservoir.
You could then waste an hour admiring the Fred Dibnah Heritage and the fabulous free Aquarium.
Nelson Square is the epicentre of the night-time economy, if we still had one.
A decent Spoons, and popcorn stouts at the Northern Monkey. You could be somewhere posh like Westhoughton !
Looking at my 25 years of beer scores, Bolton scores highly. A 4 at the Monkey, a 4 at Elephant & Castle where Stonegate discount knocked the pint below £2.
Plenty of frontage still to admire,
but I recommend heading underground to the shopping centre in the Vaults.
The Underground style map has a tempting network of pubs, not ALL of them micropubs, but please don’t start on Delerium Tremens like this fellow.
And if you’re famished, skip the cheap options,
and head for the Caribbean grub in Nkono’s in the market.
And then walk it off on the B6226 to Bunbury’s, one of the finest micros on the planet.
Or keep walking and end up in Horwich. But that’s a different trip.
retiredmartin 
No mention of the Doffcocker, although I suppose it’s years since that’s been in the Beer Guide, if ever?
There’s also a rather decent Sam Smith’s pub in the western suburbs called the Lion of Vienna (after Nat Lofthouse), which again is unlikely to ever grace its pages.
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I’ve certainly driven past the Doffcocker on that long Bolton Old Road a few times. It actually WAS in the Guide, probably a decade ago, but the beer wasn’t great and it slipped out soon after.
The Lion of Vienna has yet to grace the GBG, as you predicted !
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“The decay over recent months” in this once proud Lancashire town includes the demolition of the historic Beehive Mills.
Had there been trouble at t’mill ?
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I spent the last real pub night of this shite year in Bolton (and Bromley Cross), I sometimes feel the Vaults has come at the expense of the already bomb struck town centre but then the market where Alain (Alan?) at Nkono got dicked over when they moved the bus station to be next to the train station.
Hen & Chickens was always my preferred though and gigs at the Alma, which never stood a chance.
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There’s a lot of different Boltons, isn’t there ? Town Centre, Bromley Cross, Horwich etc. The Lithuanian pub was good years back.
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What is your overall beer rating? Curious if you know what the average score is for all your scoring. I’m guessing 2.7.
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In the dozen I saw from a quick run through the blog (5 years) it was more like 3. A couple of 3.5s and a 2, but mainly 3s. It’s not the beer that’s the issue for me, it’s the environment. I’ll linger next Wednesday.
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“BIG UP BOLTON”
You had me at the DT (Delirium Tremens) photo.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/W9SFFjkMLnFUdpVi8
(my two lads got me that for my 60th) 🙂
“Let’s Big Up Bolton.”
Blimey. Even with my new glasses (finally!) there’s nothing on the OS map that I can read well enough to make fun of. 😉
“Yes, you’ll find lots or stuff on Twitter reminding us of the decay over recent months, let alone decades, in this proud Lancashire town.”
Crikey. Is a lot of that due to Covid this year?
“You could then waste an hour admiring the Fred Dibnah Heritage ”
I like how you’ve got just the ‘fred’ bit of the Betfred betting shop just under his right arm. 🙂
“Nelson Square is the epicentre of the night-time economy, if we still had one.”
It looks so much lovelier without all of those customers about. 😉
“but I recommend heading underground to the shopping centre in the Vaults.”
Oooh. A bit like Toronto’s underground shopping centre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATH_(Toronto)
“but please don’t start on Delerium Tremens like this fellow.”
I can attest to that!
“And then walk it off on the B6226 to Bunbury’s, one of the finest micros on the planet.”
But don’t rely on a hanging sign to let you know you’re there!
Cheers
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