Only two of the seven pubs I used in Macclesfield were actually in the new Beer Guide (which I hadn’t actually seen then), tjough two of them seemed pre-emptive certs, and the next one was the main reason for the whole trip.
We’ve Vaux Wanderer to thank for alerting us to the Bass at the Jolly Sailor,
There was a rush to the bar, but whoever was buying this round knew what I wanted and I just grabbed a table.
Yes, that one, with the Bass mat.
I sat next to the Bass urn, which turned out to empty.
Hurry up !
Blimey it was good. Mudgie found a bit cool, but I suspect my tastes are a bit cooler than his and I scribbled down “4”.
Cool, rich, deeply satisfying, with a tight head. Almost the perfect Bass, unless you’ve been to Bath or Stockton.
And the pub itself was just as good. More Dylan, or was it Donovan, they’re the same aren’t they ? A pretty constant 60s soundtrack obviously aimed at Old Codgers on a Friday pub crawl, if you can believe such a thing.
Just a shame we couldn’t have nabbed the table by the fire…
retiredmartin 
Watch it with that Dylan/Donovan comment!
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One selfish old codger hogging the fire -shabby behaviour
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I’d have hogged the fire at that age to be fair.
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He isn’t exactly hogging the fire since there are other seats nearer to it, and he looks like a regular who might well be in a few times a week and thus doing much more for the pub than a group of pub crawlers on heir only visit in ten years (or whatever). Many pubs keep going on their regular trade – not tickers who are only seen once – and I would say that the regulars deserve the best seats. In any case, he may be keeping seats for friends coming later. You might take a very different view if in the pub for a couple of hours..
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“I would say that the regulars deserve the best seats”. – correct. And the cheapest beer. NB I was saying I wouldn’t have felt obliged to move from that spot just in case more folk came in later, and would have been happy if later-comers joined me there.
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How long would you have lasted on one of those square pouffes though? Note too the complimentary walking sticks above the fire, they’re spoiling the codgers in there. The car registration on the wall there, it says W**KER doesn’t it!…
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Are you sure the top photo isn’t actually an Old Codger’s front room?
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I apologise for my remark about the fire hogger -I hope folk realise it was intended to be jocular & I have no problem with regulars having their favourite seat !
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No online shaming here😀
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We knew you were joking, Pauline. (And we’d only know if he was a hogger if we asked if we could sit there too. And we didn’t).
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Looks like a terrific crawl – Bass looks magnificent. Love the fact your fire hogger comment has caused such consternation.
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