retiredmartin

Last year I spent a fortune on a train to Kendal (all the hotels cost over £100) and was dismayed to find NONE (zero) open at 2pm on a Tuesday.

Not the fault of the wonderful Caroline at local CAMRA who had kept WhatPub details better than the pubs do themselves, but just unexpected. But Kendal came to life at 4pm, and I eventually found a tourist town bursting with life and good beer.

But Barrel House, tap for Bowness Brewery, escaped me that time with a focus on live weekend entertainment, so this would be a pivotal tick on the march to Cumbria completion.

This is very much the Rivington Tap of the north, a classy place.

and a classy welcome from a young chap coping manfully with indecision and a soundtrack of lounge jazz (perhaps he likes lounge jazz ? Someone has to).

“Having a good day ?” he asked, genuinely interested. He’ll love Colin.

The main bar was empty, but at the front a row of cabin-like booths were sharing the secrets of couples young an old, so I took my cool, rich (3.5/4) Bo’ness Dark on a little tour of one.

Just as towns seem much better when the pubs are actually open, so too does beer cheer up when it’s given a little walk. So, I’ll give it a 4.

I took my glass back, the lovely lad said “Thanks, enjoy your next one !”. As I always say, the youth of today have much to say and they are the future.