July 2023. Caverswall. Stoke-on-Trent.
Last Friday I took six trains in my highly staggered Sheffield-Crewe return, and five (5) of them were virtually full. OK, one in three trains seemed to have been cancelled, and “We are sorry to announce…” becomes a bit wearing after a while, but the demand is certainly there. I’ll have visited at least 80% of my ticks by rail this year, mostly via Hyde Central (try it).
That last big day out on the trains was a bit of a damp squib pub wise. Just three new GBG ticks and an emotional return to the Bull’s Head. How does BRAPA do it ?
Never mind, 25,000 steps and some great urban exploration in Crewe and Burslem, topped off with a community pub in Caverswall.
Caverswall ? No, me neither, and all Wiki tells me is there’s 971 souls,
a private castle,
and a steam railway. Actually Foxfield Railway had a GBG bar at one time, and possibly runs more reliably than many Trans Pennine routes.
As it is, Simon would have to walk from Blythe Bridge station. Improbably, I seem to have walked the1.8 miles each way to the Auctioneers Arms, had a half, been to the Gents, and stopped for photos of the other pub, and still been back for the next service an hour later.
The Auctioneers won’t last as long in the memory as the minor prang half a mile out of Blythe Bridge (it was the woman drivers fault).
But it’s a huge success in the way that community-owned pubs often are, full of families and children with ice creams and Hi-Vis. This is the interior.
And this is the beer range.
That hazy Sharp’s is everywhere at the moment, a bit like Sea Fury used to be.
Yes, I was spoilt for choice, yes, I had the Bass (NBSS 3), no, I didn’t have a pint. If I’d had a pint, I wouldn’t have made the 16:44. Except I would, as it was 10 minutes late. I felt cheated.
retiredmartin 
Sea Fury’s an odd name for a beer. Unless it tastes of salt, shipwrecks, and mangled seaweed.
It never has IME, and I’d go for it any day before Doo-doo-doom Ba-ba-bar.
(The Beach Boys missed out there)
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I like Sea Fury, but just not seen regularly and when Sharps put out new beers it tends to dilute trade for Sea Fury.
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There was a Sea Fury plane, flown by the Royal Navy in the 40s and 50s, so it’s no more odd than Spitfire if that was the inspiration for the name.
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The things you learn on here, Mike. It’s almost edukational.
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It’s a while now since Spitfire had the “No Fokker comes close” advert.
Lancaster Bomber was the one that flew from Mitchells to Thwaites to Marstons.
There’s also King Cobra which is bottle conditioned.
And I think Dizzy Blonde and Elsie Mo had something to do with aircraft.
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“Actually Foxfield Railway had a GBG bar at one time”
I drove there in March 2014 for the Folk Club, I think to see Sid Kipper.
That was my only ever visit to Caverswall.
You must spend more time in north Staffordshire than me.
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First trip apart from annual new GBG pub in Newcastle-u-L for some time, Paul. Oh, there was a lovely new pub 2 tears ago.
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You don’t have to tell us the pub is busy; just post the photo of the Bass clip. We’ll know.
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There’s a coincidence.
Mason’s handpumps and I saw some in Weston yesterday for the first time in years.
They’re a very old Birmingham company.
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