July 2023. Cheshire.
A fourth and final new GBG pub on the Cheshire mini-crawl with Mrs RM as taster-in-chief, and a rare visit to Holmes Chapel.
With the social club in the Guide, I reckon all the remaining What Pub entries have made the GBG at some time. I can see I’ve been to the ubiquitous bottle shop, the Ember Inn, the modernised Robinsons dining pub, and the just re-opened Sam Smiths over the years,
so the Victoria Club completes a mixed set of Cheshire town pubs. Unfortunately the Vic doesn’t have any restrictions on access for non-members, which will be a disappointment for Simon as he enjoys the battle with the buzzer at the door and the reluctance acceptance of his CAMRA card at the bar.
Here the price of a pint is slightly higher for the non-member, but still way shy of £4.
You might be getting a bit bored of me saying this by now, or even a bit disbelieving, but you get a great welcome at the Vic, which might be why it’s heaving on Saturday afternoon.
Either that or they’re here to watch Sproston Green 2nd XI all out for 67.
Or they’re having their soft fruits (greengages, I reckon) judged on a table in the back room.
Or just enjoying a bottle of wine or a superb, sherberty Merlin Gold (3.5) watching the Ashes.
It’s the sort of place Life After Football would love; shame it’s in The North.
retiredmartin 
“Or they’re having their soft fruits (greengages, I reckon) judged on a table in the back room.”
Yes, gauging the gages, a local summer tradition.
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Sproston Green is a cracking Charlatans track.
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It’s called the Bottle Bank and the soft fruit is a gooseberry, also grown competively in North Yorkshire.
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Thanks for the lovely detail.
There’s a link to my post on the Bottle Bank if you press “bottle”; it seemed a great addition to the town.
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Such a pendant me, but it’s a village, all be it a large one.
If various tabloid newspapers are to be believed the Humphrey establishment has reopened.
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Pub Curmudgeon reports it as re-opened so that’s good enough for me.
I call everywhere a town, like in the Wings song about London. Trip Advisor would have it as a city.
BTW it’s a penant, not a pedant. As in Jermaine.
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That’s only just the north, almost North Staffordshire. LAF can make it there.
Beautiful setting. Sounds like the innings didn’t last as long as the Charlatans playing Sproston Green live…
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Knew I recognised Sproston Green on the map from somewhere !
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You are correct – it looks magnificent !
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