Another county where your picks don’t pick themselves, as it were.
A county that’s a lot more than Liverpool, though you only really feel you’ve arrived when you get off the train at Lime Street. Which reminds me of a song;
Picking one from the Big City was tough. How do you leave out Doctor Duncan, the GBG ever present Roscoe Head, the one with the toilets that Jane visited, even the University pub.
But I picked the Lion, because it’s close to the Graces, and the ferry to the Isle of Man,
and on the last visit it was back to its brilliant best.
“I can admire the tiling blah blah blah, but it’s the welcome I’ll remember.
Chatty, candid, enthusiastic; I could have listened to his stories of life as a publican all day.“
Heaving at 6pm on a Wednesday, turnover which helped the house mild from Rock the Boat to new heights.
And that light through those windows is a joy.
I thought the next pub had been a national Pub of the Year, but apparently it was only Top 4 and the Cricketers won it, but I prefer the Turk for its grit. You need to visit St Helens, though I’m never sure exactly why.
“An attractive unspoilt Victorian corner pub in the Merseyside style that clearly appeal to a wide cross-section of society. Rather like Stockport’s Crown (as was in 2016), this is a community pub rather than a beer exhibition. Pub quizzes, music and a limited food operation reinforced that feel.“
“Three rooms, the one below with several levels, were filling with family groups, pool players and Rugby League shirts, leaving plenty of quiet corners for lone oddities like me. Chat was about rugby and house redecoration, whatever that is.”
One for the bloke who keeps insisting I put in a pub with lots of different beers, too,
Or are those all old hat now ?
You definitely need a visit to Southport, even if it is only to play the slots.
Or eat fish and chips. Or visit Britain’s smallest pub.
The Sefton coast, dunes and all is stunning, Bog Breast, Bog Hole and all,
and you get a great view of it from the Lakeside.
Inside, it’s Proper Pub,
“Simple, but immaculate. And any pub that plays “Torn” can’t be scored lower than NBSS 3, can it ?”
“One cheerful couple discussing other peoples relationships, one other boozer, one cheerful barmaid who helped me find a 5p I dropped on the floor having counted out my £3.30 to the penny.”
Now let’s cross over the Mersey to the place with the actual best view in Liverpool.
One of the longstanding Bass pubs,
casually brilliant, with good value pub grub to wash down the beer.”
“In the left hand room I see the Old Boys with Bass glasses, chatting about cheese
“I’ve got to get my cheese out” says one.
Well, it’s self explanatory.”
“The Old Boys at the bar hand over £8 for their £3.90 pints.
“Cheers. Take your own” he says.
Yes, the 10p tip lingers on here, and in a few Holt pubs in Salford, but where else ?.”
“And your own” may linger on in my final pick, which feels a bit of a cheat as Wallasey is so close to New Brighton but they’re very different, VERY different.
On 22 December (a date you may recognise) 2019 I spent the last few hours of my birthday listening to local band Legion Green send a crown of septuagenarians into meltdown with their covers of Kings of Leon and the Sabbath.
The beer was great, the band were great, the Old Boys were bouncing.
“And then they stopped. A riot, a white old age riot ensued and somehow Legion Green were persuaded to play overtime with a corking version of Sweet Child o’Mine. And you know my musical tastes by now.”
As they left the stage (apparently, for the very last time), this came on;
There was a tear in the singer’s eye, there was a tear in my eye, and if there’s not a tear in your eye…
Anyway, over to you for No.6. Votes for anything in Kirkby will receive special consideration.
retiredmartin 
Agreed on the Magazine, great pub in a stunning location.
If you can only choose one of the classic city-centre heritage pubs, the Lion is as good as any, although I have to say on our pub crawl in 2019 the beer was disappointing. It had a free jukebox, though 😀
I haven’t been in the Roscoe Head this century, so can’t comment on how that compares.
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Yes, the beer was a tad disappointing when I visited with Paul around that time, but seemed back to its best last year. As we know, turnover is crucial.
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“Picking one from the Big City was tough”
Yes. I’ve found the Carnarvon Castle and the White Star to be the most welcoming pubs in the centre.
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I meant to say it was hard to choose between the Lion, Roscoe Head, White Star and Doctor Duncan, rather like narrowing it down in Manchester !
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Merseyside somehow seems even more of an artificial county than Greater Manchester. By accent, culture and sporting allegiances, St Helens is Lancashire and West Kirby Cheshire, just as Wigan and Altrincham are in the latter.
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Ken Dodd had very strong opinions on the subject.
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Ken Dodd had very strong opinions on paying taxes.
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A complete misunderstanding I’m sure. We saw Ken in a Greenalls/Cains pub near Knotty Ash nearly 20 years ago, family outing I think, and were a bit starstruck. Glad there’s never been any revelations about him from those Diddymen.
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And may I be the first to point out that Stockport is besides the Mersey but has never never had any intention of being in Merseyside ?
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The pinking has created an enclave. Must be Lancashire (detached).
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Must be the West Lancashire beer desert!
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You’ll be pleased to know that odd little enclave between Formby and Lydiate is publess, though it does contain Father Ted’s Adventure Farm.
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I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the series to reach “my” county, and then my carefully considered reply yesterday morning disappeared into the ether without trace. I’ll try again…
What a brilliant selection; I never would have thought of Stanley’s Cask but you’re right it’s a great pub.
I’ve carefully considered Kirkby but I have to say there aren’t any pubs there I to which I would send a friend! The Peacock is a classic 60s estate boozer to which I took two representatives of English Heritage a few years ago when they were researching post-war pub architecture.
To add one more to your list, maybe the Volunteer Canteen in Waterloo, where table service survives in the lounge side. Or Peter Kavanagh’s continues to be wonderful.
But I really wanted to suggest a pub you might not have been in, so how about the Storrsdale in Mossley Hill? Beautiful 1930s architecture, quality ales and friendly atmosphere.
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Thank you, Phil, you’re the authority on Proper Pub in Merseyside so I value your judgement !
Volunteer Canteen and Peter Kavanagh’s are both worthy additions that would give someone doing six pubs on Merseyside a sense of the area, as well as great pubs. In particular, I’d want a visitor to go to Waterloo to see “Another Place” and then they’d have a great choice of pubs old and new. Live music in Stamps (as was) in Waterloo was a particular joy, though some years back !
I have been in the Storrsdale, but had to remind myself what a great building it is.
NB Not sure what ether your reply disappeared into by I was in Blackpool at the time so draw your own conclusions.
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I’m determined to suggest one you haven’t done yet so how about the White Hart on Hope Street which had only been open for three days when I ticked it yesterday. It’s by the same people who run the GBG Red Lion and the refurbished Vines. A good selection of cask ales in a (fake) “Victorian” interior.
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Ha ! No haven’t been there, or virtually any of those east Liverpool places you write about, Phil. White Hart looks stunning. Was it the Clove Hitch ?
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Yes, Clove Hitch, then Keystone.
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Thanks for the suggestions.
I haven’t been to Liverpool since before Covid – and t’other side of the river since we last played at Tranmere – and was wondering what new pubs I could do when I get around to it, so you’ve saved me a lot of effort. (Not actually a lot, but it’s always interesting going to other people’s suggested pubs.)
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I’m picking the five as much for location and quirkiness as anything else but I guarantee you’ll enjoy a night out in Wallasey/New Brighton as long as Leon doesn’t lead you astray.
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I had planned on being in the Chilterns today. However, due to changing circumstances and recalling this post from last week, I now find myself in The Magazine at New Brighton with a pint of Bass. Never been around here before. The pub is great, and the view outside too.
Thankyou for your continued blogging enthusiasm Martin.
Cheers 🍺
Mark Daniels
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Cheers Mark.
Can you see across the Mersey to the crying Scousers ?
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I did notice the water feature outside but was unable to determine what was on the other side. Sorry Martin.
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