retiredmartin

January 2024. Claughton-on-Brock. Catteral.

As Carmel once sang,

Saturday was a bad day, though we didn’t know it at the time. If only we’d read Blackpool Jane’s post before it was written.

It started gently enough, with a GBG entry on a new (2020) retail park on the A6 north of Preston.

This is rarely explored territory for the ticker. Garstang is the only major settlement between Jane’s new favourite city and Lancaster (ugh), with views to the wonderful Forest of Bowland to the east.

The Beer Guide insists that Clockwork is in Claughton-on-Brock, this year at least. Expect to see it under Catterall in GBG25 and Garstang in GBG26.

Anyhow, look out for this sign,

and expect that shipping container to be a brewery by next March.

Clockwork will be familiar to anyone who’s visited the many new bars on small retail sites on the edge of UK towns like Chesterfield or Cannock,

and offers a 10am pint all week long.

“Seems to sell more coffee than anything else during the daytime. Local producers favoured in all departments. Poker nights and comedy nights.” says What Pub, and the pre-noon trade was indeed lattes and cakes.

The Lancaster Blonde was OK, smoothing out a bit to a 3 after a sharp start (I know what I mean), the coffee exceptional, though table service and a lack of any food except pre-packed biscuits disappointed Mrs RM.

So, after an ambitiously priced pre Millionaire’s shortbread (£3), Mrs RM reluctantly agreed to an early lunch next door at Catterall Fish Bar (SEE ! Catterall, not Claughton),

where a huge and freshly cooked portion of haddock and chips that fed the two of us was just over a tenner.

Wonderful service, too.

But it did put in doubt that Mick’s Mixed Grill we planned on in Preston later…