retiredmartin

January 2024. St Helens.

Now I’ve “completed” the Guide I can afford to take GBG24 at a leisurely pace and throw in a few revisits along the way.

In 2021 a trip to Merseyside would have seen a BRAPA-ish attempt at all six (6) ticks; today I target a couple of newbies, finally visit the Glass Museum, contemplate the brutalist car park,

and typically shiny 21st century health centre,

and pay the Turk’s Head an overdue 3rd visit. It’s not as exciting as the Race to the Prize, but it’s more enjoyable.

So this is Post 1 in a series of Great Pub Revisits, taking in the pubs I’ve highlighted (or missed) in my run through the counties.

Strictly, I should have popped in the Cricketers, that’s the National award winner, but the Turk has just won the Merseyside CAMRA Pub of the Year, and it’s fantastic.

Actually, it seemed unchanged at all since 2016, except it was even busier.

It’s lunchtime on Friday in January, the town centre looks deserted, but this backstreet corner pub has every table taken. Groups of ladies, young couples, Old Boys; it’s a joyously mixed crowd.

I’ve no chance of eating here, not even the caged pork pie,

and the staff look rushed off their feet. Actually, staff singular; they’re a member down and one Spartan lady is manning (?) two bars and taking food orders to the kitchen. What a star.

An Old Boy in front of me asks for “What that chap just had ?”, which confuses our bar hero as she’s just poured two beers at the same time. I direct him to the Pictish Alchemist, then have one myself.

Superb; cool, crisp, bitter. NBSS 4 of anyone’s money.

Around me the orders alternate between cask and coffee, Friuli, Madri and Guinness.

There’s a real sense of joy in the pub, and patience with the overworked hero.

Glad I came, and sorry I won’t be in St Helens on Wednesday to see Taylor, taking a break from pretending to like American football.

St Helens looks radiant on the way back from the station, I thought.

And if I can warm to St Helens, surely I can warm to Prescot, my next stop up the line.

Let’s find out together…