March 2024. Rochdale.
It’s so nice to be doing a mini (all halves) pub crawl with positive folk like Mrs RM and Blackpool Jane.
Leaving Our Gracie’s we immediately found a gorgeous little alley to take us to our our 3rd pub,
Rochdale having made a real effort to promote its heritage.
What colours !
Ooh, random daffodils!
And then to Baillie Street, the Thomas Street or Devonshire Quarter of the town.
Jane loved the twinkling lights, coming from Blackpool and all.
The Pint Pot was ticking over at 7,
but some massive disco speakers were being set up ahead of the Wednesday night quiz that would soon swell the crowd. Where would pubs be without quiz nights ?
Mrs RM (“I like my beer to taste like beer”) and Jane (“I like my beer to taste of popcorn Martini chocolate “) were thrilled to see Beartown’s Creme Brulee on keg; I felt obliged to mark the cask, a Facer’s Prostate Cancer beer that as you see was crystal clear (NBSS 3+).
The soundtrack was eclectic, “Children of the Revolution” the pick, and included the song that kickstarted the Draught Bass revival a decade ago.
I had an “interesting” conversation with a chap at the bar about the provenance of the UK’s new favourite beer along the lines of “It’s sludge, brewed in Wolverhampton now“. I bit my tongue, and resolved to get a T-shirt printed with “Bass. It’s sludge and I like it like that“.
Jane admired the wall art,
I loved the banter.
“Hello Kyle your hair looks nice“.
Kyle’s hair DID look nice, too.
retiredmartin 
Kyle has just had his hair cut! He’s the quizmaster.
I buy the beer for the Pint Pot, hope you enjoyed the selection although it looks like Vale Lock, Prop & Barrel had just gone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One beer had just gone, the Facer’s was very good. I’m one of those irritating people who doesn’t need a choice and will happily have a keg beer like the Beartown if necessary!
I’m always a bit cautious of nothing down the conversation in pubs but often it gives you a flavour for a place.😉
LikeLike
Our USP is to have beer on that no-one else in Rocdale has. So in general no Vocation, or Pictish etc or indeed Bass as The Flyer has it on all the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the kind words about my hair! (That day I was actually popping between PP and Gracie’s frequently!)
K
LikeLike
And thanks for taking this blog in the right spirit, K !
It’s that sort of conversation that makes pubs so important.
LikeLike