ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE OLD MONKEY

May 2024. Manchester.

There’s a parade in Manchester for City this evening, to celebrate the Blues brave performance in defeat at Wembley yesterday. 25 years ago we could only dream of going the distance with United in a cup final.

I won’t be there tonight, I’m no glory hunter, oh no. But I did pop into Piccadilly on Friday for a long, long, overdue haircut from Matt, and another couple of ticks in the Matt Curtis Manc Guide.

These trips across the Peak by rail get no easier. EVERY journey, weekday or weekend, packed with Hen parties and lads off to watch football and the odd ticker.

Don’t expect a seat. Well, not THAT seat occupied by the pink travel case anyway. Mrs RM shares my views on this matter.

Manchester is never quiet, even now the football is finished.

I take the route through the Gay Quarter to Chinatown.

I really ought to do the Gay Quarter run sometime;

not a lot of cask outside the wonderful Molly House, but cask is so 1972.

The well-walked route takes you along the most potholed street in Britain,

emerging to this wondrous view, one of the best pub runs in the country.

Matt works at Helvete Salon, next to the Chinatown arch, and has never been in any of these pubs, to my knowledge. I’ve failed him.

I’m not sure when I last went in the Old Monkey, but I know when I first ventured up those steps to a Holt new build fresh in GBG 96.

It was at the start of Euro 96, the week before the Arndale bomb, and Mrs RM stood on those steps with pints of Bitter (£1) and Mild (95p). Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive, as Wordsworth would later write.

Then it was a choice of two, now it’s six and the Bitter is £4.10, which is progress of sorts, I guess.

It’s a good choice, cool and very bitter (3.5), as good as the Salford pubs over the Irwell.

In 1996 we’d booked the Midland with NHS discount for £60; we’d never pay that much nearly 30 years on, and now the trade seems to come largely from tourists in the ring of hotels around Portland Street. A wordless Australian couple peruse the menu before plumping for Sausage & Mash, as Old Skool as the music.

I entered to “Rebel Rebel“, now the soundtrack moves to the Manchester classics,

before being overpowered by some unidentifiable AOR coming from an upstairs function, which from the hat looks more like a race meeting than a Hen party but I guess anything goes.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

13 thoughts on “ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE OLD MONKEY”

  2. we went into the Molly House last week- I loved it but was a little disappointed that it wasn’t very gay .On the plus side there were some nice table lamps which I coveted – my lovely husband said I could order one if I wanted- bit pricey but what is a pension for ! Pauline

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    1. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, Pauline, but your honesty is wonderful.

      The Molly House doesn’t seem very gay, despite the mural on the wall, I know exactly what you mean. There was a chap working on a laptop at the bar and mixed couples.

      The real ale I had this year was as good as it gets, mind, better than in the Peveril.

      What do you think of Manchester?

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      1. I enjoyed it but felt a little overwhelmed -I’m a small town girl these days -we just felt a bit lost -spent the morning over at Salford Quays (where we’ve been many times before ) Imperial War museum(dull ) & Lowry gallery (many odd paintings ) It was just a quick visit really on a dull day & the Molly House was as you said -chap on a lap top & a few couples -I think perhaps we should have looked upstairs

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    2. I found Dundee’s Pillars to be rather gay last month, good beer in a welcoming historic pub meaning a return visit.

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    1. We were in Prague that summer when they reached the final, watching it with Czech fans in Old Town Square, bemused when Germany scored that golden goal cheered by a lone, brave, German in the crowd.

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  4. I am reminded of the pubs that Portland Street has sadly lost. There was the Queens Arms where Holts have built the new Old Monkey, the old Old Monkey two doors beyond the Grey Horse and then the Beehive immediately beyond the old Old Monkey.

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