retiredmartin

August 2024. Stockport.

3 pints before the football, not that daft, surely ?

3 ticks in the CAMRA Manchester Beer Book, all great, and a bit of Stockport culture on the way to the Olde Vic.

Culture takes all forms, you know.

I reckon my fourth visit to this Stocky institution. 2002 – first ever Stockport pub crawl, 2012 – celebratory visit after City won the league, 2017 – pre-curry Christmas pint with the Southworth twins,

and Saturday’s pre-match pint with Hatters fans.

Now, I have to be a bit careful what I write, as a few well-known Stockport Pub Men have their life savings invested in this wonderful community pub, but luckily I reckoned it was better than ever,

despite What Pub warning of a chance to “sample three different ales in third-of-a-pint measures for the price of a pint”.

Of course everyone was on pints here, and all cask bar a lone chap on Stowford Press, and good for him.

The Vic had opened at 3:30 to allow 2 hours pre-match boozing, and was so packed by 3:38 I had to perch on the edge of the table near the Gents, blocking the progress of a young lady selling raffle tickets.

“Has anybody here seen Mike ?” she shouts, tracking down a winner.

“I’m Mike” says a non-Mike.

“I’M Mike” says non-Mike 2. You know how it goes.

It’s almost irrelevant that the Marble Bitter is sensational, a cool, rich NBSS 4 that would have seen me staying for a second pint in any other circumstance bar a fear of being trapped in the middle of a long row of seats in an hour’s time.