June 2025. Manchester.
A lot of gigs in Manchester this endless Summer, all from angsty American females you’ve never heard of, so a chance to tick a few pubs in the GBG’s greatest chapter.
All the fast trains from Sheffield head through Piccadilly towards Liverpool, but I have to change at Oxford Road, home to students, theatres and cranes.
“Can I break my journey ? I need a pub” I tell a disinterested lady at the barrier.
Yes, it’s another Mancunian Tap, there’ll be one in Weaste next (Weaste Tap, geddit !), the Oxford Road unit a pleasant little spot with more attractive seating than the Victoria.
Not the most cutting-edge beer line-up, you might say,
perhaps a man shouldn’t leave Sheffield to find Bradfield and Thornbridge.
Increasingly rare to get Adnams anywhere, though,
and this is a cool and reasonably convincing 3.4% start to the day, a choice applauded by a young barman who couldn’t have been cheerier.
But then, he gets to listen to his chosen soundtrack of deep cut Straits,
and high cut (?) Dr Hook from ’79. I wish I could have played my favourite music at work in my twenties.
retiredmartin 
I last passed through Oxford Road station, from Piccadilly to Leeds, in mid April and somehow noticed the old Hotspur Press building more than I had done before. Now it’s all but gone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, who could have predicted that a planning dispute between a developer and the council over what to do with a derelict historic building would lead to it burning down in a mysterious fire?
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was a lot of discussion about this on Blue Moon, the intelligent Manchester City forum, yesterday.
LikeLike
Was the lady at the barrier disinterested in that she’s not on commission from the Oxford Road Tap to let people out of the station to drink there? ☺️
I know the cheery barman you mean, he really is a credit to his profession.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Having carefully considered what might be done in twelve minutes without any pre-planned aids I have the following suggestions:
Inwardly sing four Stock Aitken and Waterman singles.
Mentally prepare two hard boiled eggs.
Imagine every detail of rushing for a non-existent nuclear shelter four times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
12 minutes is sufficient to return a duff pint of Brain’s Bitter and be told “It’s meant to taste like that”.
LikeLike
Hope that hasn’t happened to you recently. The last time that I had a duff pint of Brains the landlady snatched it out of my hand – before I could taste it – and said that the boss had just told her that the barrel was going back – as it was a duff batch.
Tell you what though, I’ve just discovered how Wye Valley HPA is meant to taste at the Three Tuns in Hay-on-Wye and it was marvellous. Does it not travel well, I wonder, as I’ve never previously had one anything like as good.
Bass was on at Kilvert’s too, which was…OK.
LikeLike
Arrive at Oxford Road 12:26. Time of connection 12:39. Time for a pint? Back on platform at 12:30. Good stuff this beer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good work.
LikeLike