KASHMIR, KULTURE AND KODAK

January 2026. Bradford.

2.9 miles in 37 minutes from the Crown down to the Alhambra, and a sorry tale of pub death awaits, despite a year as the UK’s Capital of Culture (and it IS a cultural giant).

This is the extract from CAMRA’s marvellous pub guide showing the area west of the ring road. Note the grey “P“s.

Fourteen (14) pubs, thirteen of them closed, and just one survivor according to CAMRA;

Honest. Look at these opening times;

That must be a micropub. Actually, I see no evidence at all that Flares has survived the cull of the Morley Street “fun” circuit.

Thank goodness there’s still curry in Bradford. Sadly, the best places (International, Sheesh Mahal) round here don’t open till later, so it’s back to the Kashmir, a Curryheute Guide perennial.

Last time here I was the only customer; 3 years later (at 3pm on a Monday in January) there’s a couple of gentlefolk and two younger mates popping in for what is a slice of proper Bratfud.

Just as people follow my every recommendation on pubs and young American songstresses, so I tend to follow Curryheute’s steer and order the Aloo Gosht with too many chapattis, which sadly is not as healthy as it sounds despite the presence of potatoes.

It’s my idea of curry heaven, the equivalent of an NBSS 4 pint of Tetley, and it came within 5 minutes of sitting down (and ordering in the same motion). Unlike Curryheute, I didn’t get free poppadoms, but for £10.80 all in I can’t complain.

It’s hard to leave the Kashmir in a hurry with curry in your tummy, as I have found out to my cost in the past. So I spent a leisurely hour in the revitalised Media Museum, genuinely one of the world’s great museums (and I’ve been to Southport’s Lawnmower exhibition).

The Kodak gallery is particularly brilliant, there’s a chance to create your own avatar (I was a rabbit, obvs),

and the science galleries pick a visitor at random to be absorbed into the internet or something.

Look, the extent of my science knowledge is Grade 4 Physics CSE, which equates to knowing that H20 isn’t just a Hall & Oates album.

Oooh, 2 minutes to 4, my train goes in 10.

I’ll be back for the Turner Prize exhibits, and more curry.

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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.

36 thoughts on “KASHMIR, KULTURE AND KODAK”

  2. The saddest closure must be the New Beehive.
    I’m so thankful that I stayed a night there in May 2018, and that he opened early for us the next day.

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    1. Lana, I had a spring 1982 weekend in Bradford, returned thirty-six years later and noticed quite a difference. Yes, you really need to get up there.

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      6. Sorry Lana, No, not since the gas lit New Beehive closed.
        But in York I was well pleased staying in the Sea Horse and think that both the Waggon and Horses and the Lighthorseman might be just as good.
        While in York try to make time for pages 193 to 195 of your Heritage Pubs book.

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      7. Lana, Not that I’ve ever found Bradford unsafe, despite the New Beehive apparently being opposite the end of the red light district, but, yes, Premier Inn is no doubt your safest but dullest bet and that’s what my wife and daughter like, but identical rooms wherever, windows that won’t open and boredom from about 6pm isn’t what I look forward to. Hence me having just booked my probably biggest trip of the year for next month staying if four different pubs to give me a better idea of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Flintshire and Merionethshire than just seeing the towns by day.

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      8. I’d confidently safe that central Bradford is safe, and colourful and interesting. A mile south towards Bowling Hall is the dodgiest part of the UK I’ve seen, bar the centre of Maidenhead (no joking).

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      11. Martin, I love visiting colourful places.
        Except when the colour is from cans of garish paint. I blame Tobermory for starting that trend. Many of us have fond childhood memories of old buildings only being rendered white. I don’t know what this country’s coming to.

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  5. “January 2026. Bradford.”

    (looks at photo above)
    No comment.

    “despite a year as the UK’s Capital of Culture”

    I can see the alliteration in this post is going to be absolutely amazing!

    “Fourteen (14) pubs, thirteen of them closed, and just one survivor according to CAMRA;”

    Bloody hell.

    “That must be a micropub. ”

    Or some late night weekend dance venue.

    “Last time here I was the only customer; 3 years later (at 3pm on a Monday in January) there’s a couple of gentlefolk and two younger mates popping in for what is a slice of proper Bratfud.”

    So, business has improved! 😉

    “which sadly is not as healthy as it sounds despite the presence of potatoes.”

    Um, not sure who told you potatoes are healthy but…

    “It’s hard to leave the Kashmir in a hurry with curry in your tummy, as I have found out to my cost in the past. ”

    (slow golf clap)

    “The Kodak gallery is particularly brilliant, there’s a chance to create your own avatar (I was a rabbit, obvs),”

    Nah. Shoulda been fox, you sly devil you.

    “and the science galleries pick a visitor at random to be absorbed into the internet or something.”

    (looks down)
    Obviously, never to be seen again?

    “which equates to knowing thatb H20 isn’t just a Hall & Oates album.”

    But your grammar lacks in knowing how to spell ‘that’. 😎

    “Oooh, 2 minutes to 4, my train goes in 10.”

    Quick! One more pint!

    “I’ll be back for the Turner Prize exhibits, and more curry.”

    Hopefully not to throw said curry on one of the Turner Prize exhibits in protest of something or other.

    Cheers

    PS – I’m back! Had a great week in Vancouver. I was glad I went, my darling wife was glad I went and she was glad she went (long story). Our hotel was good enough price-wise, and location-wise, that my wife said she’ll stay there again when the situation warrants it. Weather wasn’t all that great (some rain and wind) but that just meant I could sit in some bars/pubs (and one brewpub that I am fond of when there) whilst my better half attended meetings and pressed the flesh. At least a dozen of her family were there and, though I don’t usually say this, it was enjoyable with them. Met some folk I hadn’t seen in a few years and enjoyed some good food… and drink (with over half of it being paid by someone else). 😊

    Came home to find the heat pump in my man/shed pub had gone on the fritz and our gas fireplace had gone wonky (but that was merely the batteries being dead in the receiver for the remote). So I’m easing back into the regular routine as it were. 😏

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      1. Surprisingly, yes. Mostly for the ‘natural beauty’. Some folk can’t get over being able to see the ocean and mountains at the same time. There is a pod of killer whales that’s pretty much a guaranteed sight on whale watching tours. There’s the Capilano Suspension bridge which tourists like. There’s Wreck Beach, which is a nude beach. Stanley Park is a landmark. Gastown is a ‘cultural’ hub for artisans, art galleries, and craft beer (😉). Grouse Mountain has skiing an hiking (depending on the time of year), plus a great view of the city. Gastown is the oldest part of the city, which has cobblestone streets and historic buildings (note: our version of historic is about 150 years ago 😏).

        For a ‘city’ it does have a number of things going for it.

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      3. “I assumed you’d count as “historic” in Canada.”

        I’m reminded of that saying (I could be paraphrasing):

        Americans think 100 years is a long time; English think 100 miles is a long way. 😊

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    1. I don’t have as strong a view on queues as you might think. If staff don’t like vertical queues they should be able to say so. I’ve sat in a couple of pubs in Brighton and Norwich where folk have been standing next to my table in a queue when there’s plenty of space and felt it was a bit maddening, perhaps a horizontal line with ropes like you get at Disneyworld would work (seen at Bath Spoons).

      Mind you, I visit between 600 and 1,000 pubs a year and I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve had to wait more than a minute to get served so I’m not sure what all this fuss about queue jumpers is about. And when I did have to wait (the Crabtree in Fulham) a while I can assure a middle-aged bloke, however tall, gets serves a lot slower than a smaller younger lady.

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      1. It seems to be more a feature in garden pubs, in summer, when most people are drinking outside, and for understandable reasons maybe.

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    1. Quite a few years ago, walked the mile south of centre to buy Peshawari naans and kulfi in Bowling Hall. Felt a bit unsafe in a way I’ve never experienced before, and I’ve walked Panama and Zimbabwe.

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