May 2026. Stockport.
Having a son living in Stockport presents a challenge; will I impose on him to put me up in his spare room after a night out in Manchester ?
In honesty, I’m grateful our two lads still seem to want to meet their ancient parents so often and I wouldn’t want to push my luck, unless a cancelled last train home after the Julia Jacklin gig next year leaves me stranded.
I expect I’ll be popping over to Stockport even more often than normal, there’s been more new bar openings in that market place than in Sheffield and I need to help Emma “get into beer”.
Back from the Etihad the other Sunday I took the Edgeley exit to a pub Emma might like almost as much as the Crown.
This was the pub that introduced me to Stocky’s pub gems a quarter century ago, it’s probably where I read the first Pub Curmudgeon column in Opening Times, and it’s where I had a calm pint after City won the league in 2012.
It’s also home to some of the nicest, and sharply humorous, folk I’ve ever met in a pub. My note says “Dry slap with a wet kipper“.
Like me, the Vic was a bit subdued; County had just lost the play-off final at Wembley (next year lads) and the early evening trade was outside in the sun.
That 3.4% Three Acres pale was particularly good for the strength and a lot more resilient to the Stocky heatwave than some of us.
BIG bonus, I shazammed a track with a lone shazam. There must be a word for that.
15 minutes in the Vic and my almost customary Last Lagoon takeaway was ready.
We hadn’t eaten since an Asda cheese roll at lunchtime, so Mrs RM and I devoured nearly all of it, including what looked like a whole leg of lamb in that Kacchi Ghosht. Tremendous stuff.
Last Monsoon, but possibly our last stay at that Travelodge after the mess we made (see also : Preston Premier Inn and Mick’s Hut).
retiredmartin 
I’d always choose to be inside enjoying the peace and shade in what the normies would call “beer garden weather”
I’m surprised Mrs RM hasn’t already added the following to her essential travel kit with your messy reputation.
https://www.partyperfecto.co.uk/products/num-noms-plastic-table-cover?_pos=1&_sid=1ad8364e3&_ss=r
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24p ! Yes, we should get one of those for our next Travelodge stay.
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I remain torn over those clip on plastic catch all bibs for babies, so that everything that they spit or dribble out can simply be spooned back into their defenceless mouths.
Can’t think why I thought of that…
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If indeed, there IS a next time.
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Those bibs were inspired by autovacs.
Or was it the other way round?
Any road, waste not – want not
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Peter had shares in the Olde Vic.
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3.4% is what Brain’s new 1882 Bitter is, down from the undated “Bitter” at 3.7%. It’s fine, perhaps a notch hoppier.
I still won’t drink it in one of their daft new glasses though.
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I’d be happy to drink it out of anything Etu within reason. Following it’s refurb, Victoria Park has some fancy new hand pumps shaped like the famous Brains brewery chimney…but on my last two visits they’ve switched the Rev James/Brains Bitter for Pedigree – I’m hoping, probably in vain, that they’re on some rotation. In desperate times, I’d have gone for Brains IPA Smooth (which isn’t too bad), but now it’s only John bloody Smiths Smooth, which can stay in its keg. No gassy Barry Island either, nor even any Brians bottled beer.*
The Clive nearby has just reopened this week, and other costly refurb. It hasn’t had cask there for years, but strangely, according to onlime pictures, the GK IPA Smooth has gone (no loss), only to be replaced by John Smiths Smooth as well.
*In the end, I decided if I’m drinking something nasty, I’ll go the whole hog, and had a Caffreys Stout (which was surprisingly nice) for £3 in Miss Jones opposite the Salvation Army shop. It’s very, ahem, down to earth there.
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It’s a strange one Rhys. With the Marston’s pubco having taken over the running of the Brain’s estate we get oddities like the Halfway not being allowed to sell SA Gold etc., and being forced to play Marston’s Radio, but they’ve not put on any Marston’s brewery cask beers so far. Whatever, at £2.90 a pint for Brain’s bitter Mon-Thur it’s a winner I’d say.
The first and last “smooth” that I had was John Smiths near Filey a couple of years ago. I simply could not finish a pint of it.
I don’t follow any football side around, so I don’t find myself anywhere having to drink something nasty, and surely Guinness is the get-out-of-jail on that point these days?
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Marston’s Radio? You’re pulling my leg. I love a good bargain (it is/was £2.65 in VP), but I’d draw that line at that. Like 99% of stouts, the Caffreys one is much nicer the Guinness in my opinion.
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