July 2026. Waterloo/Crosby. Merseyside.
An afternoon in Liverpool before a gig that had just been cancelled; what to do ?
Loads of museums, but most of the Scouse culture comes in the pubs,
and the Globe or the Vines would have been top places to drink it in,
but my ticket took me up the coast to Crosby,
and on a warm and gusty day there’s nowhere I’d rather be than Crosby beach waiting for a new Beer Guide micro to open.
But as always, I get off at Waterloo, mainly so I can weave ABBA into the blog title,
and if the Volunteer Canteen had opened at lunchtimes I’d have paid a first visit in a quarter century.
Google tells me the beach is open 24 hours, which is nearly all day,
though I believe that some of Antony Gormley’s 100 Iron Men are out of sight at certain hours.
Not many folk know this installation is actually called “Another Place“, even less are aware that these are actually local CAMRA members attempting to walk across the Irish Sea at low tide to escape micro pubs and seek refuge in Douglas.
Tip for visitors : Don’t tie your scarf too tightly around their neck. And watch out for jellyfish.
One of my very favourite art works in a magical place.
Best not sit on that iron railing TOO long, mate. You never know what might happen.
retiredmartin 
It’s a long time since we had a decent cue for the Cap’n
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Martin, It’s only to be expected that railway stations tend to be smaller outside London, not only that Waterloo I’ve passed through to or from Southport but also Clapham where I alighted fifteen months ago for Ingleton.
I keep meaning to get to that Volunteer Canteen but it’s nothing like as accessible as (the) Vines.
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Waterloo is a regular bolthole of ours. Stay at The Royal, visit the micropubs on Crosby Road North, have a curry at the Ghurka restaurant near the Old Tap and finish off in The Vol.
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