A proper collection of Beer Guide stickers for you on the front door of Baron’s Bar at the Scarisbrick, Southport’s longstanding Beer Guide regular. I arrived here via the excellent Tin Tin Chinese takeaway, leaving my crispy beef and noodles by the front door in Scarisbrick Avenue. Baron’s Bar is a smartish pubby place, but… Continue reading BARGAINS IN BARON’S BAR
THREE MERSEY MICROS IN THIRTY-SEVEN MINUTES
After a short Ya Ya break, I return to Sunday’s epic Southport saunter. If you think I’ve chosen a dull photo to head up the micropub reviews, you should see the ones I haven’t used. On the positive side, it was three new GBG pubs in 37 minutes walking and drinking, which is not to… Continue reading THREE MERSEY MICROS IN THIRTY-SEVEN MINUTES
YA YA LAND
When I booked my ticket for Manchester City v Brighton months ago I thought it might be the title clincher. Instead we’re 20 points clear with a game to go, which even City will struggle to muck up (25 point deduction for playing Queen on Sunday, perhaps ?). Last night we get Ya Ya Toure‘s… Continue reading YA YA LAND
HARD TIMES & MISERY ON MERSEYSIDE
Time cannot dull the frisson of excitement you get arriving in Liverpool Central, and emerging to a city determined to drink the place dry. The folk here should do a house swap with Newbury and contrast their Sunday nights. There’s a majestic quality to the place, only partly dimmed by the chain shop horrors… Continue reading HARD TIMES & MISERY ON MERSEYSIDE
A CHESTER HAT-TRICK
Pubmeister, the man who knows a thing or two about Beer Guide completion, was pondering the merits of revisiting a pub you’ve already done in the comments. And he’s right; to visit 500+ new Guide pubs a year you can’t really afford to be distracted by return visits. Just as questionable is the practice of… Continue reading A CHESTER HAT-TRICK
TOP 100 PUBS – THE OLDE COTTAGE, CHESTER
Odd one this. The GBG records that I visited the Olde Cottage in Chester a fair few years ago and found the beer distinctly average. So why make a special return trip, on a busy day ticking new Merseyside pubs ? Because they keep bombarding me with tweets like this, Due to unforeseen circumstances we… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE OLDE COTTAGE, CHESTER
CHUFFED IN CHESTER
The Merseyrail network generously takes in Chester, but misses the honeypots of Rainhill and Wavertree, so my £5.20 Daysaver couldn’t quite get me to two new micro pubs near the M57. You can imagine my despair. Still, I finally got to finish Cheshire at the traditionally named Goat & Munch. I remember a time… Continue reading CHUFFED IN CHESTER
30 MINUTES BETWEEN TRAINS IN FRESHFIELD
The Beer Guide takes you to places you’ve never heard of. Kicking and screaming in the case of Maidenhead, of course, but otherwise it sets you on a lifelong journey of discovery. That’s how I described our four nights in Pontins Southport back in 2003, before a recent refurbishment raised it from “Hellish” to merely… Continue reading 30 MINUTES BETWEEN TRAINS IN FRESHFIELD
SOUTHPORT : IT BEGINS
Last Sunday, after a week selling charity tat, I set off for Southport, home to the world’s biggest lawnmower museum and half the UK’s micro pubs. I waved goodbye to my favourite bar towel, and drove the 4hrs 20 past the great UK cities of Derby, Stoke and Manchester. Here, you get four (4) new… Continue reading SOUTHPORT : IT BEGINS
WHAT BEER SHOULD LOOK LIKE
I haven’t got a clue how beer is made (beyond the fish gut bit), but I know a well-kept pint when I taste one. And see one. So here’s some nice pictures of beer. Normally over early May Bank Holiday I’d be bringing you a report from our local’s annual Beer Festival, the high point… Continue reading WHAT BEER SHOULD LOOK LIKE
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