The journey was smooth enough. The 16:20 Leeds-Huddersfield train was quick and surprisingly calm for an after-work jaunt to the west. Talking of calm, Huddersfield bus station's soothing piped music is so incongruous with the usual bus station element of chav, you can only think it is supposed to be a subliminal calming exercise. It seems to work.
The half hour bus journey took us into the rural 'Last of the Summer Wine' (I'll get that reference out of the way early) country, and it is testament to Holmfirth that the two minutes of it I saw were picturesque with a presumably inferior pub called 'The Bridge' behind a bridge and river.
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| Passage to the pub |
688 - Nook (Rose & Crown), Holmfirth - Luckily, the GBG told me that the pub was hidden down an alleyway next to Barclays Bank, and Barclays was about the first building I saw. As I took the pub photo, a grizzly bunch of locals (who reminded me of that cartoon 'Biker Mice from Mars') and an intimidating dog stared at me as if to say, "not another pub tourist". It wasn't really warm enough to sit out anyway, and the now traditional 2015 conversation of people moaning "why doesn't it feel more like summer, it's June for godssake!" was taking place at the bar as I entered. You could see the pub was classy straight away, lots of separate little rooms and seven ales from their own 'Nook Brewhouse'. I was surprised to learn I'd already tried two of their beers, one at York Beer Festival and one at Wm Hawkes in Hull. I sat in the darkened front bar with who I presumed were a couple, until the man left without uttering word. The Aussie barman was very helpful, as I sat and enjoyed a Porter (new on!) I reflected he had the best Aussie work ethic since Richard Garcia, a paradox if I ever there was one. The scariest 'biker mouse' then came in to scowl at me, as did a passing child who wanted menu's for the back room. I rose above all this scowling with a half of some average red ale before the bus back to Huddersfield. This pub has been in 30 GBG's, I could see why.
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| Beware the biker mice from Mars and intimidating dog at the Nook |
- Just to clarify, I'm NOT a beer blogger. I'm barely even a pub blogger. I'm a blogger about my lifelong challenge to tick off every pub in the Good Beer Guide. I may refer to aspects of pub interior, exterior, beer range and quality etc. in my reviews, but I'm generally reviewing my own personal experience and the efforts taken to get around (travel logistics if you will) on a given day.
- Attentions turn to Saturday and our 5th trip to Bedfordshire. I have a rough plan drawn out but a few things are variable on the day, particularly involving how much walking/taxi I do between tricky venues.
- Looks like I really am on work checking next week so Ledsham (and perhaps Garforth) can go ahead as expected.
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| Nook brewhouse ale from Tuesday's Holmfirth trip - cheers! |
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