Wednesday 26 August 2015

BRAPA - History made in Hull

At 10:20pm on Tuesday August 25th, BRAPA history was made following a painful league cup win at home to Rochdale.  Dad drove us up a deserted De Grey Street.  There were only two small lights on, one circular illuminated sign showing A.C. (Adelphi Club) and a vague light coming from behind a door.  Dad's first instinct was that it was closed.  "Nooooooo!" I exclaimed, but we decided to get out of the car and explore......

Getting out of the car at the New Adelphi Club
739.  New Adelphi Club, Hull

And after Dad's ridiculously lame 'knock on the door', I pushed it and it creaked open, leading us into a typical gig venue entrance with unmanned table (it was a non gig night so we didn't have to pay) and loads of gig and band posters adorning the walls.  We entered an also deserted room where we found a bar serving three real ales and plenty more, and a friendly young woman (up there for 'staff of the year' contender) served us two fantastic pints of pure grapefruit juice masquerading as a Dr Morton's ale from Abbeydale, Sheffield.  We explored the 'venue' and we were both blown away by the simple, yet brilliant 'dive' style atmosphere and decor.  The beer was £2 a pint too, so that helped and the barmaid was soon chatting to us about the music playing which Dad loved despite the risque lyrics, "Hamel" or somebody?  We could see why punk poet legend Atilla the Stockbroker declares this his favourite gig venue in the land, and we heard how the owner is a passionate real ale man which really came through, as we sampled a local Atom beer called Schrodinger's Cat.  They had a Great Newsome ale on too, both we tried were perfectly kept.  We promised to come back here for a gig.  The Club has seen many bands starting out who've got onto big things, and even has it's own biography called "One Man & his Bog"!   Quite an institution.  

What a superb way to "tick off" my final East Yorkshire pub (for a week or two at least - the new GBG is out in September!) and fitting it should be with Dad who has made some of the more tricky places easy with the driving and country walks etc.  At the start of 2015, I rated East Yorkshire my most neglected county so a good achievement to complete it.  

Me and my grapefruity pint in the wonderful New Adelphi Club

I needed a boost like this, having heard a worrying BRAPA tale that Christine and her West Brom friend Aiden know a man called Duncan (now living in Glasgow) who is doing his own BRAPA combined with British football grounds called "OCD" and only has 29(?) pubs left to do!  I am a bit skeptical of the exact details and need to know more but can only assume he doesn't cross tick the Guide's or just focuses on football towns - I hope anyway, I want to be unique.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, North of York that is for Coxwold and the next batch of BRAPA ticks on Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it.  I have to go back to 18th July when I last had an official BRAPA Saturday and who knows, it could be my last day with the 2015 GBG?  In an ideal world.  I will, as always, keep you posted.

Si
  

1 comment:

  1. Congratulations on a remarkable triumph. Clearing East Yorkshire was quite splendid too.

    If it wasn't a milestone I would be really pedantic and say that this wasn't a pub but a club. But I won't say that.

    I have heard of somebody doing the full 1982 guide, because there is a write up of it in something like the 2007 GBG, there must be others doing just one guide, but I know of nobody doing what you are. I wonder what OCD stands for.

    Congratulations.

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