BRAPA : the archives (132-140)

Apologies for the lack of pictures this time as we scour the pubs of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, but after the excitement of Rochdale's Cemetery Hotel last time out, we need a bit of calming down period I think.  It's a white water ride, this BRAPA archiving ......

132 - FLYING HORSE HOTEL, Rochdale - 28th July 2012 and Dad & I arrived here off the train in the market square for our pre-Baum 'father & son only, no one else allowed' pint which is sometimes a nice way to catch up.  We had chosen it primarily because it was an 11am opener and was new in the GBG.  Although it had 'hotel' in the title, this felt more like a no nonsense lounge style pub with lots of blue carpet, a fireplace etc.  I seem to remember and staff with tattooed forearms.  The range of ales wasn't perhaps as jaw dropping as hoped (especially compared to the Baum) but we enjoyed the local ones they had (JW Lees I think) and as the sun streamed in through the window, it was a nice serene start to the day.  I did have to stop Dad looking at the food menu, he does get a bit carried away by them at times!

133 - CROWN & KETTLE, Manchester - Back to 7th September 2011 and day two of my midweek double-header watching the Swingin' Utters (best band of all time in my opinion) found me across the road from my Ancoats Travelodge taking stock in this ale pub.  It was only at this time that I realised the previously untapped area of Manchester Victoria's real ale pubs were on my doorstep here!  It was a very interesting building, very tall with a high ceiling and a grand sign you couldn't miss however blind you are.  There was a healthy range of ales, and I opted for an unusual dark peppery stout which was a killer to get through but gorgeous and memorable all at once.  It was very much a locals pub, so I hid round a corner and phoned Dad with progress of my travels.

134 - MARBLE ARCH, Manchester - I visited this in a torrential rainstorm on a midweek evening, probably in the spring of 2012 so maybe April then, before watching the Mahones.  I ran to get here as the rain started as I only had a t-shirt and some very unsuitable footwear.  It'd been sunny all day.  Well, it's quite a famous pub for it's old heritage, ornateness, mosaics etc and the big thing that struck me, was the strange shape of it where you can stand at the bar and all the angles look wrong!  Marble is a superb brewery too so the ales on were plentiful and top class.  There was a back dining area which looked new and lacking that same wow factor as you go back towards the loos.  Space was at a premium so I perched at the bar, determined to be "where the action was".  I debated getting a taxi with some orange coated worker, smoking at the door, but I unwisely decided to walk and was drenched for the entire evening!

135 - PARAMOUNT, Manchester - I've been here 3 or 4 times as it is a Wetherspoons and as my initial pub preferences in Manchester took me to the likes of Briton's Protection and Peveril of the Peak in the Oxford Road area, this was a good starting point whilst waiting for these to open so 1/11/08 before the 4-3 defeat at Man Utd was probably my first visit.  I returned here when I came to watch "Far From Finished" probably in 2010 and had good standard ham, egg & chips served by a jolly young bar chap who seemed to be confused by the whole order and drink request despite me being the only customer in the pub.  I may have been in here since before a Manchester away day, very much busier this time.  Ok, it is standard Spoons but good ale, staff & food mean you can do a lot worse if you are waiting for other pubs to open at 11-12.

136 - STALYBRIDGE BUFFET BAR, Stalybridge - An absolute gem of old, a proper buffet station bar, one of only two proper ones along with Bridlington in the country according to my cracking heritage ale guide.  I first came here on the first Welly gang summer trip in probably July 2009 before the Transpenine crawl really became full of idiots who eventually ruined it.  The problem for me here (and you can't blame the pub) is that on each of my three visits, I've been slightly worse for wear as you've generally had to negotiate Dewsbury and Huddersfield by the time you get this far down the line i.e. to the end!  The inside is great but a bit of a long, thin squash serving not just beer but chocolate bars, sweets and even little toys I think.  But my overriding happy memories here are of resting your pint on a little cart just outside on the platform, eating a bowl of local very tasty black beans (trust me) and basking in the sun waving at passing trains.

137 - ANVIL, Wigan - Wigan became one of our favourite cult away days in those first two season's in the Premier League, and this pub was a massive reason why, having been lauded to the maximum in the "football and real ale away days" books that we got for the couple of years they existed!  I don't think I visited this pub when I came to the Gooligan-tastic league cup game in August 2007 so my first visit as part of the Welly gang must've been 22nd March 2009 and yes, we were very impressed.  It has a traditional feel and a few nooks and crannies, if not particularly separate drinking areas so you don't feel too exposed, though it could perhaps be a bit warmer and more comfortable.  Being an 11am opener drew is in aswell and most beers come from the local AllGates brewery, which I have always been a fan of.  We returned for the FA Cup game in Jan 2010 where Barry from Goole (something about him and this town) told us in his own inimitable style about his snowy journey across the M62.  By the time we came here for a final time in May 2010, it was a bit rushed due to time and despite more AllGates fun with friends, Dad and I came to the conclusion we weren't as impressed as we'd initially been and may think about doing something else if we ever come back (so probably next season then!)

138 - BALTIC FLEET, Liverpool - 'Twas early July 2010 and a group of friends went to Liverpool to celebrate Ric's birthday, he being from Runcorn and me having learnt what a great ale city it was while we'd been in the Premier League, it all made sense.  Tensions were evident between my sister and Ric in the Philharmonic, who's relationship was coming to a close, but we then met up with his parents' here a bit out of town near the Albert Dock.  This is still my only visit to this pub, selling their own Wapping Beers (about six were on when we went) which were very good.  The pub was bare boarded and had a nautical theme, reminded me of a few I'd been to in Plymouth, and the atmos was typically jolly Scouse from staff and locals alike.  I was told of tunnels found under the pub which might relate to smuggling and press ganging of the past, so I was relieved when we left the pub in one piece, sister and Ric not lost down any chutes!

139 - CRACKE, Liverpool - It was Christine who encouraged us to come here, not on our initial trip and the blinding sun makes me think it was probably 26/9/09 before an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Liverpool which finally brought us down a side street to here.  This pub has a rich local history, with stories of John Lennon drinking here in his college days etc.  I remember a very small hatch servery, two characterful barmaids who seemed to run the place with an iron fist, some local muses sat around trying to be cool, an impressive colourful mural in the main back room, and great music throughout. There weren't too many beers on when we went, but one of those traditional Liverpool pubs where it's all about quality over quantity, and here had plenty.

140 - CROWN HOTEL, Liverpool - Our original and often first stop off point in Liverpool due to it's location next to Lime Street and generous early opening time, I've been here a good 4 or 5 times.  A good cheap breakfast is always a must before Liverpool drinking, and on our first time 13th December 2008, having been served by a young lad, Dad turned to me and whispered "wow, they really talk like that - it isn't just on TV!"  and I don't think he was even joking!   Some amazing rooms adjoining the bar are stunning, as is the main bar itself and no surprise it is in the heritage guide - takes a bit of heating up in winter with high ceilings but old pub features in abundance like those old push bells that never work anymore, shame!  In the early days, the beer range and quality was quite poor with a cloudy Jennings Cumberland sticking in my mind, but more recently I've had some cracking quality ones, most notably post-match  when we were rushing a bit.

So there we have it,  140 done, plenty more to go.  Stay tuned for more pubs from Manchester and Liverpool, we may also take a foray into Norfolk too.

Si

BRAPA - Derby

Watching my favourite band of all time, the Swingin' Utters, was good enough, but the fact that the nearest gig was in Derby afforded me the chance to "get the red pen out" (as Tom would say) and tick off some more BRAPA pubs.  After all, with the possible exception of Norwich and York, Derby is as good as it gets for the real ale pubber - with so many local breweries and proper pubs making it a cornucopia of delights for me.

However, for all this yin positivity, there has to be a yang and just like my Nottingham trip last summer, it's the people.  I wouldn't say they are unwelcoming, and it's not "League of Gentleman" syndrome, but in true East Midlands fashion, it was all nervy glances and an air of "we don't give two hoots for your presence" for want of a better phrase!   To think that on some BRAPA days, I'm complaining about how sociable I have to be (like that outer Northallerton day for example), but people here (and most damagingly, the staff) barely registered my existence.  At least this allowed me to 'observe', which as a pub blogger, I guess is an important part of the day out!

594 - SMITHFIELD, Derby - After a pleasant sun-drenched riverside walk, I found my first pub looking a bit lonely, very much the only building not to be demolished in this particular part of town.  I was greeted by the strange smell of dog biscuits on entering, and maybe it was pre-emptive, as a large hungry Alsatian soon arrived to try and devour any food it could get it's paws on! As usual, I had forgotten to take advantage of the CAMRA discount but to my relief, the local Smithy Ale was £2.80 so they hadn't included it in the scheme.  The landlord/barman was the first of many underwhelming characters I encountered today, he looked like a scrawny ex-biker, perhaps the type who'd stab a rival gang member without sanction, never admit it, and leave his burly gang leaders to suffer decades of consequences.  Perhaps(!)  He made a good job of polishing the silver (cutlery) but then let the Alsatian lick his face.  The blackboard claimed "enter as a stranger, leave as a friend" and despite an enjoyable pint, there was no real warmth or atmosphere on show here.  Tuesday lunchtime might not be the time to do pubs justice in this respect however.

The Smithfield from across the river

I then followed the canal path round past Pride Park (sorry, the iPro stadium) to my Travelodge (surely also needs renaming the iProLodge), checked in, had lunch and was ready to crack on with some serious pubbing.

595 - EXETER ARMS, Derby - 2013 Derby pub of the year, so highly recommended, and I could see why.  It is the main outlet for Dancing Duck brewery and the full range was showing, I think I got one of their bottles for Christmas.  Today, conscious of my alcohol intake, I stuck to light ales (though I came to be hankering for a porter or stout before long).  This pale ale,  "Ay up" was one of the nicest. The pub itself was wonderfully old skool, with many rooms and a fantastic settle snug, very rare to see nowadays.  As I was getting served, a Brummie couple of visitors declared to the landlady "we've got gas!" and as everyone was about to put their hands to their noses, explained it is Brummie for "we really love it and we don't want to leave!".  Hmm, well it takes all sorts.  The main boss of the pub seemed to be a very characterful West Highland White terrier, ultra characterful and friendly.  Glad I didn't stand on him now.  The pub was friendlier than most, the old music added to the ambiance but my one criticism would be it was too foody and sitting right next to the kitchen didn't help.  As a very multi-racial family came in for an after school pint in the settle, I wondered if I'd felt less like an outsider if I'd been in the snug and not just outside it!  

Great Dancing Duck ales in the impressive Exeter Arms

596 - PEACOCK, Derby - My third pub took me underneath a scary underpass to this very local locals pub, and I have to say, in many ways it was the pub of the day despite never hearing anyone mention it before in Derby real ale circles.  A fantastic range of ales and ciders were on offer, 14 I think with some in the cellar and I went for another local one, Hartshorne for which this is the de-facto brewery tap I believe.  But herein lies the problem, the staff were more mute here than anywhere else.  Sure the locals were having a jolly whale of the time around the bar area, but both man and crazy haired woman didn't utter a word when I really could have done with a "what style of beers do you like, we have this, this and this here and this down in the cellar?" style staff effort.  However, the pitch of the pub was perfect.  By which I mean one roomed, bare boarded but cosy and intimate, no food but some filled rolls on the bar, old Derby County memorabilia from a time long ago when they were good.  As Cloughie looked down on me, I felt as content as I did all day.  Two more dogs, one like an overgrown rabbit and the other yappy and crazy, added to the old style atmosphere and a theme of the day really seemed to be a dog in every pub.

Excellent proper pub at the Peacock, didn't feel very Marston's! 

597 - FURNACE INN, Derby - Current pub of the year now, and in Derby standards, that's really saying something.  So whether I'd done the usual "build it up in my mind too much", I'm not sure but despite being very good, it fell a little bit short of 'best pub in Derby' in my increasingly sozzled eyes.  The local brewery represented was "Shiny" and the New Zealand hopped ale was powerful but very flavoursome.  I'll be looking out for their beers again.  The pub itself was quite spartan, very much a serious drinkers pub with a games/function room, and a big group of local CAMRA men sat around discussing village pubs in Derbyshire, so I tried and failed to make notes for future Derbs trips.  Also, I quite secretly hoped they'd ask "why I was in their pub?" but no chance of that in the East Midlands!  I missed the CAMRA discount as well, and they had a no shrapnel policy, meaning all beers were rounded up and down to the nearest 10p.  The customary crazy dog was on display, a growly black lab but most visitors got more of a growl than me, despite the crazy red jacket I had on! 

A beer delivery was going on too, something you don't normally see in the afternoon but made me think the beer was probably fresh!  I got an urge to wheel a barrow into the pub so I could make a very bad "barrow in furnace/furness" joke.  It was time to move on. 

The Furnace and beer delivery on Tuesday arvo in Derby

598 - FIVE LAMPS, Derby - After a succession of pubs specialising in one particular local brewery, it was noticeable how much more tied this pub felt.  It had the unmistakable Nicholson's feel, it even smelt like a Nicholson's but whether it is or not, well, I still can't find out.  Just the range of beers and blackboards certainly meant it felt more part of a chain.  Don't get me wrong, it was very nice, with a large loungey feel different from anything else encountered today.  It seemed to cater for a more upwardly mobile Derby citizen (i.e. employed people finishing work!) but despite not feeling overly busy, seats were at a premium so as I'd done with Dad in Stockport's wonderful Boar's Head, I used a stool and mantelpiece over a very nice fire to position myself.  As locals gleefully watched the news going mad over Jeremy Clarkson's suspension, I achieved a landmark moment in checking in my 1,000 distinctive beer in Chatsworth Gold, the only unusual guest I could see.  I also had the feeling something was missing, and then it hit me .... "no dogs!" 

Five Lamps : A very different type of Derby pub as dusk falls.

599 - HORSE & GROOM, Derby - With time ticking on, I marched down to Elm Street but there was no nightmare here (sorry) as I found another backstreet community local, full of happy old punters and I also recollect the staff may actually have said "hello" here.  Surely this was the alcohol kicking in as I was quite drunk by this stage.  I had another local brew, a Bayswater "Torque" of stunning quality.  I sat with my back to the bar, still don't understand why so many people insist on standing in pubs when there are seats available, especially when they are over 70 years old!  The pub was quite basic, just as I like it, with low bench seats and darts teams, pool teams, noticeboards advertising live music.  I guess the "West End" area of Derby is different from London's version, and good I say.  A healthy contingent of dogs were present, they seemed by now to be a reassuring presence.

Great local pale ales were the theme of a great day (this pic was taken in Smithfield)

I drank water throughout the excellent gig, felt fairly sober by the time I walked back (but not along the river just in case!) to the iPro Travelodge, had an okay night sleep, back at York today.  Six more pubs done,  Probably should have eaten more through the day but successful on the whole, and still EIGHT more Derby pubs to achieve.  Return trip in 2015/16 perhaps?  Great place for an ale day out.

Si

BRAPA : the archives (131) Cemetery & a Rochdale Special

We have a new leader in the race to find my earliest GBG tick!

131.  Cemetery Hotel, Rochdale

When trying decide the date of mine and Dad's only visit to this glorious heritage pub, I found myself reminiscing on Rochdale, one of the original "great away days", for even in those dire Terry Dolan days, we always seemed to have a good chance of winning in this wonderfully bleak town, a blueprint for terrible 1960's town planning with a huge concrete shopping centre you cannot negotiate and a football ground almost as inaccessible as the identikit modern "out of town" efforts you see everywhere today.

We seemed to be at Rochdale almost as much as Boothferry Park in those days, only Brisbane Road had the same "home from home" feel and if any Hull City fan over the age of 21 would claim that Spotland is a "ground tick" for them, I'd have to tell them they were a plastic glory supporting Allam whore, now that wouldn't be harsh would it?  In those days, Hull City fans didn't have to sing "Hull City away, we'll sing all day" as a congratulatory back slapping exercise, it went without saying.

So let me bore you with a trip down memory lane to try and work out when I stepped foot in this wonderful hostelry, which all I can remember about was good beer, a real fire (it was a cold dark evening game), and stories on Tiger Chat that later in the same evening, Lisa Stansfield was in mingling with other Hull City fans.  When I first mentioned this pub to John Watson many years ago, he found it hilarious there was a pub called the Cemetery!  In the Spring of 2002, I wrote a poem called "Cemetery" when I was going through my Horror-Punk phase (AFI, Tiger Army, Groovie Ghoulies etc), it was possibly inspired by this pub (a line about stale beer, not that it was!) but was more about loss of identity.  Harsh stuff as I got to grips with being in full time employment.

So let's go back through the season's in order .....

Recent friendly game aside (covered in the archive reports on Baum and Flying Horse), our last league game here was 20 Sept 2003 when Stuart Green thought he was god and pre-match, we found a guide pub called the Brittania and despite a long walk in the rain following a battered Autoroute map, my Game & Guinness pie remains one of the best pub meals ever.  Beer was good too.

The season before this, Tues 29th April 2003 Dad picked me up front work and we tried GBG pub Cask & Feather, which had snooker on and was very loungey and local, it was ok, not incredible.  Peter Taylor was late for the game, but we weren't!   No wonder we lost.

And it was also a Tuesday night defeat at the season's end in 2001/02 when on 9th April 2002, Dad and I used the "Inn Brief" section of the 2002 GBG and stumbled across community local, the Albion which was like stepping back to the 1920's with music and the landlord shouted to his wife down in the cellar to bring us some sandwiches.  An incredible experience, I hope that pub is still standing.

Rewinding another season, we suffered a 0-1 Boxing Day defeat in 2000.  With pub time not on our side on this day of the year, and being pre GBG, we decided on the Rochdale Supporters Club.  No idea what we drank, a curtain wouldn't close shining much sun in on our eyes, I found a betting slip and put a fiver on a 2-1 win (Brabin first goal) oops.  Then, a rather rumbustious chap told some of most toe-curling dirty jokes ever, in front of Dad!

The previous season then, and as we didn't go to the Auto Windscreens shootout defeat (not hardcore enough), I remember the league 2-0 win on 2nd November 1999 but no idea what we did pub-wise on this day.  This was a Tuesday, I remember the game cos Neil Mann's Dad sat in front of us, and it was our first proper glimpse of our two Jamaican's looking a class act.

HOWEVER..... we came here for a televised game on Tues 12th Feb 1999 with our form on the up as the Joyce inspired Great Escape had just got underway.  Loads of fans travelled, we were awful (especially the returning Big Bob Dewhurst who never played again after this!) and there was plenty of aggro & racist chanting.  I seem to remember hearing next day our so-called fans trashing the Cemetery and the landlord banning Hull City fans forever.  It is my recollection we'd already been when this happened cos I was really sad to hear it.  Part of the reason we never returned again, shame.  So if this unsavoury incident happened post match, I reckon we were in pre-match same night, before the Lisa Stansfield knees up, and eventually, the post match trashing.

I recently asked Dad his memories of the Cemetery and he remembers us leaving pre-match BECAUSE a group of really aggressive men arriving pre-match, something I'd totally forgotten.

The season before this,  I was settling in at Uni and missed the Hateley defeat, Dad recorded highlighted commentary into a dicta phone, capturing their winning goal "live" and he sent me the tape - bless him!

And the visit before that, a 2-1 win on another Tuesday (how many midweek trips here?) was Feb 25 1997 and being underage, I probably didn't pub it but remember the best rendition of "Common Dolan" ever heard and the Rochdale fans applauding it.  As that was our first season in division 4, this must have been my first trip to Rochdale.

So in conclusion, hope I didn't bore you too much - but we have a new BRAPA leader for "first pub visited".  12th Feb 1999 nearly 3 years pre-GBG.  Wow!

Si

BRAPA : the archives (121-130)

Dad makes a b-line to the Bricklayer's, Putney (see pub 129)

In this latest edition of the archives (where I try to review and ascertain when I first when to current GBG entries), we have more from Greater Manchester including the city itself, before we say a final farewell to London......

121 - SPINNING MULE, Bolton - 16th May 2009 and with Dad and I arriving in Bolton early enough for a pint before we met the Welly gang at the designated Sweet Green Tavern (the least said about that one the better!), as so often is the case, it was Wetherspoons that got us out of jail.  Set back a bit in a square, it was still big enough not to miss with two levels and a large complicated front yard bit leading to the entrance.  There were a few Hull City fans already in, trying to calm their nerves before this big relegation saving clash, and I think I had a Moorhouses beer from nearby Burnley.  It was pretty standard Spoons fayre, though I looked kindly on it as I loved GCSE history due to things like Samuel Crompton (of Bolton's) cotton spinning mule.  Cos I am sad like that.

122 - VICTORIA & ALBERT, Horwich - Discovered on our most recent ill-fated 1-4 reverse at Bolton on 23rd Feb 2013 a day after coming back from Madeira to freezing England, we'd been in the Crown when we decided to give this new GBG entry a try.  Surprsingly for this part of the world, it turned out to be quite a lounge bar style pub with black leather bench seats overlooking a shiny silvery bar selling lots of ales from the Blackedge brewery.  The staff were a friendly bunch, and as Dad & I tried to work out what language we were waching Stoke v somebody else boring in, the landlord came over to tell us it was Romanian and why should he get screwed paying for English Sky Sports?  No one was arguing with him, but it was a bit on the chilly side (not because of him!) so we decided to move on.

123 - RETIRED!

124 -  BAUM, Rochdale - Recent national pub of the year around the time I came here with Dad, Ben & Tom for an incredibly pointless but hilairiously enjoyable pre-season friendly at Rochdale on 28th July 2012.  Pronounced "Borm" which I didn't know at the time, you could tell you were in somewhere special due to it's popularity and the sheer range of beers on.  Split little levels gave lots of different nooks & crannies in which to sit and the food was of the non-annoying simple but good variety.  I felt a bit like a kid in a sweet shop, and wanted to try them all - but time was ticking on and Spotland isn't really near the town centre at all!  Wanted the chance to come in after the game, but as it was, we only just caught our train with about two seconds to spare.

Real ale heaven at the Baum (Dad is engrossed in a crossword though!)

125 - BAR FRINGE, Manchester - 7th September 2011 and I was on day two of an ambitious midweek double header watching my favourite band, the previous night in Newcastle, today in Manchester and despite working all week, I simply lived out of a bag for two days and commuted to Leeds.  Staying in a Travelodge at Great Ancoats Street, I decided to explore surrounding pubs being close to Victoria station.  This was possibly my first pub of the evening, a little hard to find Cafe type frontage, very quirky decor inside - I remember the motorbike in particular and lots of rat related artwork!  There were some great beers on and I had one of those Blackjack ones (with the playing card pump clips), weird what you remember isn't it?  The old skool landlady was excellent and although I felt briefly conspicuous perched on a ledge near the bar, everyone was so quirky and alternative, I relaxed into it all pretty soon.  Nice little place this.

126 - BULL'S HEAD, Manchester - It was the evening of Sat 16th March 2013 when I first came here, after a very sociable A-Z "L" trip to Llandudno where despite being on my own, talked to array of strangers at various pubs!  I'd got a bit sick of a Manc station drink consisting of either the Wetherspoons or Piccadilly Tavern, so it was nice to be able to eventually fathom out a "different" station exit down an escalator and cross the road to this pub, surprisingly homely for a "close to station" effort.  A really nice barmaid started asking me about my green leather jacket (replica from the film "Wanted") when I was rudely interrupted by a Chinese Man Utd fan saying he'd left his scarf (probably half n half) here, and the moment was gone!  I settled into a seat under the stairs and some young lads starting a night out engaged me in a bit of "man banter" as they probably call it ("manter?") and were generally nice lads.  Also, I remember the pint I got (Atlantic something) being absolutely amazing.  I've been in here twice since, in March 2014 with Dad who was suitably impressed and we drank excellent Banks Sunbeam, I realised this was actually a Marston's pub!  I also came in recently, Feb 2015 after Stoke for a half though the whole thing was a bit rushed as I struggled to get served for ages despite it not being too busy.

127 - CASTLE HOTEL, Manchester -  Another pub ticked off on one of my "Manchester Gig Great Ancoats Travelodge stopovers", this could well have been when I went to see Mahones (no idea of the date, perhaps Spring 2012) as it was teeming with rain as I made my way down into the city centre where the venue was, and popped in here.  I was expecting a pub full of old locals having read the guide description about Grade II listed and Robinson's but what I found was a pub choc-a-block of wall-to-wall students.  Having got served a pint of possibly Unicorn at a side-hatch, I realised the front bar had no seats and the back bar seemed to be about to host a live music gig of it's own, though the vast majority seemed here for drinks and socialising.  I breathed in and stood in the corridor between bars, supping my pint and smiling weakly at student girls who constantly barged passed me, apologising as they did so.

128 - EUSTON TAP, London - I caught on very late to this unique building when it opened as a pub a few years ago to give drinkers yet another option in the Euston area.  For a while, it was Dad's "pub of choice" on the way back from his various pension meetings in London but my first visit was 11th Dec 2010 when I came here to find the Welly gang to tell them Doric Arch was kindly going to screen our game at Palace in the teatime kick off.  Well, despite feeling a bit guilty for the DA, I was persuaded to stay for a pint (possibly Punk IPA, possibly even a cask version before they went keg only) and I have to say, it was a postage stamp of a place, a strange white building on it's own with the only space if you go up the spiral staircase.  Chris D went off to the match, I nearly joined him but thought better of it, and we retired to Doric Arch.  We went 2 or 3 more times that season when the weather improved as the outside area is quite large.  I remember meeting everyone back here post match once where it felt like being at the finishing line at a marathon, waiting to applaud whichever person I next recognised sprinting round the corner to be next at the bar for post match refreshments!

129 - BRICKLAYER'S ARMS, Putney - The first time I came here was with a full Welly gang quota on a snowy 7th Feb 2009 before our first Prem trip to Stamford Bridge.  This pub had come highly recommended, and not only was it owned by Keighley's own Tim Taylor's, but they also had a forthcoming Yorks v Lancs beer festival on - very strange but pleasing behaviour for a pub in posh London.  However, being in 'posh' London, you could expect to pay £4 plus for a pint of Landlord which is ridiculous, still the quality was excellent.  I remember the weather cos a man and kid with a sledge came in and chatted to us for a bit.  I was less enthused by the pub on our visit 8 months later before a Fulham Monday night, it was standing room only, plastic glasses but still lacked any life or atmosphere.  I was stood with Ric and Colin Scunthorpe and I don't think the three of us uttered a word for about 30 mins at one point!  By the time we returned nearly 5 years later (just me, Dad and Tom this time) it was no longer Tim Taylor owned but my sadness was short lived as they had ales on from all sorts of interesting breweries like Yeovil and Kissingate.  However, the ales were much of a southern muchness and more polycarbonate glasses and a draughty door didn't help make this a pub of the season contender.  We went back post match, things improved beer and atmos wise in the beer garden, but we missed our connection in London and this pub's been (unfairly) held partly responsible!

The Putney Pig staring at me, before a 2-2 draw at Fulham Apr 2014.

130.  MAD BISHOP & BEAR, Paddington - To say this is a Fullers Pub on a upper concourse above Paddington station, I have quite a lot of time for this place and have been there with relative frequency on any football/BRAPA days that involve passing through here.  21st Jan 2012 pre-Reading away may not have been the first, but is the first I can remember because of a superb cooked breakfast.  I often eat here, though the reason for this is mainly that the staff don't let you drink before at least 10am if you aren't ordering food.  I also came here before my first A-Z outing at Bath in July 2012, and more recently, it achieved another first in my first pint of the 2014/15 season pre-QPR.  The staff are always friendly here, food is good, I like the raised areas and little booths, and it never seems too busy or full of the type of scum who sometimes frequent this style of pub (not that I'm a snob or owt!)

Top breakfast at Mad Bishop n Bear, and I ate most of it!  

So there we go, ten more down but look out for a Rochdale special coming up next!

Si

   

BRAPA - Hull Utd day

It's been a slow start to March despite by optimistic claims of a "30 pub month" but at least a trip with Dad to see our first ever (and possibly not last) Hull United game, gave me the chance for two more valuable East Yorkshire ticks in what has been a good last few months for the neglected EY region.

Problems early on as our first tick, the Beech Tree in Kirk Ella was not open at the 11am as suggested by the guide so it was off to Cottingham for pre-match.  We started at the Blue Bell which we visited back in December, a poor effort from the East European barmaid marred a good pint of Hobgoblin Gold in comfy if not pubby surroundings, and I was glad for it's sake I'd already reviewed it!

591 - King William IV, Cottingham

My final Cottingham tick of three was unsurprisingly a Marston's effort, continuing their dominance in this part of the world.  My theory is EY is a real ale backwater and it's easier to monopolise the market here than somewhere like say, the West of the county.  The King Billy is a two roomed pub, with a lounge that looked quite busy and a bar which looked quieter, but as we walked through, realised it was heaving with locals playing darts, a cackling group of women and old regulars blocking the bar.  As we sat down to a rather farty Banks Sunbeam at the old gaming tables, we could at least appreciate the sun coming through and the traditional pub feel.  A few families came in with some very nice looking standard food coming out of the kitchen and tempting Dad's nostrils as an old stager ordered fish n chips!  The one barmaid had to work very hard to cope with the rush, and with the Railway pub in mind, what is it with Cottingham pubs being full at 12 noon?  Very rare I normally find on other trips around the country.  Things had calmed down a bit, a better second pint of Marston's Empire followed and despite having to persuade Dad to stay here, we warmed to the atmosphere as wave after wave of characterful old locals came and went within minutes.  There were more ales than pumps too, which is always good to see.  So after a rocky start, we became quite fond of this 'grower' of a pub.

Me arriving at the King Billy in sunny Cottingham 

After a thoroughly enjoyable match which the Citizens won 3-0 (all the goals from 82 mins onwards) against a stubborn Goole side, it was off to our "now open" post match tick, though I had to twist Dad's arm a bit to make the trip.

592 - Beech Tree, Kirk Ella

Another pub that left me with mixed feelings, the huge car park and vast open plan pub layout did make it feel like some family Happy Harvester affair with a typical EY crowd of families, tattooed couples, limping old folk (that wasn't just Dad!) and women drinking Prosecco by the gallon.  However, in the plus column, this pub is owned by Ember Inns who are one of the better chains for real ale, offering CAMRA discounts and interesting guests.  Not a sniff of Marston's here and I was glad of the change.  A guest Bateman's ale was the most enjoyable of the day, they also had the superb Kirkstall Three Swords on as a regular beer which is always rare.  Despite the slightly sterile atmosphere, it was comfy enough and unthreatening as Dad and I sat on a high stool around a corner, deciding it just wasn't quite warm enough to take advantage of the front outdoor picnic tables.

Dad grins n bears it on the entrance to the Beech Tree.

Overall, two more valuable ticks but I'd have been pushing it to ask for the Ellerton tick on the way home, think I'll have to invite Dad round one day in the summer to get that one.

Latest News

Onwards and upwards then to Derby on Tuesday, I'm looking at 5 or 6 pubs minimum to get March really going.  I'm also adding a tick as when doing my archives, I realised I'd definitely been to the First Chop in Ramsbottom so we'll call that pub 593 (next archives addition coming soon, we also have a new leader coming up for the 'earliest pub visited' challenge).

Dad has the modern day form of tendonitis.  That combined with some email backwards and forwards with Ben means that Saturday's trip to Leicester means again, pubs will be limited but looking forward to the Salmon and a nearby Wetherspoons called High Cross may also be an option.

But it's East Beds day the following week I really have my eye on for top BRAPA adventure.  Biggleswade x2, Broom and Dunton are the "musts" with Sandy, Potton, Henlow and Shefford being the maybes.  I've booked May's trip to Dunstable and now have my eyes on what I'll be doing in Beds in June! Long term thinking.

In other family foot news, Lu's ankle is improving but the progress is still slow (first physio appointment not until a week on Monday) so when she'll move back in is anyone's guess.  Even a St Paddy's day return a week on Tuesday is not looking a formality.  Gotta be patient!

Si

BRAPA - Stoke

An away day in Stoke might have ended in a lame defeat, but at least the final two pub ticks in Stoke itself provided some consolation, as I'd only been expecting one at the most.

589 - Wheatsheaf, Stoke 

Dad had us on early train tickets, so we were in the town (with Tom having found us at the station) well before the White Star's 11am opening time, so despite the scary locals and signs showing "no away fans, no colours, no caps, no tracksuits, no breathing etc. we pushed our way into the pub and thankfully found a fairly standard Wetherspoons, but with a good range of ales - sadly, the Lymestone was turned round but Titanic Plum Porter well kept like this is never exactly a bad second prize!  Most people were having breakfasts, there were a few typically bald thickset Stoke men but on the whole, a good standard pub tick of this nature. Plus, my "Pointless" style quiz went down well.

Me and Tom, about to brave entrance to this 'Spoons in Stoke.

590 - Glebe, Stoke

Some good post-match bussing from Tom & myself (Dad had gone in front) gave me ample time for a pint in my remaining "Stoke itself" tick, especially as the 17:48 to Manchester Picc seemed delayed by a couple of mins.  This was a really pleasant surprise.  I was familiar with Joule's brewery from last year's trip to Chester, and a pint of Slumbering Monk was dark & rich and exactly what I needed after 90 plus minutes of dross.  The pub was predictably full of Stoke fans, but they were a happy and friendly bunch, the likes of which I've not even encountered in the White Star (our pub of choice).  The staff were good and had to be as after I arrived, it soon became very busy indeed so I did well to get a stool seat towards the back of the building.  The pub was atmospheric, lots of dark wood and seemingly very old with great features like restored stained glass and those snob screens at the bar.  With candlelight being the main light source, it felt almost relaxing back here and you won't get too many close to train station pubs like this on a matchday.  

Restored stained glass & Joule's ales, a great Stoke pub

The journey back afforded two more real ale pubs, the Bull's Head in Manchester and the York Tap as I made the most of my evening.  Bad defeat, good day and it made me think Staffordshire is one of my more neglected counties.  I'd fancy doing Stoke's suburbs (Hanley, Longton etc) plus Stone and Newcastle-under-Lyme look interesting.  But I must focus on Bedfordshire for now.

Other BRAPA News

• My sister's ankle pot is off, but recovery is slower than she was expecting so rescheduling my Elland trip for Tuesday 3rd March may have been a touch optimistic,  With Derby on 10th, I'm now looking at a 17th St Patrick's Day return for West Yorkshire Midweek fun.
• I've been speaking to Dad about the possibility of him driving us out to Half Moon, Ellerton one day for that most difficult of forthcoming East Yorks ticks.  It'd have to be a weekend, but he seemed keen to maybe combine it with a Hull City or Hull Utd game in the coming months, probably post-match.
• I was sad to read of the closure of the Cricketers Arms in Bedford last August.  This was one of my first official BRAPA ticks in April (probably around the 380-390 mark in real terms) and was notable for them laughing at me because I couldn't operate the latch to get into the pub.  It was called the Welsh Embassy by locals as it served lots of Brains beers.  Staff and locals were characterful and I guess it'll be a loss to the Bedford real ale scene but the landlord and landlady were apparently being screwed over by the evil pub company running it.  Sad.
• On a happier note, we are now in March and after only 16 Feb ticks (made the best of a bad job I'd say), I've got my eyes on the magic 30 mark again!  Pub of month was Swan with Two Necks in Stockport, not just because I was drinking a pint of Old Tom.

See you soon, Si

BRAPA : the archives (111-120)

On this latest, and long overdue edition of the GBG pub archives, we will mix things up a bit by starting in Greater Manchester before returning to London for the second half.

111.  Old Market Tavern, Altrincham

1st September 2012 and Alty was to be my letter A for the highly popular A-Z challenge I conducted from 2012-14 and although Bath had controversially been my starting point, me, Jig and Krzb came here by default (the only pub in the guide for Alty at that time) for a brilliant pre-match session before Altrincham v Histon, our 'culture' of the day.  A board of eleven ales saw a superb range, and when one went off, another immediately replaced it and we were soon treating it as a football team sheet with subs and trying to work our way through the squad (so to speak)!   With Jig on a quest to find a cashpoint (he always does this!) and Krzb wandering around and exploring (he always does that!), I had an early uncomfortable experience as a scary man in a Celtic top and headphones sat practically on my knee despite the pub being empty, you do sometimes get that "this is my regular seat" nonsense.  Little Plough at Donny, Hull's Burlington Tavern and Newcastle's Crown Posada have also seen the same fate.  Things settled into a great session, staff were helpful and characterful.  We eventually sat outside in the searing heat as Jig was sure we were missing out on sun.  In truth, it was quite busy out, the 'beer garden' was nothing to write home about (outdoor bin area if anything) and it was too hot, I'd just ordered a Chilli Chocolate Stout and it was not the perfect drink under the circs!

Great beer selection at the Old Market Tav, Alty

112.  Barristers Bar, Bolton

A gig by one of my bands of the moment, Mischief Brew, had been randomly moved from Manchester to Bolton but even in those pre-BRAPA days, my immediate thought was "ooh can find interesting new pubs".  I think this was the only one as I met sister's ex-Ric here, I think it was close to their break up, possibly June 2010.  I'd been here on my own though on this summer's Friday night, and the courtyard I found first felt more like a banging townie bar on first glance, with terrible dance music and all the ales seemed to be hidden behind huge lager fonts, with the barman seemingly surprised I wanted real ale though he helpfully then tried to offer a CAMRA discount (I wasn't a member then) but typical of the "you want real ale, you must be in CAMRA" attitude of some of these north west towns - Blackpool another offender here.  To my relief, I found a nice cosy pub area (this was part of the Swan Hotel so I'd got a bit confused finding it) and as long as the doors were closed and the townie's weren't in, I was happy.  Ric took an age getting there, and after educating him in the Barrister Ales that were on, we soon drank up paranoid we'd miss the start of our gig. 

113.  Trackside Bar, Bury

The now traditional Welly summer crawl was held on the East Lancs railway, and we met here having walked through the town chatting to the locals and deciding Bury was a friendly place. 27 July 2013 was the date, and I was immediately impressed by this buffet bar, almost as good and reminiscent of Stalybridge's one, but less famous.  There was some good simple food to be had as well, sausage & egg sarnies to get us sustained for the day, whilst there was a lot of bag swapping as I think Tom had brought me some crazy beermats.  We didn't stay here too long sadly, as we had Ramsbottom and beyond in front of us, but a fine start to the day.

Me with lit up phone pocket on steam train, shortly after departing the Trackside Bar

114.  Railway Inn, Greenfield

Speaking of Welly Gang summer crawls, I think it was probably July 2011 when we embarked on a second Transpenine crawl, this one with Dad who had missed the first.  I think that first one may have been 2009 and my reasoning is that soon after, I tried to replicate the experience with York friends (Jig was not allowed still, following his 2008 accident) when I again came to this wonderful rural pub , but it didn't really have the same magic as before, though the rickety old bench overlooking all that scenery is very joyous.  Both times, I drank Millstone Tiger Rut and had a pork pie, and both times, the English Mustard was right at the end of the jar and the last few particles had to be forced out with a knife.  Funny what you remember about places isn't it?  

115.  Crown, Horwich 

29th December 2009 and on a dreadfully wintery evening, we realised how stupid Premier League fixture lists could be as we risk life & limb over the M62 with this away day.  Having been disappointed with Bolton's pubbing and then getting to the ground the previous season, Dad and I decided to focus on Horwich and it has been something of a success ever since.  A compromise parking spot meant a long icy walk down the main road to this huge corner pub with a good few Holt's beers on.  To be honest, we were underwhelmed by our initial visit , Dad even wondering whether this was the GBG "Crown" pub!  It was cosy enough, locals were very characterful in a Lancastrian way, but we'd seen enough and moved on to better things.  However, we were much more impressed on our return from Madeira on 23/2/13 or was this because it was our first pub & ale after a week of Portuguese lager in insipid bars?  Again though, we didn't stay and found two more arguably better pubs in Horwich on Lee Lane round the corner. 

116,  Doric Arch, Euston 

Back in London and where better (or not) to start than this institution of our earliest train days of 2006/07.  Yes, it's fair to say I've been in here a good few times and had I actually enjoyed it, it could have been a lot more.  No pub has suffered more from the "Chris Irvin effect" as he created an image in the mind of not just me, but Dad, Christine and possibly others, of this bright, clean, silvery, polished haven serving 300 guest ales with football fans of all 92 league clubs (and Grimsby and Wimbledon at the time) all mingling, where you'd see a Leeds skinhead buying a pint for a Millwall man with a switchblade knife.  They would then laugh uproariously as a Luton fan told a great joke about how much he loved the Muslim community.  The truth was a fairly dingy upstairs bar, bored Eastern European staff dispensing beers from an uninspiring range, many of the eight pumps turned round.  The whole faff of getting the code to go to the downstairs loo is another turn off.  Don't get me wrong, there have been some good times and my last visit 11th Dec 2010 saw me persuade the landlord to put on Crystal Palace v Hull City on the TV because all of us apart from Chris Douglas were too lazy to go to this 5:30pm kick off after a day of drinking.  I then told him I was off to Euston Tap (see next archive edition) for a couple and to retrieve the gang and amazingly, he didn't mind so I owed to get everyone back here ASAP.  My friend John and his Dad, who'd been to Fulham v Sunderland (I'd been with them pre-match) joined us and though I was drunk, I could tell it was up there with the most boring 90 minutes of football ever played by anyone, ever!  For this experience, I owe DA a return visit. 

117.  Rake, Borough Market

7th April 2012 and arriving into London early, Dad decided to do some "culture", Tom was doing some train thing (micro-gricing or the like) and not wanting to be left out, I decided to do a foetal version of BRAPA and after a nice walk along London Bridge where I actually sang out loud to myself, I found this intriguing and unique bar hidden next to the famous Borough Market.  The pub is most famous for it's huge bottle, continental and craft range, but I was only interested in the handpumps and the young barman was very friendly and knowledgeable.  He advised me to get a polycarbonate glass so I could walk around the market with my gorgeous pint (I remember all 3 were breweries I love, Oakham, Titanic and one more) and explore.  This I did, though at 10am, I got some funny looks from other market goers.  I bought a Wild Boar sausage, a stupid trinket, and came back to the outside courtyard to relax, waving at barman and his hipster friends before hipsters were really a thing.  The bad news, the market toilets were just round the corner and absolutely stank!  They looked like they hadn't been cleaned since 1888.  As Tom pointed out in the last archive edition, he (and maybe Dad, not sure on that one) met me here and I can only think the reason we left was the toilets, or the hope the Market Porter would someday, somehow, be a relevant tick for something called BRAPA - which of course it was!  

118.  Wetherspoons, Victoria

 22nd November 2008 and after a traumatic "replacement bus service of a morning", Dad and myself were finally in a position to meet the others for a pint on the upper concourse of Victoria station before our train to Pompey.  Frazzled by the morning's events, Ben didn't have to convince me too much that a gorgeous 6% Russian Imperial Stout was the way forward, though why they insisted on staying outside the pub on one of the coldest days known to man is something I couldn't quite grasp, and kept nipping inside to warm up on the hand dryers!  I once read you could perhaps meet "the partner of your dreams, or have a brief encounter" here in a previous GBG edition.  On that day, nothing was further from my mind!  Pub wise, it felt like your typical commuter 'Spoons but I hear a recent refurb has made it brighter and more cafe like.  A good thing?  I'd have to go back.  What was impressive and notable was the beer range, even for a 'Spoons.

119.  White Horse, Parsons Green

Legendary pre-Chelsea and Fulham away pub dating back to our early Premier league days, 7th Feb '09 a probable first visit though I remember returning for a Fulham away game on a Monday night where I had £11 fish n chips (average!) and also went on 11/12/10 when Sunderland fans took over and somewhat innocently created a buffet style environment by cracking open their own Pringles, much to the staff's consternation.  Sadly, this pub has gone down in my estimation with each visit having loved it the first time, it's just too pretentious and the beers don't seem quite of the standard I'd expect from a GBG entry.  Or is that just the south?  The prices are predictably ridiculous, and on our last visit 18/8/13, it was at it's most annoying.  The Gooligans enjoyed an outdoor barbeque, it was still busy in, Christine was patronised by Chelsea fans, Ben spent £8 on half a strong continental bottle of fizz, but then we shared a pint of 10% stout which was only £4.40 a pint!  Hilarious.  They were also pushing their own brewed lager, I wasn't a fan.  And the food menu gets more stupid each time we go.   The staff were too plentiful, constantly buzzing around looking for the first sign of an empty glass.  Not very relaxing.  We gave up on it that day, I doubt I'll be back.  A shame cos on that first visit, I was raving about the 'Sloany Pony'.  A case of familiarity breeds contempt perhaps?

Me n Ben forcing smiles on our last Sloany Pony visit, 18/8/13

120.  Falcon, Battersea

Just round the corner of Clapham Junction station is this huge, historic Nicholson's house which is famous for having the longest continuous bar in the country, and believe me, I've walked around it enough.  What I love is they often have an ale hidden away from all the rest.  This place became a bit of a haven in those difficult QPR/ Crystal Palace pub day and whilst me, Mark and Ben were here 5th March 2013 for midweek defeat injustice at Palace,  Post-match, Mark was fuming about the way we were chucked out at last orders.  Talk about heavy handed.  Even the other staff agreed the young foreign girl in question had been a bit of a Nazi.  I'd been here with this Mark n Ben duo plus Dad for the same fixture on St Patrick's Day 17/3/12 where it was heaving due to Paddy's Day plus a big Egg-Chasing event going on nearby.  Not often football fans feel outnumbered.  We only got a seat in the quiet back area because Dad kept pretending we were going to "be dining with them" until we were forced to share a bacon sandwich by the snippy staff!  That day was also notable for my yellow jacket, worst jacket ever seen in a GBG pub?  However, my favourite time in here was probably our first, sat in the front window in the sun before a QPR away game, probably 25/4/11 on bank holiday Monday.  Even then, we had to get rid of a Leeds fan who insisted on talking to us because "we are all northerners together in the south".  Ugh, how annoying.

Me, Mark n Ben (not at all drunk), about to be chucked out at the Falcon 5/3/13

So, another fine set of 10 pubs that would now be called BRAPA ticks,  Nice to be back on the archives, more to come from London and Greater Manchester in our next edition,  

See you then, Si