BRAPA - Colton / Wintersett / North Cave

Encouraging people to steal the glasses?  That's a new one on me! (pub 728)

As if BRAPA wasn't a near impossible undertaking (I invented the rules so can't complain too much), strange opening times in rural areas really are the bane of my mission, though I guess it adds extra excitement to my trips.

I actually made a schoolboy BRAPA error on the Wednesday, totally forgetting this pub closes 3pm until 6pm on weekdays.  After the rigours of Accrington (lazy me) , I wasn't ready in time for the 11:10 bus so got the 13:10 from York station, it was delayed by 10 minutes, the driver hadn't done the route before, still found time to stop at Tesco for a breather, before missing the turning for Colton altogether but a local luckily guided him.  It was an interesting journey through York though, areas I don't know like Acaster Malbis, South Bank, Appleton Roebuck.

728.  Old Sun Inn, Colton

I was expecting some gastropub monstrosity so was delighted to find a very low ceilinged atmospheric two roomer with a real 17th century vibe.  If Oliver Cromwell had walked through a wall, I wouldn't have been massively surprised.  Four semi-friendly local men were at the bar, and the staff were excellent with the blonder barmaid even calling me "sir" as I ordered a fantastic 'Journeyman' from Collinson brewery.  I might demand to be called "sir" in every BRAPA pub.  The ale was much better than any I had in Accrington as I shunned the historic interior for some literal fun in the sun at the front of the pub - I later noticed a huge garden round the back as well.

At 2:45pm, I suddenly realised that the pub closing soon (or 2:30 according to the pub sign) so with my bus not til 4, I went in to ask if I could sit out with a "swift half" as they once allowed me and Dad to do at Stillingfleet's Cross Keys.  I could see no staff.  But then, the nice brunette Eastern European proceeded to lock the front bar so I said "boo!" and made her jump out of her skin, before explaining she'd already answered my question.  With hindsight, I should have pretended to be a 17th century ghost and made her serve me or else I'd haunt her.

With the door bolted behind me (on the outside this time), two young lads on bikes turned up so I delighted in telling them it had just closed.  They asked if I owned the pub, again I wish I'd been quicker and said "yes but we've closed it due to ghostly activity".  I tried to help them find another pub in the locality but they seemed to think everywhere nearby was closed, so I went for a countryside walk towards Copmanthorpe, had my drink & sandwich, and caught the (delayed) 4pm bus back to York.

Ghostly fun in the sun at the Old Sun Inn, Colton

Thursday dawned grey and overcast, a weather type that suits a midweek Wakefield.  Learning lessons from yesterday, I set off earlier today knowing again, today' designated pub also shuts at 3pm.  However, my train was delayed from York (only 6 mins but enough to put pressure on my connection) so I made a late Leeds to Kirkgate instead, and still narrowly missed my bus.  Another one was just around the corner, 15 mins in fact, so no great hardship.

What was a hardship was a deaf bus driver how didn't hear the bell go "ding" when I pressed it, it lit up so I knew and sure I pressed it well in time, maybe he did it on purpose for I was stood up for ages before I eventually asked him - and a three minute walk became a 15 minute one, so I was not in a good mood by the time I reached this celebrated pub!

729.  Anglers Retreat, Wintersett

My mood wasn't helped further as the four locals sat outside stared at me, apparently they've not seen someone in green combat shorts, yellow shoes and punk jacket before.  My look hadn't made any eyelids bat in York, Leeds, Accrington or Blackpool, but this was a real American Werewolf in London experience.  Four further oldies were at the bar with a young lad blocking it and debating whether "Malton is a marmite town", and one of them explained his dodgy shoulder socket in great detail.  The bald landlord I recongised from a CAMRA award picture was a genial chap, and he served me a cracking pint of Acorn Blonde.  I wanted to sit in the main, small, dark bar as it looked atmospheric but the young lad and his Dad blocked my path accidentally at that moment, I didn't want to go back outside, so I went to a large empty side room.  The decor captured the surroundings, pictures of birds of prey, farmers of old, horses and local landscapes, whilst the pub had a lovely old wood burnery smell, relaxing and olde worlde.  Only a radio station spoiled the calm and there was plenty of chatter from the bar and outside, a good atmosphere for a rural pub on a Thursday lunchtime.  I found out there was a Heronary near by, where I assume people go to specialise in Herons.  In keeping with the recent theme, there were some eggs on the bar, not pickled, I thought about taking some but couldn't see how paying for them worked or how I'd get them home unsquashed.  This was obviously a very good pub, but the sad thing is, it really could have been great.

Anglers Retreat - almost a classic, but I would go back!

Amazingly, my bus showed up on time and took me back to Wakefield (though with the journey here and Cloughton Newlands in mind, I pretty much lay down on the road just to make sure).

Wakefield was full of down and outs, which I hadn't noticed on my previous two visits, so I didn't hang around (a new Marston's called the Ruddy Duck didn't look worthy enough), and I was back in York for a late lunch.  Only one more West Yorkshire tick remaining!

Big credit to Mum and Dad for the commitment to BRAPA (see pub 730)

11th hour drama before my planned BRAPA (I mean "walking") trip to North & South Cave with Mum and Dad on the Friday.  I noticed on the always reliable Whatpub website that this pub was now open only at 4pm every day.  Sure, their own website and facebook page said 12 noon, as did most other sites, but none had been updated since 2013.  See what I am up against?  I phoned them 10am but no answer on three occasions.

It was time to think "out of the box" in a Jake Livermore kind of way, so in my slumber, I devised a plan to go to Fox & Coney in South Cave for lunch, do the walk, then do White Hart at 4pm.  It worked (almost perfectly).

Whether you could call Fox & Coney a pre-emptive tick is open to debate.  In my eyes, it is early days having had a re-vamp in early 2015 but the beer quality of mine and Dad's Crystal Jade from Brough (re-badged for the pub as "Coney Ale") left a bit to be desired.  Not bad, just limp.  Mum reported her lemonade was not so great either, and she may do a special lemonade blog to rival BRAPA!  Barmaid was a friendly, young, high-pitched squeaky character, good personality and she deserved her tip.  We ordered soup of the day and bread - very nice but very spicy and thick tomato.  It becomes a bit 'gastro' further back, but the front bar was popular and kept a proper atmosphere.  I even managed to steal some butter sachets for an added bonus.

We were soaked to the skin after one of the hardest 3 mile walks ever

730.  White Hart, North Cave

I was celebrating in the back of the car when I saw the pub was opening as we arrived about 16:15.  I admire any pub that tries to survive on "wet sales" (i.e. drinks) alone, having cut back on not only food but opening hours too.  I got this round in, the landlord (think Dean Windass's sensible uncle) had short term memory loss when it came to ice cubes for Mum's lemonade and revealed they were free of charge(!) which is always a bonus.  The locals had gathered for a drink on the left hand side, and a trip to the toilets revealed two comfy white leather chairs - but whether you'd want to ever sit on them is another question.  Further toilet quirks ensued with a range of SEVEN types of hand lotion/soaps - a new BRAPA record beating Bolnhurst's five.  Dad thought he'd spotted a Corby trouser press on the wall, but it turned out to be an electronic darts scorer.  Our view - if you can't count, you really shouldn't be playing darts.  We saw a sign on the window confirming 4pm was indeed the opening time ever day, which made adverts for "Sunday lunches" a bit confusing.  Beer deserves a mention as the Marston's New World Pale was simply stunning.

So New Adelphi of Hull, it's all down to you now...... one East Yorkshire pub to go!

Soaked to the skin and ready for a BRAPA tick - me & Dad in North Cave

So, three difficult but interesting pubs DONE!  No time to breathe, on to Wolverhampton tomorrow.  See you Sunday / Monday for the report on how it goes as we march on towards the 750 mark. 

Until then, 'good night out there, whoever you are mwahahahaha.'  

Si

BRAPA - Accrington

In mi' Lancashire town - a typical street view of Accrington

It's not often a cup draw is kind to Hull City (i.e. the fans), always ending up in an uninspiring Watford or Middlesbrough, usually at home.  So, to get Accrington Stanley away was something of a coup - and as if the football aspect wasn't thrilling enough(!), the BRAPA element was also great with three new ticks in a town next in line for me alphabetically in one of my most neglected counties of 2015.

725.  Peel Park Hotel, Accrington

A useful tip-off from Christine let me know this was today's S.S. (Southern Supports) designated pub so me and Dad made the most of driving and arriving early to get this one done before any suffocation might occur.  My pre-conceived notion was a very basic hotel bar, but the reality was a much grander multi-roomed old skool Lancastrian pub.  I agree with such luminaries as Dad and Clare Hoppett when they have told me Lancs is one of the friendliest counties in the land, and it was in evidence here with a warm welcome from dog, locals and barmaid.  I ordered a pint of a 'cat nap' but with the dog having displayed early over-exuberance, it seemed wise to spell out C A T, barmaid and soon we were onto W A L K and V E T, other words that dogs don't like.  Although the ale was brewed in Cumbria, I maintain it had the pure East Lancs "no frills" taste and as it turned out, was pint of the day.  Dad described the surroundings as "homely, spacious, welcoming and comfortable" and typical of the "all-knowing" SS, they had picked the best pub.  As the Wetherhill machine came in to do a pre-session reccy,  we were just finishing our drinks - perfect timing!

Dad worked hard to get both pub signs in on this pic as we arrived in Acc.

726.  Commercial Hotel, Accrington

A cross-town walk firstly made us realise that Accrington was the most Lancastrian town ever (quite an achievement when Burnley and Blackburn are considered) but we were soon at this Wetherspoons house having picked our way past a few peculiar inbreds.  It felt like an older pub that had been converted, rather than the usual post office, bank etc.  Dad, in an admirable display of responsibility, wanted a coffee but the machine was broken which might have been a blessing in disguise if the Lancastrian Water Parasite (LWP) had slithered eastwards, so a J20 was safer.  I was struggling to choose a beer, the barmaid offered me a Moorhouses Bohemia as it was today's top seller, but being based on a Czech Pilsner, it was too sweet for my tastes.  Despite her initial helpfulness, she complained that she had a bad shoulder and shouldn't be pulling real ale.  I tried sympathy, but when I then passed her my 50p off voucher, she declared she had bad eyes and couldn't really read the small print.  Possibly the best hypochondriac staff member this BRAPA year!  The layout was standard Spoons, and soon Chris D and Chrissie A were on the scene, ordering two very plastic looking plates of chilli con carne whilst I tried to work out where this tribute to a local glass company was.  Me and Dad let them finish their meals, and we moved on.

Traditional style Spoons action at the Comm.

727.  Grants, Accrington

Research had told both me and Ben (before he decided he was ill & lacking enthusiasm & saving himself up for horse racing) that this was going to be the pub of the day so the plan was to spend the majority of our time here.  Oh dear!  Well, it wasn't without it's good points.  A large building, very modern so lacking some atmosphere but they'd obviously spent some money on it judging by the decor, including a few clocks.  This is because it is home of the Big Clock brewery, and you could see the brewing equipment on-site and also smell the mash (not potato) throughout the pub.  Staff and locals were very friendly, I spent ages sampling their beers at the bar and it almost became a competition to see who's recommendation I'd go with.  Problem was, with the exception of the 7.5% Ghost stout, they all tasted the same!  It was like Welly's dying days, or Whalebone ten years ago.  Dad, Christine and Chris were even more critical than me and the latter two made a quick bee line for the Peel Park and who can blame them?  I stayed loyal, well, made Dad sit with me as I nursed the Ghost very slowly.  Ooof.  But yes, what a disappointment cos it could have been great, or they could have at least put guest ales on like the GBG suggested.

Dad needs the loo badly, but is still happy to pose for the sake of BRAPA.

So then, the hilarious game, brilliant and terrible in equal measures - why do Hull City always make life as hard as possible?  It'll still be a memorable moment of the season "come what May" I reckon!

My fingernails are shredded as the penalty shootout commences.

COMING SOON

I'll be back on Friday to review the "bonus" pubs I am doing this week, those which are plagued by dodgy opening hours, dodgy transport, or both, and don't really work on either a Tuesday after-work night, OR as part of a weekend crawl.

And then join me on Sunday for a review of Wolverhampton's best 'outer' pubs which me, Dad and Tom will be visiting on Saturday.  August is going well so far.

Si

BRAPA - from Upper Denby to outer Blackpool

Parasites in Blackpool.  And I don't mean anyone on benefits!  (see pub 723)

Last Wednesday might have been the eve of the punk festival, but with only three West Yorkshire 'ticks' still to get, I was eager to crack on.

A train to Huddersfield and popular connecting service found me at Denby Dale, an interesting rural part of West Yorkshire with a viaduct making it rather like a mini Ribblehead, with a few happy cyclists getting off here for an evening of biking.     I walked down to "Denby Dale interchange" which was a glorified bus stop where a woman and young lad told me how one bus had gone missing and the service was always unreliable.  I was therefore relieved when it was my bus that arrived on time, even the driver joked about the reliability, it was mystery to all where the 1732 had disappeared to!

722.  George, Upper Denby

I liked this pub's feel, it had that rustic atmosphere you get in West Yorks rural villages and again reminded me how much I'll miss this county when I've finished ticking the pubs off in a week or two's time.  The beamed ceiling added character, and the main bar room was bustling and lively though the pub had only opened at 5pm.  Okay, so the locals weren't perhaps as engaging as Southowram or even Thornton.  Even a local dog called Hugo went round every single person in the pub APART from me, so I disqualified him from "pub pet of the year contender" and whispered this to him when he briefly came over to sniff my rucksack for food potential.  The barmaid was of the pretty brunette variety but as an ageing local told her, let herself down by walking like a stooped old crone which was harsh but fair.  A Scottish wiry bloke zipped around the pub, he was perhaps the Dad as I heard this is a family run pub.  Following on from last week, there was more egg chat - this time of the pickled variety as someone actually consumed one, whole.  All the books were about walking in the local area, apart from one, the 2015 GBG which I almost stole by accident as I'd left mine at home!  There was a great Locale on by Small World brewery at Shelley, and TT Landlord was also sampled - the beer quality was immaculate.

The George in Upper Denby viewed from bus stop

Due to timing issues, it made sense to catch a bus all the way back to Huddersfield and again, it miraculously turned up on time and a scenic 40 minute bus took me back to town before a speedy connection back to York, no extra stop offs due to impending punk fest, which is also why I hadn't taken Tom up on the Penistone suggestion.

Talking of the Punk Fest, my first morning (Friday) dawned bright and sunny and after a lame cooked breakfast to sustain me, I met Krzb Britain at North Pier tram stop as it was a case of "now or never" for BRAPA pub ticking.  Jig had also been part of Thurs night BRAPA discussions but didn't think to get ready in time, a shame as his hotel was across the road from the next stop.  It was first time on these trams since they have made the majority of them modern and soulless.  A few minutes later, we were in Cleveleys.

723.  Victoria Hotel, Thornton Cleveleys

Such is the dearth of good real ale pubs in this part of the world, Sam Smith's pubs do get in the GBG which never happens in York anymore, but this was a fine example of top quality Sam Smith's and certainly the biggest I've been in bar the Berkeley in Scunny.  The plan had been to sit outside but the interior was so grand with wood panelling, snugs and stained glass everywhere, we had to make the most of my probable only trip here in my lifetime.  But where was the barmaid?  Luckily, a local encouraged me to ring the 'last orders' bell which had been handily left on the bar in this event.  Problem was, the OBB barrel needed changing so she vanished again for about 10 minutes, it was one of the longest it took to get served all weekend, in the quietest of situations! However, the result of this fresh barrel was the strongest and most flavoursome version of the beer ever.  We joked perhaps this proud Yorkshire brewery saves it's strongest stuff for Lancastrians.  You may have seen on the news that a harmful parasite had got into Lancs water supply - most pubs had messages saying "take your own chances" but this one specifically refused to serve anything from a soda font (and presumably tap water but they didn't specify on the sign!)  Good job I only drank beer and tea all weekend.  A fine pub.

Me at the Vic, courtesy of Krzb "jaunty angle" Britain.

724.  Bispham Hotel, Bispham, Blackpool

A few tram stops closer to Blackpool was Bispham (pronounced Bisp-um, or Buzzpum if you are really hardcore Lancashire),  This was the second Sam Smith's pub of the day and a much more run of the mill example of one of their pubs.  The building was nice enough, still quite large but not a patch on the Victoria.  A bit like Hull's Bluebell or Rugby Tav, the locals were either depressive, weird, scary or any two of those three.  The barmaid even had her lipstick painted on in a down turned clown type from, she may as well have drawn worry lines on her forehead.  The Sam Smith's OBB was much more standard, funny how the same ale can taste so different two miles apart!  Krzb even experimented mixing his with Irn Bru, to create a drink which almost worked, but was sickly sweet and smelt like puke.  We found a separate room at the front of the pub which was a bit less inhabited, so any misery didn't rub off on us.  

Me from across the road at the Bispham Hotel

And then it was back to the centre to remember why we had really come to Blackpool!  I meant the punk festival, but why oh why is Pump & Truncheon not in the GBG.  To be fair, standards had slipped and ownership has changed, but it was back to it's absolute best this year circa 2008/9.  The Layton Rakes Wetherspoons was again very good, and Gillespies is another pub that surely deserves to be in the GBG based on my last two visits, but strangely isn't.  We also learnt the UK's biggest pub, a Wetherspoons on the South Shore, is opening soon with 3 floors, 30 pumps, 16 ales minimum on at all times, and must be a good pre-emptive for next year's festival as is the Auctioneer which was de-guided but might get back in I suppose.

Jig, Lu, Andy and Lisa enjoy our first 2015 experience in Pump n Truncheon.

This Week

Football is back!  3 days late for me, and a trip to Accrington with 3 new ticks is a great way to start.  I also have North Cave on Fri but both Wed n Thu might sneak in a little extra cheeky tick - you don't get much time off work do you?  Got to make the most of life and grab it by the BRAPA's.

Si
 

BRAPA - Hereford & Sheffield Outer

Me and Sinbad at Beer in Hand (Pub 717)

A double header football weekend was a great chance to get some BRAPA ticks in.  And after an unsurprisingly painful cross country journey down to the practically Welsh town of Hereford, me, Dad and Tom were ready for our pre-noon opener.

717.  Volunteer Inn, Hereford

This could have been a very good pub.  It had all the elements, some good quality ales with a south western bent, a nice traditional farmhouse feel, it even has an old skittle alley out the back which I'm sad I forgot to look for.  However, BRAPA always reveals what an important category staff is and the Robotic but Functional barmaid set the tone, but at least meant Dad could tell us about his programme of the moment, "Humans" on channel 4.  Even me asking for HPA in it's full name "Herefordshire Pale Ale" didn't raise a "you tourist scum" smirk on her face.   There was a bit of a fly infestation too (well, two or three of the blighters) and no silage problem to blame as in Bryherstones, Cloughton.  A few other female staff seemed to be lurking in the background too, one cracked half a smile and I saw this as a massive victory.  The music (of the terrible modern chart variety) didn't add to the pubs perceived ambiance.  I held a BRAPA committee meeting, which was basically me deciding we should move swiftly on.  A shame, could have done better, it had the foundations (so to speak).

Me and Tom say "Allam Out, flies out, miserable staff out" at the Volunteer.

We then popped into the Barrels for a 'swift half'.  I'd visited this before on my "holiday in Hereford" back in I think 2007 when I first realised Hereford was not so much a large village of sun drenched thatched cottages and farmers chewing weeds, but actually a bit of a shithole.  Nevertheless, the Dorothy Goodbody's guest ale was as nice as anything I had all weekend in this Wye Valley cracker.  I may have even recognised the local sat at the bar who, eight years ago, told me not to take an indoor photo of the pub in case the landlord minded.   He left me alone this time.  Scared of Dad and Tom, obviously.  The pub staff were friendly and smiley, and a piped smell of cloves was relaxing, though it turned to garlic when lunches started coming out.

John Watson got this same poster, but he has since lost it.  Wye Valley-tastic at Barrels. 

718.  Beer in Hand, Hereford

Hereford's new "micro pub" (actually, quite a large former launderette) turned out to be my pub of the weekend but got off to a shaky start with Dad asking where the beer was!  Like two of my modern Aberdeen pub ticks, friendly host Christian realised we were "first time visitors" and took us through "how it all worked" and soon we were settling down to gorgeous local ales (Tweed Hopster, Grey Trees Mosaic Pale my favourites), dispensed straight from the barrel,  I'd been bemoaning the lack of characterful BRAPA "pub pets of the year" only that week, so it was nice to see a dog called Sinbad who was fantastic, and believe me, I'm no dog fan.  Dad had won a bag of pork scratchings for winning Tom's prediction league 2014/15, but was it wise to open them in front of this creature?  I think if someone is opening a bag of pork scratchings on Mount Everest right now, Sinbad would know about it.  We had to share them after he did the "guilty eyes" thing.  Anyway, the ales were superb, ceiling pump clip decoration really appealed to me, and two Hereford fans even joined in my random "who played for Hull City at Bournemouth when we drew 0-0?" quiz.  It was so good, we even popped back in post-match for a celebratory "swift half". An excellent place.  The Jarrod Bowen of Hereford pubs. 

Me and Dad arrive at Beer in Hand, ignore the 'craft pub' nonsense.  It's excellent anyway.

A few hours on the train and a few hours sleep later and I found myself in Sheffield at 11:02, my train somehow taking almost an hour to get from Leeds to Sheff.  Typical Sunday travel, via Barnsley.

I dusted off the cobwebs by power walking two miles to the west of the city, and how nice it was to see a near deserted city.  Sheffield has rarely been better.

719.  Francis Newton, Broomhall, Sheffield

A Wetherspoons, but not as you know it!  Although having said that, the painful lack of service at the bar was quite typical Spoons.  Having read that Mr Newton was a former steel magnate who lived here in the 1840's, I was going to get a Steel based ale from Rotherham, but when the barmaid finally turned up, the ghost of Francis Newton took me over (I think) and forced me to order a Bradfield Farmer's Stout instead - it was like a pressure came down on my head.  Anyway, he reminded me to use my 50p off voucher so not all was lost.  I went to sit out in the warm morning sun and was delighted to find a huge beer garden which stretches out into a community nature reserve.  Only 25 mins from the centre, this place is worth seeking out as it shows both Sheffield and Wetherspoons in a light you might not necessarily expect.  My calm was only temporarily disturbed when a group of students complained in the softest way possible that their "extra toast" order had gone awry.  "Extra toast, what extra toast?" was the waitresses response.  Ghost of Franny Newton strikes again! 

A hearty morning stout in the biggest Spoons beer garden I've ever witnessed.

720.  Broadfield, Nether Edge, Sheffield

A 1.5 mile walk through part of the Nature reserve and a graveyard took me to "Sheffield south", where Tom was lurking somewhere nearby ready for me to buy him a blackcurrant cordial.  This pub was immediately impressive, really friendly bar chaps, a clean yet authentic feel with many large snugs each with their own stained glass window features.  You could really see how it had been previously a bit of a soulless one roomer, but care had gone in to making it more "traditionally Yorkshire.  Great beers from local breweries abound (and South Yorks does have a fine selection) and I tried a wonderful red rye Bleeding Heart from Black Iris,  As me & Tom sat in a sunny snug and discussed North Yorks BRAPA tactics for the coming months, I felt incredibly happy and relaxed and when I went to the loo, I felt like I owned the place.  The only way I could describe it is that I'd have felt perfectly at home slipping on a onesie, ruffling a couple of old men's bald heads, and moonwalking around the perimeter.  But luckily, I didn't.  

The excellent Broadfield in Nether Edge, Sheffield

It's when you relax in BRAPA that things start to bite you on the bum, and that is what happened next.  First, I took us into the RED Lion instead of the WHITE Lion.  Luckily, Tom had still not been served when I checked in the loo and realised my mistake.  The general atmos, one beer on, and rough wedding party feel made me smell a rat.  Nice to see I've fine tuned my senses to what does and doesn't constitute a BRAPA pub!

And then, when we found the WHITE LION, it was very closed.  Well, I say that, as you can see from the picture below, the lights are on so I think our hunch that it may have been a lock-in were correct.  Surely not football related?  Who knows, frustrating anyway from a BRAPA perspective but as we were a bit behind schedule not altogether a bad thing.

Shut pub alert!  White Lion.  Note the lights are very much ON.  

721.  Sheaf View, Heeley, Sheffield

Thankfully, this pub was not only open but quiet too, a relief as we'd read it is heaving with miserable Blunts on match days.  But as you could tell by Bramall Lane, the folk of Sheffield don't care a jot for pre-season.  And who can blame them?  Even though the bar area was very open, this pub also had a great feel and staff and locals seemed a friendly bunch, I chatted to one Sheff Wed fan who enjoyed skirting with the danger of drinking on the wrong side of the city.  More great locales were on show, Neepsend Pale the latest new brewery for me but the Pokies from Manchester was even better, New Zealand hops or not!  There seemed to be about ten toilets and the magical corridors never took you back to your seat the same way you had come from.  A more narrow area and side room were surprisingly full of local drinkers.  Sheffield really is a superb place for pubs, if not football.

Tom arriving at the Sheaf View

Unlike Hereford, the match was dire but glad I went.  Tom "forced" me to pop in for a swift half in the wonderful Rutland Arms (reviewed in January on mine and Dad's Sheffield day) and it was on top form.  Like Tom said, was there really much point building Sheffield Tap?

Overall, a very good but very tiring weekend.  

This Week

And not much time to relax!  Punk festival on the horizon and I'm going to make a concerted effort to get a tram up to Thornton Cleveleys and Bispham one morning before the bands start (probably Fri or Sat).  

I've still not ruled out Upper Denby either.  Depending how well tomorrow evening's "list ticking of tasks" goes (8 things to do tomorrow evening!), I might look at it for Wednesday.

See you soon, I'll be in touch.

Si

BRAPA - Thornton (and month end review)

The BRAPA pub ticks continue to fall with the same rapidity of Hull City selling players, as I visited my fourth last West Yorkshire pub on Tuesday evening.

So it was onto the James Chester-esque 16:35 from Leeds to Brighouse, normally solid and reliable but when it does score on 'own-goal', it is normally hilarious and at a total inopportune moment.

The 697 bus from Thornton to Bradford was more Tom Huddlestone - heaving and painfully slow, but I was eventually dropped off by a friendly bus driver two minutes walk from the pub.

715 - New Inn, Thornton

A pub of two halves (but pints, you know what I mean!)

First half ..... On entering the pub, a group of about 5 locals were discussing which eggs tasted nicest.  Duck eggs was the conclusion.  I had nothing to add.  There was a certain pub camaraderie throughout, but it was more disjointed than Southowram last week.  Part of the problem was the pub itself.  A large building but I really could find a decent seat.  The left side looked dark and I'd be far too "out of the loop" sat there.  The entire right side was a Mary Celeste style dining area, the knifes, forks and serviettes were laid out, but who would use it?  This was a local as West Yorkshire gets and all drinkers were craggy old men.  Some noisy kids and Mums had draped clothes over one seating area, but at least they were outside, despite the cold rain.  Hardy folk round here.  A mini stage and a wood burner (which we could've done with being on, even in July!) were also taking up much room.  So I perched on a stool, a bit uncomfortably, especially as a back door was blowing in cold air.  I'd been recommended a Partners Working Class Hero by a quirky old chap at the bar, so I went for it, but a slight hint of vinegar was present.  It settled down a bit, maybe I was imagining it, but then another old man took back a pint of London Redemption back because it was 'sour' (and not a Saison from what I could tell).  I'm having a bad run with beer this last week after the Melbourne in York and Hedon's Haven Arms.   Getting near the end of the GBG year perhaps?

Big pub, limited seating options - New Inn at Thornton

Second half ..... It was lucky therefore all round that I'd just missed the first bus back, so "had" to stay for another.  First, the kids moved so I could get the comfy bench seat.  Then, my Acorn Yorkshire Pride was superb (they had 3 Acorn's on so perhaps this brewery was sabotaging ever other guest ale?) and then the quirky old man came to sit with me and was impressed with my West Yorkshire GBG ticks to date, and had a few stories to tell, and seemed to love the BRAPA concept in general which is always nice.  The barmaids were friendly, suspicious looking and a bit crazy.  One found a sign that said "Very Broken" but she didn't know what it had fallen off!  And the main one who served me was quizzed on a recent (supposed) arrest for GBH but said she could prove she wasn't the aggressor due to the bruises on her legs, which she wanted to show the pub.  By the time I left, everyone (4 people) were wishing me a jovial farewell and my opinion was somewhat improved.  But question marks over beer quality have to be a big issue.  The Allan McGregor of pubs perhaps?

Much better second pint - do you like my Acorn artwork? 

I was actually shivering stood waiting for the delayed bus back to Bradford and when I got back to Interchange, it was raining again, I was starving and cold, plus a direct through train to York was due in 4 minutes so I didn't do the pre-emptive pub I had planned.  I figured there'll be plenty more Bradford trips in the future, possibly as soon as Sept/Oct so no worries there.

BREAKING NEWS .... When researching Blackpool pub potential, it occurred to me I've done Castle Gardens, Carleton.  Call it my 716th tick!  I went on "P is for Poulton-le-Fylde" day so didn't recognise I'd walked to another part of Lancashire.  Full archive review to follow soon.

JULY REVIEW 

So that completes July, a cracking month for BRAPA thanks in large part to Aberdeen.  30 pubs visited is one off my overall record but double my monthly target, woohoo.    It would be 31 if I hadn't mistakenly thought I'd done the Commerical in Slaithwaite.  And I got some "good" pre-emptives in like Bryherstones (Cloughton), Old Vault (Thorne) and Chequers (Wrestlingworth).

First pub tick of the month - Hayburn Wyke at Cloughton Newlands

Pub of the month?  Wow, lots to choose from.  For midweeks, Sair in Linthwaite and the Puzzle Hall at Sowerby Bridge are very evenly matched.  If you include Aberdeen, Moorings and Grill were pretty special.  But what about Lund's Wellington, Hollym's Plough or Dunton's March Hare?  Amazing experiences galore.  Don't make me choose!

AUGUST AGENDA

I thought the same last year too, that August what with the football season AND punk festival would be a stifling influence but I've soon learnt (with Tom's help) to make them work in the favour of BRAPA.  7 days off work helps too.  So the below agenda is a "best case scenario" and as we say at work, will be "approached on a best endeavours basis" (which basically means, if and when I can be arsed).

Sat 1st - Hereford (2 new pub ticks before seeing the Tiger Cubs).

Sun 2nd -  Sheffield South (3 pubs in the proximity of Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane)

Tue 4th - Upper Denby (more West Yorks midweek fun, unless friends hold me to an earlier DVD night promise).

Thu 6th - Sun 9th - Cleveleys / Bispham (I'll be looking to take time off from the punk fest to hop aboard a North bound tram to tick of these two Sam Smith's lovlies - just beware the Southend fans up from Fleetwood wanting to fight "rivals" West Ham).

Tue 11th - Accrington - 3 pubs before an important league cup tie which may well end in disaster.

Wed 12th - Thu 13th - BRAPA summer festival - Yes, I'm still of work so providing I have recovered my lizard sufficiently, I will be looking for a couple of cheeky pubs which don't really work as part of a Saturday trip, OR a midweek night.  No specific details yet.

Fri 14th - North Cave (lunch and pub tick after a walk in South Cave with lovely Mum and Dad).

Sat 15th - Wolverhampton (with emphasis on the 'outer' parts of town).

Tue 18th - Wetherby / Sicklinghall (two after work ticks, one NY, one WY).

Sat 22nd - Charlton (Tom and me have a plan, but Greenwich is now out with the sad news that "Old Loyal Britons" was closed despite everyone loving it).

Tue 25th - More midweek fun TBA, depending what has or hasn't been done on 12th/13th.  Could we see the start of South Yorkshire with a trip to Armthorpe?  

Fri 28th - Cross Hills / Kildwick - bus from Keighley, cos one pub only opens 3-11 on a Friday! 

Sat 29th - Coxwold and the villages North of York

Mon 31st - Bank Holiday Fun Fun Fun!  (or rest my lizard and do book work).

So as you can see, possibly over ambitious.  I'd break my record easily if I did it but I might need the odd lemonade or two!  

Time to start on the archives.

Si

  

BRAPA : the archives (271-280)

Welcome back all as finish our retrospective real ale trail of North Yorks, before dipping our feet in the Bingley waters, if you can imagine how muddy they might be.

271.  Hales Bar, Harrogate

My earliest memory of this famous pub (oldest in Harrogate but surprisingly not heritage) is being told a story by my sister's ex Ric, the "travelling illustrator" who went to draw the pub probably around 2008 only to be accosted by an overly friendly old gay man and a rough barmaid who smoked in his face.  Quirky wasn't the word.  I feel like I visited for the first time quite a long time ago and though I can't remember it, the most likely time would therefore have been Ric's birthday do on the first Saturday of July 2009.  This is because my next visit to Harrogate with Dad on 7/1/12 (almost 5 years to the day since our previous footie outing here) saw us come here on a freezing Saturday lunchtime.  As I remembered, the bar was ornate with weird flamey bunsen burner type things across it - there should be more naked flames in pubs!  The range wasn't spectacular but a Daleside ale went down okay, but the pub had a bit of a touristy lunchtime feel to stop it from becoming a classic, and not sure Dad loved me constantly reading "Colemanballs" quotes at him.  We moved on swiftly, a drab 0-0 followed and David Livermore was Histon's player manager which was an added bonus.  I can't recall bringing either Ben or Jig to Hales on our 2013 outings, Ben more likely but will have to check with both of them.

272.  Old Bell Tavern, Harrogate

Pretty much my first port of call when I come to Harrogate, this is one of my favourite Market Town Taverns, as it still kind of feels like it's former home, a toffee shop.   A first visit was the part of Ric's July 2009 birthday trip out that I'd most been looking forward to, and being one of the first MTT's I visited post-Brigantes, I was amazed but pleased to see how similar they were.  Even down to which breweries they put on!  It's quite a bright, airy pub so maybe not the best for atmosphere but does have a nice side room or two.  I had no hesitation in bringing Dad here on 7th January 2012, we were the first customer's and despite a huge pub to aim at, the next couple who walked in insisted on squashing on the closest table to us!  Dad was fuming, but it generated some heat and I think he still later declared it pub of the day.  I was in here again with Jig on a random weekday trip out on 17th May 2013 - it was actually a 'Market Towns Tavern Crawl' day where we got 5 in, 3 of them new I think though this was only new for Jig having not been on Ric's do in '09.  And a month later, 22/6/13, I met Ben here reading a newspaper with his legs out, bemoaning the lack of summer weather he'd expected to find in Harrogate.

Market Town Taverns Pub Map - I took this on my May 2013 crawl with Jig.

273.  Swan on the Stray, Harrogate

And Harrogate's newer Market Town Tavern (and perhaps the newest of all) opening in 2010 was mine and Jig's first pub of 17/5/13, across town a quite a distance from all the other real ale pubs.  It had a typical light and airy MTT feel and the barman was very friendly, drawing our attention to the "beer menu" and tried to get us to try a 32.5% Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin so I had to explain no because we were on a serious MTT mission!  We did have a spot of lunch though to line our stomach's for the day ahead, no idea what it was (toastie perhaps), but I enjoyed it very much.  Might not be a bad one to "re-visit" if I find a new BRAPA tick needed for Harrogate in the 2016 GBG.  

274.  Winter Gardens, Harrogate

And from one amazing chain to another errrm ... chain, in Wetherspoons!  Yes, my one visit here to date was on a hot early July lunchtime in 2009 as we needed to find somewhere Lu could get a vegan meal, and they always come up trumps with a certain curry providing you ask for extra poppadoms instead of evil milk filled Naan bread.  But what a place!  Certainly one of the most jaw dropping 'Spoons ever, we came down this stone staircase with waterfalls and plants on either side and entered a huge dome shaped main room, not great for sound and the clatter of busy drinkers and eaters was deafening - but the entrance did make me feel a bit like a Roman Emperor, probably Caligula!  The whole ritual of ordering food, finding tables, getting drinks within meal deals had us all hot & bothered, but it did a good job on the day.  

275.  Half Moon, Knaresborough

12th October 2013 and the first pub of mine and Dad's highly successful Knaresborough day out.  This pub hadn't been on my radar on the "A-Z" visit in April so must have been quite new, and just got into the 2014 GBG.  Sadly, the pushpin on my GBG App had us looking for it in a housing estate, and then in a wooded valley when in fact, it was right on the end of the main road into town!  I remember a friendly, comfy room, not at all traditionally pubby and most people having coffee or breakfast didn't help that, but the staff seemed nice and my Ilkley Mary Jane was crystal clear and a great light way to start the day.  Slightly concerning, no one has checked in on Untappd here since Jan 14 so hope this place hasn't sunk as quickly as it rose.

276.  Mitre Hotel, Knaresborough

Back on the Market Town Tavern trail, this train is situated right on the train line (well, not literally) so you can see your train coming while you finish your drink.  It's location means it's always been a "later pub in the day" so apologies if memories are hazy.  20th April 2013 was undoubtably my first visit on the brilliant "K is for Knaresborough" A-Z though I can't remember much, I think we tried to go outside for when I came here with Jig a month later, our long walk from bar down the steps to the lower beer garden seemed a familiar but precarious one.  We had about 5 minutes of blissful peace before it was school chucking out time and a bunch of loud Mum's brought their kids here to run riot whilst they enjoyed a glass of wine.  Me and Jig were terrified!  A month after this, I'd expect Ben to have demanded that we got off here between Harrogate and York (we did go to York Tap and discovered it's new "beer garden" for the first time!) so whether that makes it more likely we came here too, I'm not sure.   And finally, me and Dad finished here on our October 2013 day and I was a bit shocked to find my pint of 99 Reb Baboons 'on the turn', though I never took it back!  Indoors, it feels a bit darker and more restauranty than most MTT's but still modern, clean and efficient - a bit like the Nazi Germany of pubs.  

277.  North Riding Brew Pub, Scarborough

I had a few days off work one summer's day in what was probably about August 2011 and took a random day trip to Scarborough to see what it was like as a day out, and I stayed along the coast as I walked a few miles up to Scalby Mills for lunch and read a bout serial killers.  On my walk back towards the railway station, the weather turned stormy so having seen Indigo Alley looking closed and in chaos, I came into this GBG entry - back in the days of using an Autoroute Map to get myself around.  The Guide description and all the rave reviews I've heard just didn't correspond to my experience - a huge sparse building as I sat behind the door of this bare room with only other people I saw were DIY men fixing doors and windows - they had a good range of ales at least but as the wind and rain felt like it was going to blow the place down, I can't say I enjoyed it.  So I was very pleased to get a revisit opportunity when I came with friends on 6th April 2012 for an Easter outing.  A bustling pub with friendly staff and locals chatting to strangers across tables.  It was barely recognisable apart from the large square white rooms.  Not even any DIY was occurring.    However, we'd just been for fish & chips and I'd wrapped some chips up in my coat pocket for a snack for later on.  Bad move!  A dog was all over me.  I had to confess.  The pub found it hilarious, I was hugely embarrassed and then another dog lay down across the exit so I couldn't escape.  Not a lucky pub!

278.  Scholars, Scarborough

This was our first pub on the Easter bank holiday crawl, 6th April 2012 having only taken us ten minutes to convince us that Scarborough as a picturesque town has little to offer.  Plus we had to keep Lisa away from the amusement arcades for a while longer.  It was quite an impressive start, with a long bar with lots of young, friendly go-ahead staff eager to serve us one of the many ales - one of the best ranges we saw if I remember rightly.  It was quite busy, some were eating lunch but I have the feeling the White Sh*te were due on TV so quite a few scum-plastics (found in most Yorkshire towns) were trying to change the atmosphere from ebullient to mildly aggressive.  It didn't work and we sat in one of the many large round wooden tables and I invented an impromptu dice game which was simple but fun (well, in my eyes anyway).  Can't remember who won.

Pre-Scholars on the train to Scarb, Krzb makes an indecent proposal to the girls (perhaps)

279.  Black Bull, Yarm

27th November 2010 and one of the most memorable away days EVER (and yes, it did involve Middlesbrough) found me, Ben and Dad trudging through a few feet of snow from Yarm railway station to this Nicholson's pub (quite a trek as it turned out).  Boro' being Boro', we were proud with our "thinking outside the box efforts" for a pub and as we settled down towards the back of this friendly early opener, 10am, the likelihood had to be that the game would be postponed, the snow had started again.  Then, to our horror, Jarvo led a gaggle of Gooligans into the pub - how unlucky was that?  Dad started edging us further and further back towards this thankfully deep pub til we were almost in the toilets.  Luckily, Barry was notably absent so I could semi relax.  We all enjoyed the pub, good staff and good selection of cheap beers, wonderful wood panelling, cosy.   With the weather in mind, we gave ourselves extra time to get to Boro but Ben found out trains were delayed/cancelled so we took a bus to Eaglescliffe/Egglescliffe and prayed the local old crones would stop chatting to the driver so we could make our connection.  We just made it and it was now blizzarding, I had a wee in the snow and tried unsuccessfully to spell out "Hull".  Amazingly out of the gloom, a rickety old train arrived a few minutes delayed.  We called it Vladivostok, or Bloody Bostock to be more precise.  Even more amazingly, the game was on, we limped to a 2-2 draw and it was trudging back through more snow to Isaac Wilson Wetherspoons where an old man told me about his pigeon fancying hobby.  Crazy day.

280.  Off the Tap, Bingley

16th November 2013 and me & Krzb were heading back down the trainline from Ribblehead to York, via Settle and Leeds so we decided to try out this new pub I'd seen in my most recent GBG, just a couple of minutes from Bingley station after some middle aged women had been caught out ticket evading, but hadn't been punished by the train guard which annoys me still knowing what I know now about these things!  But what a strange place this was.  We entered to find a kind of mini beer warehouse, not the cosiest on a dark November evening, the clientele was "quirky" and all the beers were served straight from the barrel so it was hard to tell what was what.  I think a barmaid gave us some kind of menu/guide/advice to help, as I felt guilty cos I'd plugged my phone into one of their wall sockets and hoped no-one would notice (incidentally, I once did this in Parcel Yard and unplugged a lamp in the process).  It didn't feel like a pub, but was a real drinkers place, a bit like a mini beer fest I suppose.  The toilet doors were like Wild West swing ones. I told my Bingley pub contact about this place over and over again (he loves York's Golden Slipper best) but he's totally unaware of it's existence.  Maybe it was a ghost pub.  It felt a bit like a dream.

So there we go,  off to Scotland next to review the likes of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and not much more!

Si

BRAPA - Hollym and Hedon

The excitement is building (for me at least) as, after yesterday, I only have two more East Yorkshire pubs to tick off in the 2015 GBG.  And to think, back at Christmas, I only had 12 ticks to today's 40!

A novel slant on day care in the Shakespeare, Hedon

It was hard to imagine there is an "east of Hull", but it seemed to stretch on from village to village as we finally made it to Hollym using the annoying SatNav woman, who won't be in my year end BRAPA thank you list!  

Arriving before 12 noon, we had chance for Dad to take a trip down memory lane at the Golden Sands Holiday Park near Withernsea, where his family had a wooden holiday home (still there!) when he was a boy.  He was shocked though at the level of erosion, half the park he remembers is now missing.  Quite scary really.  

712. Plough Inn, Hollym

I don't suppose I've been in many wattle & daub pubs on my BRAPA trips so that was a nice quirk.  The friendly southern couple who ran the pub offered me a CAMRA discount without needing to see my card (Dad reckons I have an "authentic look" hmm, I think more CAMRA geek) and the landlady displayed the least surprised reaction EVER when I explained BRAPA, as though it is a commonplace challenge.  She was soon chatting erosion to Dad.  Landlord Steve meanwhile was half way through a 365 day "dry-a-thon" but revealed last night he dreamt he was drinking two pints of Morland Bitter!  Full credit to him.  Despite the pubs seeming tie to Greene King, it had two great guests on in Great Heck Voodoo Mild and Half Moon Bitter, both superb and the pub had a light and clean feel, but the wood panelling and beams made it feel old and authentic (like me allegedly!)   The dogs which had accosted us on the way in were friendly, but then retreated to an acceptable distance, but we didn't risk our cheese & onion rolls in case it stirred their nostrils.  A young bar lad was being trained up (maybe a bit too heavy handedly as he seemed capable) but luckily, he didn't seem to realise the pub operated a "lined glass" policy, so we got extra.  Take that Seabirds in Brid!  

Me at the Plough - Dad took this before his drink in case you were wondering!

And that was that, another absolute corker from East Yorkshire's rural pub portfolio.  I keep telling Dad how lucky he's been, the pub standard when he's been with me this year has been superb, but as occassional chauffeur, he deserves that luck.   We had a drive round Withernsea so Dad could rekindle more memories of family holidays before we headed to Hedon.

713. Shakespeare Inn, Hedon

And after 'losing' the first Hedon pub (more on that later), we accidentally stumbled on our other one.  It initially reminded me of the Beech Tree in Kirk Ella, so I was expecting it to open up into some huge estatey family friendly unatmospheric room.  So I was surprised to see that it had the 'reverse tardis' effect, with just a circular bar and two small rooms each side.  Even the loos were hidden in the entrance area.  We saw two Great Newsome ales (very Locale as the brewery is at nearby South Froderingham) and went for a Pricky Back Otcham.  The barmaid, who had pretty brunette potential, was stifled by two things.  One, being friends with two strangely capped chavs at the bar, and secondly, being deaf which Dad took exception to as he likes being the deaf one in social situations, he later revealed.  Luckily, there was a large outdoor drinking area at the front of the pub, and we found a secluded bench next to a nice floral display round the corner, and rated this beer, drink of the day.  And the added bonus of being outdoors, we finally got to have the pasties!  We left and I waved at one of the capped chavs, what a nice chap.  Maybe.  

Dad arriving at the 'reverse Tardis' in Hedon

714.  Haven Arms, Hedon

The GBG had incorrectly listed the address as 'Sheriff's Highway' rather than 'Havenside' so it was one of the day's highlights when we finally found our final pub, nestled down a peaceful country lane with a couple of a bench outside, annoyed as we disturbed their peace as we parked opposite.  We entered a quite large but dark and low roofed pub, where some friendly locals were giving us ale recommendations at the bar.  The Ashes theme was in full 'swing', and I had a Jimmy Anderson themed one and Dad had a 'Golden Pair' but Great Newsome.  We were served what seemed to be a Mum with an army of friendly daughters.  Maybe some were nieces.  They all looked the same anyway, but that could be Hedon.  Now it's credit to Dad that he thought his Golden 'Pair' was a pun on 'Pear' and it was like a farmhouse perry.  Problem was, I wasn't convinced and research showed me it was a rather bog standard bitter.  Conclusion, Dad was drinking vinegar.  Then, my Jimmy Anderson which had displayed sulphurous notes (do I sound professional?) totally turned half way down.  We left what was remaining, couldn't take them back at this late stage, and beat a swift retreat., though I did say bye to 'daughter: K993B'.   Worst beer quality in a BRAPA pub this year.  The slight confusing factor to me is that there were so many ale drinkers at the bar!

There was no beer haven at the Haven.

So I'd tempted fate by telling Dad how lucky he's been with the quality of our East Yorkshire visitors when we were leaving the Plough.  As time was still on our side, we popped in for a swift half at Greyhound in Riccall to wash away the taste of vinegar though the Bateman's guest wasn't amazing, but the beer garden was, well until the rain bucketed down and we sat in the smoking area - pub was heaving which was a total culture shock if you've read my archives review, it is normally just me and Dad in for lunch on a midweek lunchtime.  

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The remaining East Yorkshire 'ticks' are at North Cave (to be visited in August) and New Adelphi, 8pm gig venue opener in Hull, which I'm working on.  Tom's "evening tick in it's own right" makes a lot of sense, as does Dad's "on a football evening" post-match so we'll see how things go.  I take Tom's point about leaving a game early.  Problem is, I can't do the Fulham home game so amusingly (if you read my 'Hull City relegation' post, Ipswich would be the next opportunity!). 

See you Tues/Wed for a review of my Thornton trip & August preview, though I might try and get another archive out today or Monday.

Si