It's a while since I wrote my first blog regarding pubs to revisit n England, so to Part II and up int' North! Heading up the M5/M6 to the North West and my first pub today is The Marble Arch Inn, 73 Rochdale Road, Manchester M4 4HY (website), an interesting listed Victorian building. The pub has wonderful tiling, some of which, apparently, was found by chance when the ceiling fell due to dampness! This used to be a brewpub, and you could see into the brewery out the back, and in those days I often chatted to the brewers about the ales on offer, hops used etc, but now Marble Beers (website) are brewed around the corner in larger premises, supplying organic, vegan-friendly, ales to the pub and the free trade, indeed, I last drank their 3.9% session ale Pint at the Tower Pub in Hastings not so long ago.
The Marble Arch Inn was built in 1888 and has an obviously sloping mosaic (not hoppy 😉) floor, and I've often seen objects/glasses rolling or slipping down tables. This pub sells not just excellent ales but very good food too, but be careful of your plate, as well as glass, on the table! I've most often visited just as part of a fun day out in Manchester, where there are many other great pubs as well, and I've visited the pub when in town for football too, for example, when I drank there with my brother and friend Teapot Dave from Haworth, during the afternoon before an evening football match at Old Trafford. Amusingly, before the match we ate and drank here and took advantage of their great jukebox, and Dave made us laugh because he confused The Clash's London's Burning (YouTube) with The Ruts' Babylon's Burning (YouTube), we laughed anyway, though not so much Dave. Anyway, I must return!
My second pub, and not too far away from my Manc friends, is The Philharmonic, 36 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BX (website), a pub I wrote about earlier this year after it become Grade I Listed (blog); if you haven't already read the blog I'd suggest you do so as it gives a bit of history of the pub, plus a bit of history of my interest. Indeed, many of these pubs have an element of football interest in them for me as well, as in me visiting with friends whilst in town for a football match, or meeting up with friends who support the opposition. However, I've also visited just for a drink when I hadn't even been living locally, that's how good these pubs are! I'm certainly looking forward to returning to this delightful building...
Next, we need to travel north-east to The Bodega, 125 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 4AG (website), but why the name Bodega? The name comes from a small wine cellar or wine shop in Spain, indeed there are a few pubs called this around Britain, notably this excellent pub in very easy reach of Newcastle FC. I have also drank here before and after matches at nearby Sunderland FC too, which is very easy to reach via the Metro, and the people of Newcastle become extra friendly when they discover you're supporting the Mackems' opposition! I was a bit upset when I last came here for a Newcastle match as my mate Teapot Dave (again) became a pain as he was driving and had to limit his drinking; he got me away from The Bodega way too early, redirecting us to the 'Spoons, sadly, and I was getting on very well with the (female) manager of The Bodega too...
Anyway, The Bodega is another wonderful Victorian pub that has a lovely interior, with a long bar that extends way back, making it appear cavernous compared to how it appears before you walk in. It has an elaborately tiled floor and 2 stained glass domes, or cupolas, in the ceiling. I haven't visited for a while, consequently why I'd love to return, but last time I was there they had 8 real ales on offer; with 4 guest ales supporting 4 regular/semi-regular ales from 3 of my favourite brewers, Oakham Ales, Fyne Ales and Durham Brewery. No wonder I like returning!
Next we head back southwards to Yorkshire, and I have to add at least 1 pub from the White Rose county. I'm not including any pubs in Sheffield, because I know I'll be revisiting Sheffield again, no worries, and I regularly write about Sheffield anyway, like in this blog. Plus, I'd upset too many people I know up there if I only included 1 or 2, there are so many excellent pubs in this part of South Yorkshire! So, I'm selecting a pub in Leeds that I've visited when in Leeds just for fun, not to mention business (football), and for a Christmas drink with 8 or 9 friends from Haworth, including good old Teapot Dave, who didn't do anything embarrassing, indeed, it's likely I may have, we did have a few to drink...
So, to Whitelock's Ale House, Turk's Head Yard, Leeds LS1 6HB (website - entrance via Briggate), which dates from 1715, and is the oldest pub in Leeds. It is situated down a long narrow yard, which you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there and that would be a shame! The interior hasn't changed since the nineteenth century, with stained wood, stained glass windows and, despite being narrow, a very bright interior, mostly due to the abundance of mirrors and glass. You can sit outside in the alley/yard, but it's a welcoming pub to stay inside with friendly service... we were tolerated with our Christmas visit! And they sell decent food and excellent real ale, with many ales from Yorkshire breweries; I seem to remember drinking a lovely pale bitter from Leeds Brewery on my last visit, and I'll be back!
Next, the Midlands...
