Pubs to Revisit in England Part II - in t' North

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...

A Love Affair With Pubs...

Not my 'love affair' with pubs, but yesterday I read Roger Protz's piece in the June edition of CAMRA's What's Brewing, which I still get in hard copy (can be read online here) A Love Affair With Pubs. Roger mentions 14 pubs, a good number of which are from where he has worked and lived, a few in London when he worked in Fleet Street, and 4 in major cities around the country; those 4 he appears to have particularly liked because of their architecture and interiors.

Please note I've had some problems with websites, presumably Covid-19 induced. 😕

The Philharmonic, Liverpool

I was a wee bit surprised to see the pubs he chose, but I shouldn't really have been. Of the 14, I've never been to any of his local/Suffolk pubs, of the 4 in London I have been to 2 of them, coincidentally because I used to work close to Fleet Street in the 1970s too, maybe, but the 4 from major cities, very interesting, because I love all 4 of them, indeed, 6 years ago they were all in a national top 10 of pubs I'd chosen! The Philharmonic (website) in Liverpool, came in at number 7 on my list, and a pub I have very recently written about (blog) after it had become Grade I Listed, if you haven't already read the blog I'd suggest you do, as it gives a bit of history of the pub, plus a bit of history of my interest, and all these pubs have a football interest in them for me too, as in visiting whilst in town for a football match, but 3 of them I've visited just to go there for a drink when I hadn't even been living locally, that's how good they are!

Next, The Bodega (website) in Newcastle, number 8 on my list, but why Bodega? The name comes from a small wine cellar or wine shop in Spain, and there are a few pubs called this in Britain, notably this one in easy reach of Newcastle FC, although I have also drank here before and after matches at nearby Sunderland FC too! Another lovely interior in another Victorian pub, with a long bar extending way back, an elaborately tiled floor and 2 stained glass domes, or cupolas, in the ceiling. I haven't visited for a while, but last time there were 8 real ales on offer, 4 guests supporting 4 regular/semi-regular ales from 3 of my favourite brewers, Oakham Ales, (website) Fyne Ales (website) and Durham Brewery (website), no wonder I like returning!

Next, and number 4 on my old list, is The Marble Arch Inn (website) in Manchester, another wonderful listed Victorian building. Gorgeous tiling, some of which, it appears, was found by chance when the ceiling fell in because of dampness! This used to be a brewpub, and you could see the brewery out the back, and, in the past, I had often chatted to the brewers about the ales on offer, 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 too long ago. Their pub though, sells not just excellent ales but very good food too, and they had a great jukebox when I was last there.

And, top of the shop at number 1 for me 6 years ago was The Bartons Arms (website) in Birmingham, particularly suited for attending Aston Villa FC matches (safe for away fans), but I have traveled to Birmingham alone just to drink and eat here. Yet another gorgeous Victorian pub, the Victorians certainly knew how to build them, built as the Mitchell and Butlers brewery flagship, and now one of the handful of Oakham Ales pubs (website). Beautiful interior, superb ales, and fine Thai cuisine, other than a victory at Villa Park what more could you want?!?

So Roger Protz obviously chose wisely pubs that I value too, but, that just supports how interesting they are as buildings, and what good pubs they are as public houses... I shall now have to have a rethink of my top 20 pubs nationally and write about them soon; oh well, gives me something to do before pubs are open again, cheers! 😉

Philharmonic in Liverpool now Grade I Listed!

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms in Liverpool, 36 Hope Street L1 9BX (website), opposite Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, and built at the end of the 19th century (historically a Cains pub but now a Nicholson's pub), was upgraded to Grade I Listed earlier this month because of its "outstanding architectural quality and magnificent interior" (Historic England website). The Philharmonic was first designated Grade II Listed in 1966, and now this wonderful building has become the first pub built during the reign of Queen Victoria to be Grade I Listed!

 The Bar

I have visited The Philharmonic quite often, but not for a few years now, both before and after football matches in the Liverpool area, have met up with friends with no football involved, and have just visited when in Liverpool for the day alone, it's that good! I have even been contacted on the 'spur of the moment' by a friend asking for suggestions where she should drink whilst in Liverpool, and The Philharmonic was my suggestion, for which she thanked me whilst in the bar and sent photographs to me at the same time. Oh yes, and it sells decent ales and good food too.

The Philharmonic has an impressive interior, with stained glass windows, copper panels, wood paneling, stucco ceilings, and a mosaic bar counter. There are a few different seating areas and rooms, including a large room with comfortable sofas and chairs you could fall asleep in. It also has the original, and famous, gents marbled toilet that women are invited to visit (see photograph above), with the proviso they ask a member of staff first, of course.

The Gents

So, I add my congratulations to The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, and well deserved, which reminds me, I must be due a visit to Liverpool before too long, cheers!