There was a strange silence and stillness as I left Stockport Railway Station. Nobody was about, there was no birdsong, and I could hear no traffic noise. A few minutes later, the heavens opened and an almighty shower ensued, complete with unseasonal hailstones. I managed to shelter under an overhang of the Garrick theatre, opened up the Good Beer Guide app on my phone, and planned out a route for when, or if, the storm ended. Finally, the storm subsided and the rain became light enough to emerge from my shelter. I had planned to carry on walking down Wellington Road, past the Hat Museum - Stockport was once a major centre for hat-making - and then up to the Magnet, but unfortunately the route was blocked by building work. So I needed a Plan B. I walked on Petersgate and something that I had read in the local CAMRA magazine 'Opening Times' jumped into my head. There was a new bar called the Petersgate Tap! As if by magic it appeared on the right. The Petersgate Tap is a comfo