Real Ale, Real Music

A major event in Halifax, and some local pub news.... They came, they saw, they were entertained.'They' were the 3,700 who made their way to Halifax's Piece Hall last Saturday for the first major music event there since its £19 million  makeover  was completed last year. Magical...The Piece Hall, Halifax The gates to the event opened at 4, but having got word that the Orielles, who were on first, weren't on until 5, we stayed for another pint in the sunshine at the Grayston Unity, where the Squawk Pavo was on top form. We made our way to the Piece Hall, where I had to do almost a full circuit to get in! I had paid a bit more for a Premium ticket, which got you a wristband and into more parts of the place, but I quickly decided that I would rather go and see the bands up close, so I headed down to the front and re-joined my mate just as local heroes the Orielles were about to come on. It was only 3 months since I had met the band at their album launch on a cold

Out and about in Manchester and West Yorkshire.... I returned to my old stomping ground of Manchester last week, and, more specifically, to the area around Oxford Road, where I spent several years as a student at the University in the dim and distant days of the mid-70's. I was attending Simon Felice's gig at the Deaf Institute, on Grosvenor Street, but having checked in at the Premier Inn on Portland Street, had a quick wash and change, it was time to head out for some food and a quick pint before the gig. I made my way to the Lass O'Gowrie, just off Oxford Road on Charles Street, which is a spectacular ex-Threlfalls pub with a wonderful brick and tile exterior. Spectacular: The Lass O'Gowrie When I was a student, it tended to be off-limits because it had no real ale, but it thrived because it was right opposite the BBC headquarters, who long since decamped across the city to Salford, with the former site being home to yet another of Manchester's build

What a superb weekend that was! Not only did I see some fantastic music, drink some excellent beers, catch up with family and friends, but unusually for a bank holiday - and particularly the early May one - the weather was brilliant too! Friday night, I rushed back from work, dropped the car off, and headed off to Halifax for the first of the weekend's gigs. It was a lovely sunny evening, and when I arrived at the Piece Hall, there was already bunting out and the odd yellow bicycle in advance of Sunday's start on the fourth and final day of the Tour de Yorkshire, which has become a massive event in the cycling calendar. Preparing for le tour.... I decided to pop into Elder, the wine bar on the bottom side of the Hall. I hadn't been in since the opening week when I hadn't been too impressed, so I felt it deserved a second chance. I ordered a half of one of the 3 taps on offer, the always dependable Beavertown Gamma Ray, which was the first drink pulled by one