Real Ale, Real Music

I was in Leeds the other evening for a gig, and that gave me the opportunity to visit one or two places where I had not been for a few years, plus a new one that has opened up since I was last in that part of the city.... It was a warm, sunny late afternoon as I walked up Briggate on the way to check in and drop my bag off at the hotel. I was staying for the first time at the Easy Hotel on Lands Lane. Before you ask, yes it is owned by the Easy Group who also own Easy Jet, my enquiry being politely answered by the lad on reception who made a good effort at pretending he hadn't been asked the same question scores of times before. Half an hour later, all checked in and bag discarded - hotel room, no window but functional and comfy - I was back out on the city streets, crossing over the Headrow and making my way to New Briggate, where my first port of call lay waiting. It was the first time I had been in this part of the city for a while. My first port of call was the original North B...

We had some welcome warm sun over last weekend, which sent many people heading off in search of pubs with beer gardens to enjoy an alfresco drink.... What a difference a bit of sun makes. The garden centres get busy, the supermarket shelves are stripped of salad, bottles of wine, and large boxes of beer, the drone of a distant lawn mower or hedge trimmer can be heard, and the distinct smoky whiff of a barbecue drifts seductively through the air. And for those pubs and bars with a beer garden or some other outdoor space, there is the anticipation of more custom. And of course more pubs and bars these days have an outdoor space they can call their own. The relaxing of last year's lockdown on April 12th which only permitted drinking to be done outside led to a spike in demand for picnic tables, outdoor seating, and, for those with more space to play with, marquees, gazebos, and the like. For a few weeks thereafter we would sit, wrapped up in our winter clothing, some under a blanket f...

A few days ago, Facebook Memories brought up a blog post I wrote 7 years ago about Calan's micropub in Hebden Bridge. As it happened, I was in Hebden again last week, and here's how I spent the evening there.... There was a heavy drizzle in the air as the 1849 from Brighouse pulled into Hebden Bridge's rather attractive Victorian railway station. I put the hood up on my jacket and walked out past the car park towards the main road, pausing to look at the view along the canal towards the hillside beyond, a view that is always delightful whatever the weather and whatever the time of year. This time, the lush greens and early coppers of spring complemented the old stone buildings, mellowed by time, barges silently  clinging to the towpath, an odd puff of smoke emanating here and there, as a small dog sniffed and snuffled on an early evening walk with its owner. Hebden Bridge I reached the main road, crossed over, and turned left. A few minutes later, I was walking the steps up...

News was circulating the other day that popular Manchester-based brewery Beatnikz Republic had ceased trading. Very sad news, but in the light of the current cost of living crisis will there be further bad news for pubs and breweries? Here's some thoughts... We have sadly become accustomed to pubs closing for good on a regular basis over the years and no doubt we can all cite plenty of examples in our own areas of many that have been sold off and converted to other uses, some housing, others offices, shops, restaurants, whilst some have been razed to the ground for the sake of one building project or another as others lie empty, awaiting their fate. Indeed, I passed one of those, the Jolly Angler in Ancoats, when I was in Manchester the other week. The now-closed Jolly Angler, Ancoats, Manchester On that same trip, we called in at the popular Beaknikz Republic bar on the corner of Tarriff Street and Dale Street in the Northern Quarter. It was buzzing on a sunny Good Friday afternoo...