Real Ale, Real Music

Last weekend a little bar in Wesley Court in Halifax, closed its doors for the last time. But unlike the sad fate that has befallen so many pubs and bars in recent times, The Grayston Unity will be re-opening in a few weeks' time in a brand new home on the other side of town. And so this weekend was a chance for a final drink and catch-up at its original home.... It was emotional, it was fun, it was inevitable. The final weekend at the original home of the Grayston Unity occurred this weekend, the last pints being poured around 9pm on Sunday evening with the price of a pint dropping first to £2 and then they were free. The little bar had attracted large numbers over the previous few days; Grayston stalwarts, regulars on the Halifax drinking scene, a host of old faces from over the years, and plenty of bemused first-timers, many here from out of town to see the likes of Orbital, the Charlatans, and Johnny Marr playing down the road at the Piece Hall.  Michael enjoying a quiet chat w...

I went on a tour the other day of a few old-school favourites over in Manchester, all of which I call in fairly regularly, and had a cracking afternoon. Read on to find out why I think they are always worth a visit.... One of my favourite pubs in Manchester, and indeed anywhere, is the Marble Arch , a brisk 10 minutes walk from Victoria Station, on Rochdale Road which heads out from the ever-changing city skyline towards the suburbs of Collyhurst, Harpurhey, Blackley, and beyond. This classic pub was built as a show-pub for the long-gone McKenna brewery in 1888 on the site of a former hostelry and with its ornate entrance with arch and marble-like columns, hence the name of the pub ( spoiler alert - the columns are actually granite! ), attractive brick and tile exterior, and distinctive chimneys, the Marble - which unusually for the those days had electric lighting installed when it opened - must have stood out against its peers. I have been coming here for years, certainly for mos...

I went to Chester the other week, my first visit there for a few years, and the first time I had gone solely to try out a selection of the city's pubs. And despite the miserable weather that day, it turned out to be a most enjoyable and interesting visit. Why not read on and find out what I came across.... I'd been planning to pay a visit to Chester ever since a direct train service from Leeds was routed through Halifax a short while ago, but until a damp Friday afternoon a few weeks back I had not taken advantage. To put it into context, previous train journeys to Chester for football-related visits had included a tortuously slow ride via Stockport and Altrincham that would have been quicker on the back of a tortoise with a dodgy knee, and another lengthy one where we headed out to distant Crewe where we had to change before finally homing in on our target. So a direct, one hour 40 minute journey from Halifax via Manchester, Newton-le-Willows, and Warrington Bank Quay was heav...

There was some excellent news to celebrate last week at London's Olympia as Elland Brewery's 1872 Porter was awarded the title of Champion Beer of Britain for 2023, the 2nd time it has won the award. And after a new start for the brewery, this is an amazing achievement. Here's my thoughts.... Celebrating their victory at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival last Tuesday, the team from Elland Brewery should feel very proud of what they have achieved. 1872 Porter has been Champion Beer of Britain before, in 2013, and has also won Champion Winter Beer four times, most recently earlier this year, but set against the background of recent times it is a tremendous achievement. Only last year there had been speculation about the brewery's future as staff had left and a new team had been brought together, but as I'd found when I paid them a visit just about a year ago as they were settling in, there was something of a buzz about the place. And whilst they have subsequently ...