Getting Hot And Bothered....

It's not all beer and skittles doing this blogging malarkey, you know. As I was reminded last Saturday when I headed up the Calder Valley to try out a couple of new bars in Todmorden before going to a gig at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge....

On the face of it, it's all very simple. Plan where to visit. List some pubs. Head out on field survey. Go to first pub. Purchase drink. Drink said drink. Take a few pictures. Make a few notes about place/beer/ambience/service. Move on to next place. Do the same as at pub #1. And repeat, until list completed/enough material(or liquid) taken on board/time to catch transport home. Over next day or two, pull blog together with material from field survey, add any extra information from online research, edit where needed, and publish. And of course, it always goes to plan. You what? Of course it doesn't!

That thought went through my mind when I visited Todmorden the other evening, prior to going to Hebden Bridge to see an eagerly-anticipated gig by House Of All at the Trades Club. I'd gone to Tod partly because I thought that in the early September heatwave we were currently experiencing Hebden would be too busy to enjoy, plus there were two new bars there that I wanted to visit (there is a 3rd, but it's in the indoor market hall and therefore the opening hours are aligned to there). But I felt two would be fine, plus I could make an overdue return visit to the Golden Lion, with an if-time-permits drop-in to The Pub as back-up. 

I caught an emptier-than-expected train from Halifax, and after a pleasant ride through the Calder Valley, looking splendid in the September sunshine, arrived at Todmorden just after 6. The station is situated above the town centre, and I dropped down the appropriately-named Rise Hill, and turned right at the bottom. A short distance along, just over the canal bridge and beside the spectacular guillotine lock gate, was the first of the new places I'd earmarked. 

Nan Moors is based in a former tattoo parlour and is run as a cooperative by a group of artists, which isn't a surprise considering the artworks and interesting graphics on display in the windows, as I stood across the road trying to get a picture amidst the steady flow of traffic in both directions. Meanwhile, up above, the head of a mannequin stared out impassively from an attic window. Whatpub? suggested cask ale was available, and what's more, served via gravity direct from the barrel, which is very unusual for these parts. I followed a couple of ladies inside, and sure enough, there was a barrel on the back of the bar, which appeared to contain Anthology beer. It had occurred to me that during this super-hot spell of weather, drinking beer direct from the barrel might not be the best idea, but I had clocked a couple of alternatives on the taps that I could go for. However, it was not to be. A lady appeared from out the back and asked the three of us, the two ladies and me, if we were here for the wedding. No, we chorused. We were told that it was only open for the wedding party until 9, but we'd be more than welcome to come back then. Wouldn't work for me, but, hey, never mind, it'll have to wait for another day for a proper assessment. What an excuse....

Nan Moors: no beer this time

Across the road is the legendary Golden Lion, a place that is worth a full blog in its own right. It is the oldest pub in the town, dating from the 18th century, and is Grade II-listed. It is run by Matthanee Nilavongse, aka Gig, and Richard Walker, who everyone calls Waka, who preside over a sprawling pub which is very much at the heart of its community. Prior to them taking over in 2015, the pub, like several in the town at that time, did not have a particularly good reputation, but they set about changing things for the better.

And so nowadays, the Golden Lion is famous for its many events well beyond the streets of Todmorden. It hosts regular gigs and DJ nights, with luminaries such as Andrew Weatherall, David Holmes, Jarvis Cocker, Kevin Rowland, and snooker's Steve Davis having all graced the turntables here, and this evening they were readying themselves for a gig featuring ex-Hacienda DJ Dave Haslam. As well as welcoming many a touring artist over the years, the Golden Lion has played a big part in the development of local bands like the Orielles, Working Men's Club, Goa Express, and the Lounge Society, having an upstairs room with a capacity of 80. And it even has its own record label, GLS Sounds, which has featured some of the afore-mentioned plus others such as Jane Weaver and the Lovely Eggs! Away from the events, the pub is a meeting place for several local groups.

The pub has a good selection of beers from the cask and on keg, mostly from local breweries, such as Eagles Crag, Saltaire, and Cloudwater, and I remember attending the launch night for Eagles Crag here a few years ago, shortly after they'd starting brewing in an old mill in the town. Meanwhile the food is a big attraction: Gig is from Thailand, and has enlisted the Three Lady Chefs to provide an authentic and extensive Thai menu. 

I walked in to the main room with the bar right in front of you, and it was quite busy, but when it was my turn I ordered a pint of Fuzzy from Cloudwater from the taps as I was by now pretty hot and wanted something cool. Someone was spinning tunes in the DJ booth to the right of the bar in a warm-up for later in the evening, whilst a few lads were playing pool in a room to the left of the main room. I took my pint and headed outside to a patio area, where I managed to grab the only bench that wasn't taken. There was a real mix of people of all ages around me, a family group opposite were finishing off their food as if it was the best meal they'd ever had. A small and panting Jack Russell smiled from beneath the table. I went back inside to finish my pint and sat in a brightly-decorated room where a number of tables were reserved for later in the evening. I finished my drink and that was me, shame I'd not caught Gig or Waka on this impromptu visit but I was on a tight timetable.

I went back over the bridge and turned down an attractive cobbled street to the next place on my list. On a corner was Three Wise Monkeys, a place I'd not visited before but I had read that they had just started selling some cask beer from Eagles Crag. Based in a former electrical shop, the bar has been open for a few years and, like the Golden Lion, Thai food is available in the upstairs restaurant. A group of lads were at the bar as I walked in, waiting for pints of Pale Eagle to be topped up as it seemed to be quite lively. Not deterred, when it was my turn, I ordered a pint of similar, which needed some topping up. It did show up the problems of keeping cask beer in warm temperatures without sufficient cooling, as it was too warm to enjoy. Which was a shame, because there was a nice atmosphere about the place and the guy behind the bar was friendly and chatted away, telling me when I told him where I lived that the only time he had been to Brighouse had been when he'd cycled along the canal and called there for fish and chips. As well as the cask beer, there was a range of bottled beers in the fridge, which in retrospect would have been a better choice tonight given the heat. So a somewhat disappointing visit, which I need to remedy by calling again when it's a bit cooler.

It was only a short distance along the cobbles to The Pub, now firmly established in its new and larger home. Plenty of people were sat outside or leaning on the wall beneath which Walsden Water continues to its confluence with the River Calder, flowing first underneath the town hall across the road, which once marked the boundary between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Meanwhile, back in the Pub, there was a queue for the bar, which featured a group of large guys with large rucksacks loosely slung over their shoulders who seemed to be totally oblivious to the fact that the bar area is fairly small and was already pretty busy - surely send one guy for the beers while the others stay out of the way with the bags, it is that simple! Anyway, when my turn came, I ordered a half of For the Masses, a 5.6% IPA from Derbyshire brewers Bang The Elephant featuring Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, Comet, and Equinox hops. It was a dangerously drinkable beer, which was fortunately fairly cool in temperature, but I didn't have time for any more. And from there I made my way back up to the station to catch the train to Hebden Bridge.

The train was a few minutes late and then stopped for a short while on the approach to Hebden Bridge, which was a little frustrating. With no time for a drink once we'd landed there, I headed straight to the Trades Club via the park and canal towpath. I walked in, got checked in, and then went to get a drink in the bar. It was hot, and I didn't even think about getting any cask beer, instead deciding that in the circumstances a pint of Veltins would do the job. It was cooler in the gig room, fortunately, and I managed to work my way through towards the front quite easily, and for once I didn't have a large bloke with a wide hat blocking my view. And despite the fact I was drinking lager, I realised I was actually more chilled than I had been all evening.

And that mood continued when House Of All took to the stage about 15 minutes later. For those that don't know, the band comprise five former members of The Fall - Martin Bramah, Paul Hanley, Steve Hanley, Si Wolstencroft, and Pete Greenaway - although they weren't all in at the same time. The band got together not with the aim of re-creating the sound of the legendary Manchester band or play any of the old songs, but rather reflect the spirit and ethos and working practices of The Fall, who were led by the legendary Mark E. Smith. And they were great. The sound is underpinned by the pounding of two drummers (Wolstencroft and Paul Hanley), with sinuous bass lines from brother Steve, whilst on guitar are Greenaway and Bramah, who is also the lead vocalist. And whilst it is difficult to not hear some Fall-isms, such as in the chugging rhythms  and the insistent choruses of Magic Sound and There's More, and with characters like the Harlequin Duke who could have popped up in a Fall song, House Of All are very much a band in their own right and with their own sound. And whilst there was the odd member of the audience who missed the point by shouting out for old Fall songs, the reaction was very positive. And that was how it should have been. It had been a very entertaining gig, and redeemed what had been a somewhat frustrating evening....

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