Real Ale, Real Music

A first-ever visit to a local pub in a Pennine village, the story of a long-gone local brewery, and a look back at some of the pubs that are no more across the South Pennine hills.... A few weeks ago, I visited for the first time the nearest pub in Calderdale to where I live that is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, even though it has been listed for a few years. This was mainly because it is somewhat out on a limb geographically, and in an area that I don't get near to very often, although in years gone by I did call in the same village fairly regularly. The location in question is Bradshaw, a few miles out of Halifax, where the Golden Fleece is situated. Bradshaw is situated on the edge of the hills north of Halifax just off the A629 Keighley Road, although it can also approached by turning off the A644 road by the Raggalds Inn close to the village of Mountain near Queensbury. Its Wikipedia entry is fairly brief; it mentions that the village church is dedicated to St John the Evange...

The Grayston Unity in Halifax has just ended its first week in its brand new, expanded home across the other side of the town. And what a week it's been, a large number of old and new customers and the simply curious coming to check the place out, culminating in the return of the popular Town music festival.... And so, 6 weeks or so after the final pints had been pulled at the old place, the first were flowing in the Grayston Unity's new home on Horton Street, in the thriving Westgate Quarter of the town, close to the iconic Piece Hall and 5 minutes' walk from the railway station. Entry to a private party the day before the official opening date of October 13th was the hottest ticket in town and led to lengthy queues snaking back up the street. It was back in May 2016 when the Grayston had first opened at the old site in Wesley Court, a two-roomed micro-sized bar with the retro lounge room away from the bar soon acquiring the title of smallest licensed venue in the country ...

Another visit to Manchester, or Salford to be more precise, which has three fine traditional pubs in the 2024 Good Beer Guide. Back in Manchester, I then called in to another new bar in the city centre which had only opened its doors for the first time during the week.... You left me last time having just departed from the Gas Lamp, on Bridge Street, just off Deansgate. From there I carried on down Bridge Street, crossed the bridge over the River Irwell, passed beneath Salford Central railway station, and rather than turning on to Chapel Street which subsequently becomes Salford Crescent, I crossed over and kept straight on to what was now Bloom Street where a little further along was the first pub I'd earmarked in Manchester's close neighbour. The Kings Arms is a classic redbrick Salford pub, a breed which is much less common than it was 40 odd years ago when I spent a year living in the city. There are plenty of signs that leave you in no doubt as to where you are when you a...

A visit to a brand new bar in Manchester, which has just been opened in the city centre by Pomona Island, and the fascinating story behind its unusual name, plus a visit to the brewery's original city centre bar.... Pomona Island started brewing in Salford, close to Media City, in 2017. I remember there was quite a buzz about them when they made their debut at the 2018 Manchester Beer and Cider Festival ( nudge to the relevant people - could really do with another one of those! ), and I remember enthusing about the two beers I tried from them that day, both on cask, a porter and a 5.3% NZ Pale. Over the years they have continued to grow and develop and produced a wide range of modern-style beers and whilst they have tended to major on craft beers, they have always produced cask ale. They got into canning their beers, and during lockdown they were regular visitors to my fridge. Today their web shop is stocked with some delightfully-named beers, all canned in a distinctive house-styl...

A catch up with a few familiar places in Bradford that I have not had chance to visit as much over the last few years. But first, a visit to an excellent little micropub in one of the city's outer suburbs.... I have visited virtually all of my local CAMRA pubs, but that said there are still a few within a relatively few miles that I have not been to. This is generally due to them being a bit out on a limb with no near neighbours for a back up pint, having no direct public transport connections between home and there, or possibly an uninspiring beer selection that makes a trip out less appealing. Well, this weekend I did visit one of where I had not previously called that was a little out on a limb which involved me driving the short distance to the sprawling village of Thornton, around 5 miles west of the city of Bradford and a few miles away from the so-called Bronte Country. I headed up to the heights of Queensbury, eventually picking up the A6145 Thornton Road at the small settl...

A return to one of my favourite parts of the country, which included visiting a number of my favourite pubs and because of the weather, not much else. So off to a soggy Cumbria, and more specifically, Coniston in the Lake District, we go.... I'd decided to book a few days off work with the intention of going away for a couple of days, but I had held off booking anywhere as the arrival of the 2024 Good Beer Guide was imminent. If somewhere within reasonable striking distance had been awarded a slew of new entries, I wanted to be there to capture the action as they put up their newly-awarded We're in the 2024 Good Beer Guide stickers and adapted to their new lives as pub-celebs. Although as it was the period before the official publication date we'd have had to keep schtum about it or face retribution from the high lords at CAMRA HQ.... Anyway, it wasn't to be as the no-show of the guide continued, and I decided to just  go ahead and book somewhere as time was moving on...