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Category Archives: Pubs

Rolling blog: I love to go a wandering…

22 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Calder Valley, Food and drink, Pubs, Travel, Walking, West Yorkshire

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It’s bank holiday Monday and the weather’s absolutely stonking! After spending a morning pottering around at home, picture-editing and sorting out some chores Dawn and I are preparing to walk through the Calder Valley to a favourite old haunt, the Robin Hood pub in Cragg Vale, which is a great place for a spot of lunch after a few hours walking. No doubt we’ll have time to post a few pictures and comments later, so watch this space.

15:31.

We’ve stopped for a break at the Shoulder of Mutton in Mytholmroyd after walking down the hill to Sowerby Bridge, crossed the Calder, then slogged uphill to Sowerby on a road I call ‘Lost dreams Rd’ because it’s always littered with failed lottery scratch cards! In the distance you can see our starting point under the Wainhouse Tower.

The view the other way (looking along the valley towards Mytholmroyd) isn’t bad either!

23:18

It’s the end of the day and it’s been a very active one. We made it to the Robin Hood for an excellent Sunday lunch (OK, it’s bank holiday Monday, but never mind) of succulent lamb and Yorkshire puddings, accompanied by a huge amount of vegetables (not in the picture).

For £10, it can’t be beaten. Whilst we were eating a drama was unfolding which made it feel like we were actually in an episode of ‘Emmerdale Farm’, only this wasn’t fiction. Poor Roger (the landlord) and his wife had suffered a serious arson attack and trashing of vehicles on his farm, apparently carried out by some young teenage scrotes who’re causing trouble in the area. The police had arrived to gather information whilst a number of concerned locals were popping in to see if they were alright or offer help. Meanwhile, in the bar, other locals were complaining about the outrageous prices in a nearby pub (which shall remain nameless) and a less than placid relationship between a local couple (who will also remain nameless).

We ended up having a couple of drinks in a very quiet Sowerby Bridge after walking back along the Rochdale canal. I got the impression the good weather had meant that many people had stayed at home with a barbecue and a few beers. Still, we’d had a good days exercise, as the screen for my Fitbit shows.

fitbit

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Rolling blog: the Big 6 on tour…

20 Saturday Apr 2019

Posted by in Food and drink, Lancashire, Pubs, Rolling blogs, The Big 6, Travel

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10:20Today a group of friends from the Big 6 pub in Halifax, under the leadership of Tony Allan (of Phoenix Brewery fame) are having a little outing by train, over the Pennines to Rochdale to partake in the Easter ale trail, a new take on the traditional beer festival. It’s another fantastic Spring day here in the Pennines, so the weather’s ideal. Watch out for updates on our (probably unsteady) progress throughout the day!Before we go, Dawn’s been busy in the kitchen as we’re hosting her parents for dinner tomorrow. Last night she prepared a special marinade for this leg of lamb, which will now steep until tomorrow.12:09The group rendezvous at Halifax railway station.12:57.The group outside the first pub of the day – The Flying Horse hotel which has a great view of the Town Hall.Here’s the token system.15:10We’re on our third pub and it’s a cracker! It’s The Baum in Toad Lane, a conservation area. The pub is adjacent to the shop where, in 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers opened their first shop and started the co-operative movement back in 1844.This has been our lunch stop and I couldn’t resist ordering a traditional Lancashire delicacy: rag pudding with mushy peas and chips!We’ve now stepped through a door into a 5th dimension where it feels like we’re in London, or Paris, not Rochdale – and Otto’s found the piano..18:10.We’re now on what’s probably our last pub, which is opposite the Town Hall. The Old Post Office.

Off to the moor…

25 Saturday Aug 2018

Posted by in Pubs, Tesla, Transport, Travel, Walking, Yorkshire

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The weather forecast isn’t as good as it was but we’re off to Ilkley for a days walking with friends regardless. For once we’re not travelling by rail. Instead we’re in a rather different vehicle. Can you guess what it is?

It’s a Tesla.

So, part of the day was really interesting for a completely different reason – the chance to travel in an electric car, hear what the owner thought of it and gather our own impressions.

Jason’s had his Tesla for two years and covered a fair bit of ground in it as he uses it for both business and pleasure. I doubt he’ll mind me describing him as a car enthusiast who’s owned many different vehicles over the years.

Firstly, here’s my impressions of the Tesla S. It’s very roomy, but then it’s a big car. A lot of space inside the saloon is saved by the lack of a transmission. The fact it doesn’t have an engine means it has a (small) front boot as well as a rear one. It’s also very quiet – and stable, that’s because the battery covers the base of the chassis between the wheels, giving the vehicle a very low centre of gravity. Acceleration is impressive, very impressive. It would easily beat shit off a shovel. Jason told me it will do 0-30 in something like 1.5 seconds. He gave us a demonstration of what happens when by putting his foot down for a few seconds and it really did move (all within the speed limit of course).

Then come the caveats. Jason and his partner Nikki talked about the vehicles autopilot and the problems they’ve experienced. Apparently, you can trust it(ish) on roads where there’s clearly defined white lines, but if there’s none – forget it. Jason talked about the time he’d left the car in Autopilot when he was in a queue at traffic lights. The car suddenly decided to take off. Now, when you consider that at Tesla S weighs well over 2 tons and can accelerate rapidly, that’s a lot of kinetic energy – as the car in front that the Tesla didn’t sense found out. Jason’s Tesla rear-ended it so hard that it caused £10,000 worth of damage! Other things I learned were that the build quality is ‘typically American’ (and no, that’s not a compliment) and that because of the cars limited (but still impressive) battery charge life, you really have to be careful about travelling long distances as you have to make sure you can find working charging points. They’re not ‘go anywhere’ vehicles, but I’m sure that this factor will change as the technology improves and expands.

All in all I was quite impressed with the vehicle, just not the much-vaunted auto-pilot capability. Electric cars are certainly here to stay and the technology will continue to develop and improve. They cold make a real difference, but we have to be realistic about them. I still remain deeply cynical about the autonomous car hype and Jason’s experiences re-enforced that. Oh, there’s also the small matter that a Tesla isn’t exactly cheap, this one cost North of £65,000, which doesn’t exactly put it in the household car spending bracket. That said, other car companies will produce mass produced vehicles – which Tesla is failing to do.

OK, I realise that I’ve turned into ‘Top Gear’ here, so let’s get away from cars. The four of us had headed over to Ilkley for a day walking and chance to catch up – and we couldn’t have chosen a better day. Despite the forecast we didn’t see a spot of rain. In fact, the weather was far sunnier than was expected, so we had a great few hours exploring Ilkley Moor. Here’s a selection of pictures.

 

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Looking across Wharfedale North-East from above the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor. There’s an interesting collection of ‘golf-ball’ radar installations on the horizon, but I’ve no idea where they are as I can’t find them on any maps! 

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Looking down on Ilkley from the Moor, with the railway station middle left of the picture. 

The Cow and Calf rocks are a busy tourist destination as there’s a car-park just below them. They’re a good base from which to explore the Moor.

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A closer view of the Cow and Calf rocks. 

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Close to the rocks is the hotel and pub of the same name. It’s a great place to have a meal or a drink whilst admiring the views. 

 

The selection of real Ales isn’t bad either! 

The ‘Big 6’ go whisky tasting

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in Food and drink, Pubs, West Yorkshire

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One of the delights of having the ‘Big 6’ as my local pub is the chance to enjoy their regular whisky tasting trips. Tonight’s the second one of the season. The tastings are held in a hotel just outside Skipton. They’re actually arranged by the Wright Wine Co based in the same town. These evenings are very popular with well over 100 people attending each tasting. Each one is hosted by a different guest from either a distillery or a company like Berry Bros & Rudd or Diaggio who talk about the different whiskies they’ve brought along for us to sample. They can be highly entertaining and excellent raconteurs as some of the guests have a wealth of anecdotes and exerience. These evenings aren’t just dry talks about the mechanics of distilling – although there is a real depth of technical knowledge on offer for those who’re interested – especially when it’s a distiller hosting the night

Then there’s the whisky. I’ve tried (and bought) Indian and Dutch as well as a variety of Scots produce. The variety has been stunning – as has been the price! We’re given the opportunity to sample whiskies that would normally sell for £150-200 a bottle.

Tonight’s event will feature Glenglassaugh. I’ll blog more about it later. Right now 11 of us are on the charabanc from the Big 6 to Skipton.

19.31.

We’ve arrived and are settling in. Here’s the first look at what’s on tonight…

Here’s what we’re sampling and the price list (per bottle).

A few whiskies in and the discussions about the flavours and merits commence..

22:14.

Oh, did I mention that food’s included as part of the event? Lasagne and garlic bread’s very useful for soaking up the whiskies..

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Whatever happened to…

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Nostalgia, Pubs, Sowerby Bridge

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– those fantastic pub Landlords & Landladies that used to make some alehouses such a pleasure to visit?

I’m old enough to remember the days when a pub was known by the character of the person who ran it – those individual Landlords or Landladies who made a pub their own. In those days the licensees name above the door actually meant something. I can still remember the name of the Landlady of the first pub I drank in as a teenager nearly 40 years ago – Grace Kathleen Taylor. She was replaced by a real character called Monica Brownlee. Anyone who drank in the Old Ship in Southport back in the 1980s couldn’t fail to remember Monica with her cheroots, her leather pants & those snappy one-liners delivered in an Irish brogue! Those were the days…

Nowadays you’d be hard pressed to even know who the licensees of many pubs are. Their territory’s no longer marked with their names above the door & for better or worse, many of them leave the running of the pub to bar staff & rarely grace the customers with their presence. Not that some of them have any presence to be honest…

I mention this because tonight I ventured into a pub that we used to frequent & found it a shadow of its former self. A few years ago this pub in Sowerby Bridge was a vibrant community pub. Owned by the Ossett Brewery, the place was run by landlady Linda who employed a great bunch of bar staff. That said, Linda was behind the bar herself most nights. You knew it was her establishment & she knew her regulars & what they drank – which was always a sign of a good pub.

Sadly, Linda & her partner Rob moved on & were replaced by a chap who only lasted a year or so at most. I hadn’t been in for a while but I’d bumped into some of the old regulars who told me the pub had been taken over by another new manager & it had gone downhill. The prices had gone up & the atmosphere had gone down. Last night I popped in & saw why. One harassed barman was trying to serve several people all on his own. Of the ‘landlady’ there was no sign (apparently, she hadn’t been seen all night). Finally, after the rush had died down, a young lady in slippers & semi-pajamas drifted downstairs. Without a word to anyone (including the barman) or even acknowledging their presence she emptied some bags of change into the till before disappearing back upstairs like a wraith.

Needless to say, I won’t be calling in again. If Ossett wonder why the takings at one of their pubs has taken a dive, perhaps they should look at the quality of their staff training & recruitment.