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13-12-2022, 18:40
Visit Real Ale, Real Music (https://chrisdyson55.blogspot.com/2022/12/bottoms-up-heavy-woollen-hop.html)
This week I have been exploring fairly close to home, visiting some places in the area to the south-west of Leeds. A number of pubs were involved, as you might expect....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxNCyCYUAdxCtoiAQvt9jRGSv7pyszdQDtR7i4paMWo 4ugq_AiHgcqCJayXbOJs1074WXSpKdUZPHKxeWwA1oyMoberUi CVyfTmNl3jxStWHBcoq7UmvOLSRtn880oeGcnwvD1eM7JWyd31 GvlfLmqk51goPpJyfn9mWX7B4hJwaiBKv1BbFNoQTl/w640-h360/DSC_5208~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxNCyCYUAdxCtoiAQvt9jRGSv7pyszdQDtR7i4paMWo 4ugq_AiHgcqCJayXbOJs1074WXSpKdUZPHKxeWwA1oyMoberUi CVyfTmNl3jxStWHBcoq7UmvOLSRtn880oeGcnwvD1eM7JWyd31 GvlfLmqk51goPpJyfn9mWX7B4hJwaiBKv1BbFNoQTl/s4032/DSC_5208~2.JPG)
The Heavy Woollen District is situated across parts of the Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield metropolitan areas, the principle locations being around the towns of Batley, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, and Ossett, spreading out to the likes of Cleckheaton, Mirfield, East Ardsley, Morley, and Horbury. It takes its name from the main activities in the local textile industry which was the production of heavier woollen materials like blankets, and following the invention of a machine in Batley in 1813 that could process the left-over fibresinto soft rags called mungo and hard rags otherwise known as shoddy. Whilst the textile industry is nowhere near as big as it was, its legacy has meant that by and large each of these towns and villages has managed to retain its own distinct character, even though they may gravitate towards Leeds as the main shopping and entertainment centre in the area.
I had originally thought I would go over to Manchester on this strike-free weekend and pay a visit to the taproom of the recently-started Sureshot Brewery, but with the weather turning colder, the prospect of hanging out in a (potentially) cold railway arch had become less and less appealing. That and the fact that the trains were likely to be rammed with a combination of bag-laden Christmas shoppers and prosecco and lager fuelled revellers. So I decided to stay closer to home, and instead take a train ride in the opposite direction, taking in Morley, Batley, and Dewsbury.
There was a bar in Morley that has been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for a year or two that I had never visited previously, so that was to be my first port of call. If you don't know, the railway station in Morley is situated some distance from the town centre and is to found at the lowest point of the town, at the point where the railway emerges from, at just over 3 miles, what is the 3rd longest railway tunnel in Yorkshire, having left Batley a few minutes earlier.
Fortunately the afore-mentioned bar is not too far from the station, a few minutes walk up a gently-sloping and fairly quiet road which passes the odd mill, some tree-lined greenery, and some housing. Some of the buildings are built in the familiar sandstone of the West Riding, whilst some are built in the brick which makes up much of the Victorian housing to be found a few miles away in Leeds. I arrived at a crossroads, around which there was a traditional pub and a number of more modern bars, interspersed with a few shops and other premises. I had arrived in the area of Morley Bottoms, which when I lived in the town in the mid-1980's was something of a rundown, quiet area. With three roads approaching downhill, it has become quite a trendy part of town, with the main shopping areas and traditional pubs up the hill in the centre.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIi9m-YE9qro2LHlOkGMYK-wAVaj9OJFtObiae0cqfZrsjJvUpKDbQbDT3S6a9pQ6WG6rj80k YXIp-sOqFUxv-veX2ulbiOuUMVx-C6c4fYTikmNVNB9pbJbc-7TfRlEbeszMECx6ZIkg6EecXS36vtqwti9ZhFdAHPUjTIdF8qF oeRJzHBIu7sBH/w640-h360/DSC_5211.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIi9m-YE9qro2LHlOkGMYK-wAVaj9OJFtObiae0cqfZrsjJvUpKDbQbDT3S6a9pQ6WG6rj80k YXIp-sOqFUxv-veX2ulbiOuUMVx-C6c4fYTikmNVNB9pbJbc-7TfRlEbeszMECx6ZIkg6EecXS36vtqwti9ZhFdAHPUjTIdF8qF oeRJzHBIu7sBH/s4032/DSC_5211.JPG)
The first thing that struck me about Oscars, a former shop was a number of t-shirts hanging in each of the four window panes, its bright blue painted frontage with the name in white capitals. This meant that it looked from a distance more like a clothing shop. However, closer inspection revealed several people sat inside with a drink at a number of tables, basking in a welcoming and warm-looking orange light. I walked in, the bar was at the far side of the room, with a number of guys stood nearby. I was greeted from behind the bar by a friendly girl with dark hair, from whom I ordered a pint of Bottoms Up, a 3.7% pale brewed for the bar by Leeds-based Sunbeam Ales, from whom there was also a stronger pale ale. A third hand pump was advertising a 4.5% mulled ginger beer called Yule Valhalla, from Wakefield-based alcoholic ginger beer specialists DMC, but with the pump clip saying Best Chilled I assume that mulling in this case related to the adding of spices. I looked around for somewhere to rest my pint, which with a significant area of the bar given over to a display of snacks and with a glass cabinet featuring further edible items, was not easy. I felt a something damp on my hand; it was the nose of a friendly dog who was sat with a family at one of the tables and probably thought that with me being stood next to the snacks it was worth getting friendly with me. Sorry mate, no snacks from me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqUQch4nDLkeJ4mhZzlZyC48sruPlIYLrPwXso0bQNB luP8RTgWCm9KB0vSEq7TxbqhV2xl8FK5-2TZiGesu5GMWlHWe0zEdMZL3VUD7B3HNOFQs5DO3UvxKm5y6tP diG_KkSb2g0yd7XAwGVz2yP4RKkVL4_thx-6Nsdr2WrR207GxYO0HxfyRWA/w640-h480/DSC_5204.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqUQch4nDLkeJ4mhZzlZyC48sruPlIYLrPwXso0bQNB luP8RTgWCm9KB0vSEq7TxbqhV2xl8FK5-2TZiGesu5GMWlHWe0zEdMZL3VUD7B3HNOFQs5DO3UvxKm5y6tP diG_KkSb2g0yd7XAwGVz2yP4RKkVL4_thx-6Nsdr2WrR207GxYO0HxfyRWA/s4032/DSC_5204.JPG)
Oscars, Morley: snackage in abundance
My beer was a pleasant enough and I rated it as a 3 on the NBSS scale, but when it was done, I had about half an hour before my train, and so I ordered a half of the keg 6.5% Phantasticum Hop Healer from Piglove, based in the Cross Green area of Leeds. This was described as an Amazonian IPA, made using Green Bullet and Mosaic hops. It was delicious, and the warmth of the alcohol was what was needed on this cold afternoon. I liked Oscars, the staff and customers were very friendly, and the beers, which were predominantly from local breweries, were interesting, enjoyable, and good value for money. It made a return to Morley well worth it.
I finished my beer, said my farewells, and re-traced my tracks back to the station, arriving with a few minutes to spare before the train to Batley, whilst on the opposite platform there was a large number of people waiting for the train into Leeds. The train duly arrived, we were immediately whisked through the tunnel and five minutes or so later, it pulled into Batley station. I went through the subway, passing a greeting on the wall saying Welcome to Batley, up the steps and out of the station. Across a large cobbled area, situated the basement of one of the grand old buildings dating from the time when the textile trade brought wealth to the Heavy Woollen District, was the next place on the agenda.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3AZ8Pq1MWUD9oR-Vl4iEy5jZ1DGryX_ivsEBTHVWIj_51fUsZ3xJOJ0oPjLi49Msw JP9dHC9QUryTAMbEKgHFlfkd0f481-sSbaj6724qlIwChD9z_nJKt9Jx6FFqak77qJNDYzKVgShqGInn r3HuUHVW_a-IPS7Wqeq85zMCzqzae7W803KIjDE/w640-h394/DSC_5217~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3AZ8Pq1MWUD9oR-Vl4iEy5jZ1DGryX_ivsEBTHVWIj_51fUsZ3xJOJ0oPjLi49Msw JP9dHC9QUryTAMbEKgHFlfkd0f481-sSbaj6724qlIwChD9z_nJKt9Jx6FFqak77qJNDYzKVgShqGInn r3HuUHVW_a-IPS7Wqeq85zMCzqzae7W803KIjDE/s3165/DSC_5217~2.JPG)
The Cellar Bar is a popular bar opposite the station entrance which has just re-appeared in the new Good Beer Guide after several years in the wilderness, and a place I have been to a few times over the years. My first visit had been yonks ago when it was run by Hambleton Brewery in the 1990's. The brewery had been set up by Nick Stafford in 1991, and has continued to operate ever since, now being run by Nick's daughter and son-in-law from their base in Melmerby near Harrogate, brewing their own range including long-established beers like the 5% Nightmare stout as well as under contract for the likes of Whitby Brewery and Wharfe Beers.
These days, Saltaire beers dominate the offering, alongside Acorn Bitter, and when I had made it through the busy room to the bar, I ordered a pint of Saltaire Blonde. It took a bit of settling down for which the guy apologised profusely, but once I had started drinking it, there was no problem, a perfectly acceptable NBSS 3. The pub was transfixed by the football on the TV's scattered around the room, which was showing outsiders Morocco on their way to beating Portugal and Christian Ronaldo in the World Cup Quarter Final. There was a great atmosphere, seemingly all of those assembled rooting for the African side. The Cellar Bar, which also has an upstairs function room, is a great place yards from the railway station, and well worth including a mini crawl like this.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcHkKhvyt7M0A4bMqcOzz_yjRa25KrJInQUHsIlxW4 JrmJfqYwQn_K3o7W0f4A5hUc27EhDlTXliFJlOGqB02jkVlMhm AFbD71IiarGXY20hSOQdZ0f8vsD7XkDsaU2S7kEkbzk97qcug-sTDY4gRvsM1j52dxrXUpSap1aoLNHLhYvEMKuH5Ff9/w640-h360/DSC_5218.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcHkKhvyt7M0A4bMqcOzz_yjRa25KrJInQUHsIlxW4 JrmJfqYwQn_K3o7W0f4A5hUc27EhDlTXliFJlOGqB02jkVlMhm AFbD71IiarGXY20hSOQdZ0f8vsD7XkDsaU2S7kEkbzk97qcug-sTDY4gRvsM1j52dxrXUpSap1aoLNHLhYvEMKuH5Ff9/s4032/DSC_5218.JPG)
I headed back to the station, where I caught the next train to Dewsbury, which is home of course of the legendary West Riding Refreshment Rooms, which I have written about several times in the past. I walked in through the entrance off the platform, where there was a mixed crowd and where the denouement of the World Cup quarter final was continuing. I ordered a pint of Rocky from Long Eaton brewers Shiny, whose beers I have always been impressed with. This was the first I'd had of theirs for a year or two, a 4.1% well-balanced pale ale which was the best I'd had on this crawl (NBSS 3.5).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLRVpXC6qt04DP4TFYpXGLftO-bmqWAPJq1LCgGhsK-Kf2hLCMWKzV9vwh6D4RghCntOP4wJ4mgGMFmZePvfR9Ao27we_ Q9pC4syBlZOE5NLEIYczHJWxnZvi5pwb7W-C3uRJnIPjHtql_WrG9knGpL9U39yQm540Fi3iCWj5uL11FWdDl BWWOp3j/w640-h360/DSC_5224.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLRVpXC6qt04DP4TFYpXGLftO-bmqWAPJq1LCgGhsK-Kf2hLCMWKzV9vwh6D4RghCntOP4wJ4mgGMFmZePvfR9Ao27we_ Q9pC4syBlZOE5NLEIYczHJWxnZvi5pwb7W-C3uRJnIPjHtql_WrG9knGpL9U39yQm540Fi3iCWj5uL11FWdDl BWWOp3j/s4032/DSC_5224.JPG)
Eyes on the football at the West Riding, Dewsbury (TV not shown)
A loud cheer went up as the football ended, and Morocco had won, becoming the first African team to qualify for a World Cup semi-final. The pub became a little quieter, erstwhile football watchers renewed conversations with their non-watching companions, and, having another half hour to wait before my train back to Brighouse, I returned to the bar to order another pint, this time going for a pint of Stancill Dark, a 3.7% easy drinking dark mild-style beer. And it was most enjoyable, just shading the Shiny as my best pint of cask on this impromptu mini crawl (NBSS 3.5).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgilFtm4a2Vt19Vdvfo5NKu8qWNC7p96HiYAdldIkDZ t6flMpYE47UIni1Qjf53oRFyIaOl2n176lhCUyg23sFeMIP51N Y_MI27xjRSlkrbeSoRwWqQM8xn117nzHCX5uWGAgDnBxN8iX0-PsiKEvI1psxFTJwS48i4ipuPe2UPsHgUnYuVm9AZNz/w640-h360/DSC_5226.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgilFtm4a2Vt19Vdvfo5NKu8qWNC7p96HiYAdldIkDZ t6flMpYE47UIni1Qjf53oRFyIaOl2n176lhCUyg23sFeMIP51N Y_MI27xjRSlkrbeSoRwWqQM8xn117nzHCX5uWGAgDnBxN8iX0-PsiKEvI1psxFTJwS48i4ipuPe2UPsHgUnYuVm9AZNz/s4032/DSC_5226.JPG)
I finished my beer, went back out on to the platform, and waited for my train, having had a most enjoyable afternoon. Back in Brighouse, I just had time for a quick pint at the Crafty Fox before getting my bus home. And, ironically, considering my original plan for the day, it was a keg beer from Sureshot Brewing...
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More... (https://chrisdyson55.blogspot.com/2022/12/bottoms-up-heavy-woollen-hop.html)
This week I have been exploring fairly close to home, visiting some places in the area to the south-west of Leeds. A number of pubs were involved, as you might expect....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxNCyCYUAdxCtoiAQvt9jRGSv7pyszdQDtR7i4paMWo 4ugq_AiHgcqCJayXbOJs1074WXSpKdUZPHKxeWwA1oyMoberUi CVyfTmNl3jxStWHBcoq7UmvOLSRtn880oeGcnwvD1eM7JWyd31 GvlfLmqk51goPpJyfn9mWX7B4hJwaiBKv1BbFNoQTl/w640-h360/DSC_5208~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxNCyCYUAdxCtoiAQvt9jRGSv7pyszdQDtR7i4paMWo 4ugq_AiHgcqCJayXbOJs1074WXSpKdUZPHKxeWwA1oyMoberUi CVyfTmNl3jxStWHBcoq7UmvOLSRtn880oeGcnwvD1eM7JWyd31 GvlfLmqk51goPpJyfn9mWX7B4hJwaiBKv1BbFNoQTl/s4032/DSC_5208~2.JPG)
The Heavy Woollen District is situated across parts of the Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield metropolitan areas, the principle locations being around the towns of Batley, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, and Ossett, spreading out to the likes of Cleckheaton, Mirfield, East Ardsley, Morley, and Horbury. It takes its name from the main activities in the local textile industry which was the production of heavier woollen materials like blankets, and following the invention of a machine in Batley in 1813 that could process the left-over fibresinto soft rags called mungo and hard rags otherwise known as shoddy. Whilst the textile industry is nowhere near as big as it was, its legacy has meant that by and large each of these towns and villages has managed to retain its own distinct character, even though they may gravitate towards Leeds as the main shopping and entertainment centre in the area.
I had originally thought I would go over to Manchester on this strike-free weekend and pay a visit to the taproom of the recently-started Sureshot Brewery, but with the weather turning colder, the prospect of hanging out in a (potentially) cold railway arch had become less and less appealing. That and the fact that the trains were likely to be rammed with a combination of bag-laden Christmas shoppers and prosecco and lager fuelled revellers. So I decided to stay closer to home, and instead take a train ride in the opposite direction, taking in Morley, Batley, and Dewsbury.
There was a bar in Morley that has been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for a year or two that I had never visited previously, so that was to be my first port of call. If you don't know, the railway station in Morley is situated some distance from the town centre and is to found at the lowest point of the town, at the point where the railway emerges from, at just over 3 miles, what is the 3rd longest railway tunnel in Yorkshire, having left Batley a few minutes earlier.
Fortunately the afore-mentioned bar is not too far from the station, a few minutes walk up a gently-sloping and fairly quiet road which passes the odd mill, some tree-lined greenery, and some housing. Some of the buildings are built in the familiar sandstone of the West Riding, whilst some are built in the brick which makes up much of the Victorian housing to be found a few miles away in Leeds. I arrived at a crossroads, around which there was a traditional pub and a number of more modern bars, interspersed with a few shops and other premises. I had arrived in the area of Morley Bottoms, which when I lived in the town in the mid-1980's was something of a rundown, quiet area. With three roads approaching downhill, it has become quite a trendy part of town, with the main shopping areas and traditional pubs up the hill in the centre.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIi9m-YE9qro2LHlOkGMYK-wAVaj9OJFtObiae0cqfZrsjJvUpKDbQbDT3S6a9pQ6WG6rj80k YXIp-sOqFUxv-veX2ulbiOuUMVx-C6c4fYTikmNVNB9pbJbc-7TfRlEbeszMECx6ZIkg6EecXS36vtqwti9ZhFdAHPUjTIdF8qF oeRJzHBIu7sBH/w640-h360/DSC_5211.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIi9m-YE9qro2LHlOkGMYK-wAVaj9OJFtObiae0cqfZrsjJvUpKDbQbDT3S6a9pQ6WG6rj80k YXIp-sOqFUxv-veX2ulbiOuUMVx-C6c4fYTikmNVNB9pbJbc-7TfRlEbeszMECx6ZIkg6EecXS36vtqwti9ZhFdAHPUjTIdF8qF oeRJzHBIu7sBH/s4032/DSC_5211.JPG)
The first thing that struck me about Oscars, a former shop was a number of t-shirts hanging in each of the four window panes, its bright blue painted frontage with the name in white capitals. This meant that it looked from a distance more like a clothing shop. However, closer inspection revealed several people sat inside with a drink at a number of tables, basking in a welcoming and warm-looking orange light. I walked in, the bar was at the far side of the room, with a number of guys stood nearby. I was greeted from behind the bar by a friendly girl with dark hair, from whom I ordered a pint of Bottoms Up, a 3.7% pale brewed for the bar by Leeds-based Sunbeam Ales, from whom there was also a stronger pale ale. A third hand pump was advertising a 4.5% mulled ginger beer called Yule Valhalla, from Wakefield-based alcoholic ginger beer specialists DMC, but with the pump clip saying Best Chilled I assume that mulling in this case related to the adding of spices. I looked around for somewhere to rest my pint, which with a significant area of the bar given over to a display of snacks and with a glass cabinet featuring further edible items, was not easy. I felt a something damp on my hand; it was the nose of a friendly dog who was sat with a family at one of the tables and probably thought that with me being stood next to the snacks it was worth getting friendly with me. Sorry mate, no snacks from me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqUQch4nDLkeJ4mhZzlZyC48sruPlIYLrPwXso0bQNB luP8RTgWCm9KB0vSEq7TxbqhV2xl8FK5-2TZiGesu5GMWlHWe0zEdMZL3VUD7B3HNOFQs5DO3UvxKm5y6tP diG_KkSb2g0yd7XAwGVz2yP4RKkVL4_thx-6Nsdr2WrR207GxYO0HxfyRWA/w640-h480/DSC_5204.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqUQch4nDLkeJ4mhZzlZyC48sruPlIYLrPwXso0bQNB luP8RTgWCm9KB0vSEq7TxbqhV2xl8FK5-2TZiGesu5GMWlHWe0zEdMZL3VUD7B3HNOFQs5DO3UvxKm5y6tP diG_KkSb2g0yd7XAwGVz2yP4RKkVL4_thx-6Nsdr2WrR207GxYO0HxfyRWA/s4032/DSC_5204.JPG)
Oscars, Morley: snackage in abundance
My beer was a pleasant enough and I rated it as a 3 on the NBSS scale, but when it was done, I had about half an hour before my train, and so I ordered a half of the keg 6.5% Phantasticum Hop Healer from Piglove, based in the Cross Green area of Leeds. This was described as an Amazonian IPA, made using Green Bullet and Mosaic hops. It was delicious, and the warmth of the alcohol was what was needed on this cold afternoon. I liked Oscars, the staff and customers were very friendly, and the beers, which were predominantly from local breweries, were interesting, enjoyable, and good value for money. It made a return to Morley well worth it.
I finished my beer, said my farewells, and re-traced my tracks back to the station, arriving with a few minutes to spare before the train to Batley, whilst on the opposite platform there was a large number of people waiting for the train into Leeds. The train duly arrived, we were immediately whisked through the tunnel and five minutes or so later, it pulled into Batley station. I went through the subway, passing a greeting on the wall saying Welcome to Batley, up the steps and out of the station. Across a large cobbled area, situated the basement of one of the grand old buildings dating from the time when the textile trade brought wealth to the Heavy Woollen District, was the next place on the agenda.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3AZ8Pq1MWUD9oR-Vl4iEy5jZ1DGryX_ivsEBTHVWIj_51fUsZ3xJOJ0oPjLi49Msw JP9dHC9QUryTAMbEKgHFlfkd0f481-sSbaj6724qlIwChD9z_nJKt9Jx6FFqak77qJNDYzKVgShqGInn r3HuUHVW_a-IPS7Wqeq85zMCzqzae7W803KIjDE/w640-h394/DSC_5217~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3AZ8Pq1MWUD9oR-Vl4iEy5jZ1DGryX_ivsEBTHVWIj_51fUsZ3xJOJ0oPjLi49Msw JP9dHC9QUryTAMbEKgHFlfkd0f481-sSbaj6724qlIwChD9z_nJKt9Jx6FFqak77qJNDYzKVgShqGInn r3HuUHVW_a-IPS7Wqeq85zMCzqzae7W803KIjDE/s3165/DSC_5217~2.JPG)
The Cellar Bar is a popular bar opposite the station entrance which has just re-appeared in the new Good Beer Guide after several years in the wilderness, and a place I have been to a few times over the years. My first visit had been yonks ago when it was run by Hambleton Brewery in the 1990's. The brewery had been set up by Nick Stafford in 1991, and has continued to operate ever since, now being run by Nick's daughter and son-in-law from their base in Melmerby near Harrogate, brewing their own range including long-established beers like the 5% Nightmare stout as well as under contract for the likes of Whitby Brewery and Wharfe Beers.
These days, Saltaire beers dominate the offering, alongside Acorn Bitter, and when I had made it through the busy room to the bar, I ordered a pint of Saltaire Blonde. It took a bit of settling down for which the guy apologised profusely, but once I had started drinking it, there was no problem, a perfectly acceptable NBSS 3. The pub was transfixed by the football on the TV's scattered around the room, which was showing outsiders Morocco on their way to beating Portugal and Christian Ronaldo in the World Cup Quarter Final. There was a great atmosphere, seemingly all of those assembled rooting for the African side. The Cellar Bar, which also has an upstairs function room, is a great place yards from the railway station, and well worth including a mini crawl like this.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcHkKhvyt7M0A4bMqcOzz_yjRa25KrJInQUHsIlxW4 JrmJfqYwQn_K3o7W0f4A5hUc27EhDlTXliFJlOGqB02jkVlMhm AFbD71IiarGXY20hSOQdZ0f8vsD7XkDsaU2S7kEkbzk97qcug-sTDY4gRvsM1j52dxrXUpSap1aoLNHLhYvEMKuH5Ff9/w640-h360/DSC_5218.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcHkKhvyt7M0A4bMqcOzz_yjRa25KrJInQUHsIlxW4 JrmJfqYwQn_K3o7W0f4A5hUc27EhDlTXliFJlOGqB02jkVlMhm AFbD71IiarGXY20hSOQdZ0f8vsD7XkDsaU2S7kEkbzk97qcug-sTDY4gRvsM1j52dxrXUpSap1aoLNHLhYvEMKuH5Ff9/s4032/DSC_5218.JPG)
I headed back to the station, where I caught the next train to Dewsbury, which is home of course of the legendary West Riding Refreshment Rooms, which I have written about several times in the past. I walked in through the entrance off the platform, where there was a mixed crowd and where the denouement of the World Cup quarter final was continuing. I ordered a pint of Rocky from Long Eaton brewers Shiny, whose beers I have always been impressed with. This was the first I'd had of theirs for a year or two, a 4.1% well-balanced pale ale which was the best I'd had on this crawl (NBSS 3.5).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLRVpXC6qt04DP4TFYpXGLftO-bmqWAPJq1LCgGhsK-Kf2hLCMWKzV9vwh6D4RghCntOP4wJ4mgGMFmZePvfR9Ao27we_ Q9pC4syBlZOE5NLEIYczHJWxnZvi5pwb7W-C3uRJnIPjHtql_WrG9knGpL9U39yQm540Fi3iCWj5uL11FWdDl BWWOp3j/w640-h360/DSC_5224.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLRVpXC6qt04DP4TFYpXGLftO-bmqWAPJq1LCgGhsK-Kf2hLCMWKzV9vwh6D4RghCntOP4wJ4mgGMFmZePvfR9Ao27we_ Q9pC4syBlZOE5NLEIYczHJWxnZvi5pwb7W-C3uRJnIPjHtql_WrG9knGpL9U39yQm540Fi3iCWj5uL11FWdDl BWWOp3j/s4032/DSC_5224.JPG)
Eyes on the football at the West Riding, Dewsbury (TV not shown)
A loud cheer went up as the football ended, and Morocco had won, becoming the first African team to qualify for a World Cup semi-final. The pub became a little quieter, erstwhile football watchers renewed conversations with their non-watching companions, and, having another half hour to wait before my train back to Brighouse, I returned to the bar to order another pint, this time going for a pint of Stancill Dark, a 3.7% easy drinking dark mild-style beer. And it was most enjoyable, just shading the Shiny as my best pint of cask on this impromptu mini crawl (NBSS 3.5).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgilFtm4a2Vt19Vdvfo5NKu8qWNC7p96HiYAdldIkDZ t6flMpYE47UIni1Qjf53oRFyIaOl2n176lhCUyg23sFeMIP51N Y_MI27xjRSlkrbeSoRwWqQM8xn117nzHCX5uWGAgDnBxN8iX0-PsiKEvI1psxFTJwS48i4ipuPe2UPsHgUnYuVm9AZNz/w640-h360/DSC_5226.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgilFtm4a2Vt19Vdvfo5NKu8qWNC7p96HiYAdldIkDZ t6flMpYE47UIni1Qjf53oRFyIaOl2n176lhCUyg23sFeMIP51N Y_MI27xjRSlkrbeSoRwWqQM8xn117nzHCX5uWGAgDnBxN8iX0-PsiKEvI1psxFTJwS48i4ipuPe2UPsHgUnYuVm9AZNz/s4032/DSC_5226.JPG)
I finished my beer, went back out on to the platform, and waited for my train, having had a most enjoyable afternoon. Back in Brighouse, I just had time for a quick pint at the Crafty Fox before getting my bus home. And, ironically, considering my original plan for the day, it was a keg beer from Sureshot Brewing...
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