I haven't done one of these for a while so I thought I'd enlighten you all:D
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They probably didn't know we were coming ;)
The meeting was set for 11:15 onwards at the JDW in the station, it doesn't have any name other than Wetherspoons, suggestions on a post card to T Martin at Wetherspoon Towers; We chose it as Quinno and ROBCamra were coming by train and the Brewery Tap doesn't open till 12.
I arrived early in spite of a slow bus and was soon supping a pint of something dark. Not much later a text arrived from Quinno telling me what he was wearing so I kept an eye out on the front door for him. With a cavalier disregard for a sense of direction he arrived from outside the station and crept up from behind. A table was secured and Quinno ordered his breakfast of chips, sausages and beans and a half of something light and hoppy. An excess of Huddersfield the day before explained the half, I thought he should have had a big fry up and a couple pints to settle his stomach. ROBCamra had obviously been held up at the Yorkshire border and arrived later and in spite of waves missed us in his haste to make for the bar. He spotted us and joined us with his pint of something dark. Planning now commenced and as it was approaching 12 the Brewery Tap seemed the next move before heading for Hunslet. A short walk and a photo stop later a nice crisp Leeds Pale was in my hands while ROB had a beer from Derventio. Quinno checked out the upstairs, it may have been the on-site brewery that attracted him or possibly the pole dancing class held up there according to ROB, anyway another half for the lad. Drinks finished it was time to wander round the corner to catch a bus, passing several dubious delights such as the Duncan Lounge on the way. The buses run about every 10 minutes from the city centre to Hunslet and it's a short journey as long as the bus doesn't stop to swap drivers, fortunately ours didn't and after the journey through an urban wasteland we arrived at the urban wasteland of Hunslet .
A short stroll through the brutalist architecture that is Hunslet Centre worried Quinno as he couldn't see anything that might be a pub but turning a corner by the 1930s deco library (closed) his doubts were lifted and we surveyed this rare survivor; The Garden Gate. Needless to say a great many photos were taken as we settled down to another pint or half in Quinno's case (still suffering) of Leeds Pale. Keen as ever for new pubs Quinno had us away back to the bus stop for the ride back to town. Apparently it is not Brig-gate in Leeds but Brig-it according to the bus driver who claimed never to have heard of Briggate. A little longer journey this time as there was a driver change, pity, with his sense of humour he could go far, the further the better if you ask me. Hopping off the bus opposite the Adelphi the consensus was a swift half in there before a short crawl of Holbeck. Narrowly avoiding sudden death under the wheels of the bus we'd just got off we were soon in possession of three halves, the Salopian Kashmir being particularly good.
From there it's a very short walk across the river/canal past Asda HQ into Holbeck and then into a little gem surrounded by office blocks, The Grove. A fairly quiet late lunch time so we chatted with the landlord mainly about beer of course. Ale&Hearty, who was to have joined us today but couldn't, then texted asking where we were and what we were drinking, he knew it would be good but us being in the Grove and drinking a beer from Kirkstall Brewery must have bitterly disappointed him. More of up and coming trendy Holbeck beckoned and a short walk including a vigorous jump over a car park wall when a sudden memory loss made me forget there was no opening in it but it remains the quick way to the back door of the Midnight Bell, another Leeds brewery owned pub. It does a couple of guests so there was no reason to OD on Leeds Pale. A pleasant time was spent on the sunny terrace fortifying ourselves for the long hike to the Cross Keys all of three doors away. I had what was probably the worst drink of the day here and it wasn't helped by being served in a bloody jug I felt a Get Carter moment approaching but managed to suppress the urge, no doubt to ROBs relief, Quinno had just run into the brother of someone he went to university with so we left him to reminisce. No crawl of Holbeck is complete without a visit to The Hop the newest good drinking place in the area. Taking a seat underneath the arches fate intervened again as Spinko arrived for a post work drink, we knew he used the Hop so it was not much of shock really. Ironically I was drinking a dark old man's beer at the time so just a touch of stereotype reinforcement there.
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Quinno and Spinko discuss Boring Brown Bitter
Time now to turn towards the city centre again and a visit to Foleys so that Quinno will be able to find it next time he's in Leeds :p. We joined the queue at the bar but time being a little against us we decided on the victorian splendour of the Victoria instead and left beer-less. No booths available in the Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel of course as the weekend had begun in Leeds, so I made do with a Jaipur and we just admired the surroundings. Next stop was the Market Town Tavern establishment Veritas, which wasn't too busy yet. It was here that we discovered Quinno's aversion to beer mats, needless to say as soon as his back was turned his glass made it to the top of a small tower of beer mats, simple fun but we liked it.
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Quinno doesn't like beermats
Time now was becoming pressing for those with trains to catch and cats to feed so a final drink in the Scarbrough was called for before going our separate ways.
