It doesn't look great considering we're two or three weeks behind Italy. Let's hope some sunshine helps out
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The train service is going to be reduced from next week for "the duration". Naturally I'm happy going into pubs in spite of the advice from a government desperate to manage the numbers but I realise some people may not agree with my support for pubs in this form.
So assuming the Government doesn't forcibly shut pubs and we can still get to and from Preston who's still up for the trip?
Indeed, although there are murmurings of civil disobedience in the pub I’m in now, at least for tomorrow. This pub has 7 lines in action so that’s up to 7x72 pints as ullage plus in whatever is in opened casks in prep. Fortunately I’m going to drink as much Sarah Hughes as I can afford while remaining upright
Best wishes Aqualung, hope all goes well
Well, I would have been with you - Civil Disobedience is my middle name - but as Richard says, it's all academic now.
I could have done with some of that tonight. I had an afternoon session with a couple of friends in a Chantry pub in Rotherham - their very good beers at only £2.70/pint. Then after the news broke, a desperate scramble to find some pubs still open but some of the beer was pretty ropy after the downturn in trade this week. Best on Ecclesall Road was a Castle Rock stout called Single Origin 5%; a pint or two of Sarah Hughes' Dark Ruby Mild would have done me nicely for a farewell drink.
Best of luck Aqualung, hope it works out for you.
Now Preston is cancelled is the next one Winchester or still Preston next.
I assumed we would stick with the current time line, so Winchester next if pubs are open, with Preston coming up next time the north comes around, the same with Winchester if pubs still closed, or else it will cock up any thoughts of an anniversary Brum meet up in the Autumn?
My main priority will be the Brum visit but nobody knows for sure if the virus will all be over by then.
I must say the turnout for this one is a bit disappointing...
Thought it worthwhile to BUMP this thread now that thoughts are turning to the next PuG crawl venuue (Omicron scientific data willing ,obviously)
Reading through the thread,quite a bit of research and planning had taken place without any definitive plan.Consulting the 2022 GBG , it shows a very similar list of Preston real ale options with the only addition Winckley Street Ale House (formerly Otters Pocket).I've never been drinking in Preston,so can't help much with ideas or route for this crawl,but several other members do seem familiar with what looks like a decent option for a PuG crawl.
The original crawl fell victim to the first COVID lockdown,is there interest in trying Preston again ?
If so we will need to discuss dates,with late March /early April seeming to fit the bill. The title of this thread will also need changing.
I'm up for Preston in Spring 2022.
And me (us)
Yes. Omigod withstanding, should we just continue with the crawls as voted: Preston then Winchester.
100% Preston - never been and would love to go!
I suggest this thread needs splitting from the BUMP @61 onwards.
I was there with the Beer & Pubs Forum guys in 2019 - see this thread. That was more than two years ago, and there have been changes. The Winckley Street Ale House (formerly Otters Pocket) mentioned by Nev @61 didn't even appear on our radar, though Pub Curmudgeon insisted on the Wellington (in the GBG at the time), a couple of streets away, for a lunch stop. I popped in but it was on its last legs; I have read recently that it is on the way back (or was that just a dream?).
I did look at a possible route, with alternatives on the bus out to The Plungington Hotel, which had a pretty good rep at the time. Another good pub, but a little out of the town centre, is The Moorbrook, and some might prefer the bus than walking 15 minutes along the A6. The trouble is, who knows if these pubs are still worth the effort? (The man on the spot in Preston is Matthew Lawrenson (just M.Lawrenson on that forum, which could lead to msitakes for the unwary), but I'm not sure he's forgiven me yet for knowing the short-cut [see #10] to the Continental from Preston station. If he'd known it too he'd have been impressed, but he didn't, so he wasn't.)
I also toyed with the idea of quickly scooting up to Lancaster on the train. More than toyed with - I bought advance tickets for £1.30 each way (!) with time for two or three pubs within a quick sprint of Lancaster station.
But that was then, this is now. Or next spring.
To get the ball rolling, this from nearly two years ago was Alan Hurdle's take on the possible start of the crawl, which seems pretty sound to me:
Let's take it from there. Any ideas?
Easter is mid-April, with Good Friday on the 15th. Should we also consider the 22nd and 29th? That gives us a choice of six dates: March 18th & 25th, April 1st, 8th, 22nd and 29th.
The two March dates are before the clocks go forward, so the extra April dates give us the option of voting for (possible) better weather and (certain) extended daylight.
These are my most recent (2021) Preston ratings:
Black Horse Preston - Central 9 Continental Preston - Avenham 7 Forum Preston - Central 5 Gin Jar Ale Preston - Penwortham 7 Market Street Social Preston - Central 6 Orchard Preston - Central 7 Plau Preston - Central 7 Plug & Taps Preston - Central 7 Stanley Arms Preston - Central 6 Tap & Vine Preston - Penwortham 7 Winckley Street Preston - Central 7 Wings & Beer Co Preston - Central 7
NB - Not deliberately visiting well-known pubs only, because there were some pot luck stops involved too.
The Moorbrook is definitely still worth it. Go via Roper Hall and/or Plau then Vinyl Tap and it's barely five minutes walk via Moor Lane between each.
There's a couple of micros towards Lane Ends for a proper excursion out...
I fear the pub landscape is changing so much nowadays that there is little point in getting too bogged down in detail until much closer. Let's just get the date fixed for now.
There’s also a new micro in the middle of town, Friargate Tap. I haven’t visited yet though so don’t blame me if it’s crap! :)
I believe the Plungington Hotel has gone massively downhill since changing ownership during lockdown. Certainly not worth a detour anyway.
ABeerInPreston is a good account to follow on Twitter who gives regular updates on Preston pubs and bars. Although he’s more of a craft keg man, he should be able to give some good advice on where to visit or avoid.
Wrong thread