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Thread: The Guinness and Gold Cup Blog

  1. #51
    This Space For Hire gillhalfpint's Avatar
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    Have a look in Bar Fringe between the Crown and Kettle and the Smithfield (right hand side as you walk down). Usually 5 beers and they have a motorcycle mounted on one of the walls.

  2. #52
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    Well nothing from Millay since this afternoon so assume he must still be out and about in Manchester. He's going to regret it tomorrow as he has the early start for the big day.
    I've made it back from Glasgow and am having a lazy evening in the hotel - sorry Travelodge - nursing my burns from this morning's incident. Thought about pouring some ice cold Carlsberg Export over my leg but think it probably needs more than mere fizzy water to do any good.
    I managed to find the three national invetory pubs in Glasgow I was looking for. The Horseshoe bar which I liked although it wasn't as grand as I had imagined, and i must admit the A board outside advertising the 'legendary Karaoke 7 nights a week' was pretty horrifying. Still Deuchars at £1.69 was a welcome change from Edinburgh prices.
    Next stop was Sloan's in Argyll Street. Quite liked it in here as well but the pint of Wychwood Paddy's Tout at £3.30 was a tad sobering !
    On to the Steps Bar where I was horrified to find no real ale. It just seems so wrong that a historic pub on the national inventory offers only fizzy P***. Liked it in here too, but the 7 regulars all staring at the TV and not saying a word made it a little uncomfortable.
    Talking of uncomfortable, by this time my leg was demanding some rest so I ambled off to the bus station for the £1 coach journey back to Edinburgh.

    Moving on to Manchester tomorrow where I'll be meeting up with FP (Chris) while Millay does his thing with his Gold Cup friends. Then saturday we combine forces for a concerted attack on the hostelries of Salford and Manchester. Could be a long weekend but the stamina is holding up at the moment.

  3. #53
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Thursdsay eveining - a warm up

    A little warm up tonight for tomorrow's activities.

    First off was the Crown & Anchor on Hilton St, the pub that I had found closed on a previous visit. Decent place clean and tidy with comfy seating, a pool table and large screen TV. Three ales that were not that inspiring, had a Deuchars and on the basis they were serving me a Scottish beer I felt justified in paying with a Scottish note - which was accepted with good grace.

    Next on to Oldham Street and the Castle. All the knick knacks and the macabre mosaic have gone so for those that knew it before it's lost a bit of character. Had a pint of Robinsons Dragon Fire (?).

    Over the road to the allegedly up and coming City Pub. Reminded me a bit of the Smithfield in layout and atmosphere, if not in beer selection. Three ales on, one of which was a 6% Imperial Stout that I imagine will attract Grailhunter's eye when he arrives. Had the Atlas City Pride which was far from good but not so much that you'd send it back, well not in this place anyway. Most of the punters were drinking keg Boddies, lager or Guinness. I wouldn't want to judge the pub on one visit and one pint but it does look to have some way to go yet to become one of Manchester's real ale crawl pubs.

    Off to the Crown & Kettle and a pint of their own ale brewed by the Greenfield Brewery. Seems they've given up on doing anything with the ceiling and just have a net to stop any falling masonery.

    Couldn't really see the pumps at Bar Fringe and went for a half of Boggarts ESP. So many good and dangerous beers though including an 8% La Chouffe and that bright orange cider stuff.

    Dropped in at the Burton Arms Hotel out of curiosity and had a pint of Holts Bitter. Pool table, TV, more staff than customers.

    In the Smithfield I saw something called Father Jack with the eponymous gentleman on the pump clip (the bloke from the TV show not a_e_m) so had to have a pint of that. It seemed to be badged as their own brew but they told me it was an Anglo Dutch thing. Since I was last here they've moved the pool table from the front of the bar to a side area.

    Not sure why I went to the Wheatsheaf other than I was passing and it was a pub that I'd not been in before. Not a great place, no real ale, had a JD & Coke which singled me out as a prat with the locals. Got chatting to an Irish guy about St Paddys day. Never understood a word he was saying and I suspect he was the same.

    Apart from a bottle of Peroni in the hotel restaurant (and I use the word loosely) whilst waiting for some food (loosely again), that was it for the night. I'll add some proper reviews and maybe a crawl when I'm a little more sober.
    Last edited by Millay; 19-03-2010 at 06:58. Reason: Sorting out some typos and a bit of tidying up

  4. #54
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Friday - a Fine Manchester Morning

    Well that's a phrase I never thought I'd use. Not that I can see much of it stuck up here with the Gods. It does however mean I'm closer to the sun and can see it raising it's weary head for the inevitable start of another day, rather like myself really. Just had a quick look at what I posted last night and it's surprisingly intelligible. I have added a couple of bit though and corrected some typos and grammatical errors.

    Not really sure why I'm up this early, force of habit I suppose, plus a desire to provide you good people with your morning dose of stunning prose. Give me half an hour and I'll let you know what the day ahead might hold. I should probably do it now as I may not remember by the end.

  5. #55
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Friday - Cheltenham Bets

    Well I've just checked the return on yesterday's bets and they hold not one single solitary penny, not even a Matabele Barter Bead. But am I downhearted, no I'm not. I've decided to follow the same long odds policy today with the main bet being an each-way Yankee on Tawaag, Quel Esprit, Tricky Trickster and Baltahzar KIng. If that lot all come in I'll be £15k richer . Also had some other silly bets including one that will potentially return £56k for a £2.20 stake, I have a feeling that's £2.20 I won't be seeing again.

  6. #56
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gillhalfpint View Post
    Have a look in Bar Fringe between the Crown and Kettle and the Smithfield (right hand side as you walk down). Usually 5 beers and they have a motorcycle mounted on one of the walls.
    I called into Bar Fringe last night and had a half but it's really the sort of place you want to stay awhile and explore what's on offer. Maybe when Grailhunter arrives we'll go back.

  7. #57
    In Search of Ebriety Millay's Avatar
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    Default Friday - The Long Road Ahead

    Well, what might today hold. If it's anything like usual we'll meet up in the Wetherspoons on Deansgate (not as bad as the one on Piccadilly) and from there we'll trawl around Manchesters pubs trying to find the cheapest pint of John Smiths Smooth. Having said that, last year we spent most of the day in the Egerton Arms by Salford Central Station which is a Holts pub so had some real ale. I find that it does become a bit bland after a while and apparently last year I switched to large JD & cokes fairly early. I shall try not to make that same mistake again.

    The Guinness & Gold Cup Tour is a regular one for me and I've been coming up to Manchester to meet this same group of drunkards for a number of years now. The exception was 2008 when we broke with tradition and went to Hamburg for a 50th Birthday. The players in todays action are all blokes I've known for a few years, mainly from these events and some from a business perspective. I was going to introduce them all to you but then realised that I've done all this before for the Hamburg trip. OK it was a couple of years ago and whilst they may be redder of face and larger of waist I'm sure they're much the same. So being lazy I'm going to direct you to this link to my report of 15 Blokes in Hamburg which was written for a travel website I use, so I couldn't be too rude about the Germans

    This is quite a long report but if you have 20 minutes of your life that you don't really need then it might be worth a read. You'll also meet the mysterious Lons who a few posts ago seemed to be having an issue with my morning beauty regime.

    One man not on the Hamburg tour who is likely to be arriving this afternoon is The Happy Frenchman. Named after a pub in Folkestone when he made a surprise appearance on that tour having got the St Malo to Portsmouth ferry and driven half way around the South coast to announce himself in the pub with the immortal words "Avez vous un decent beer around here sil vous plait". The Happy Frenchman is actually Dave M from Bristol, although he assures me he has nothing to do with this website, plus he's a Gashead and now living somewhere in the middle of rural France.

    Right, that's my morning duty done for you lot, and will probably be it for the day. A shower and a bit of breakfast then off to meet the chaps

  8. #58
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    Well it seems Millay has done some good reconisance, reconesance, looking around work in Manchester. That 6% Imperial Stout in the City Inn definitely sounds attractive. No doubt with my luck it will have just gone by the time I get there.
    The leg is feeling much better today I'm happy to report, the sun is shining, the stomach is settled and the throat is thirsty so I'm raring to go.
    Off to the airport now for the short flight to Manchester (I know carbon footprint and all that but it's not like I do this every day, and it was as cheap as the train).
    Spoke with FP Chris last night and he has told me he will meet me in Yates in Portland Street. This is the infamous establishment that Millay is so fond of (check out his review of it). Think I will be gesticulating a few signs through the window when I get there rather than crossing the threshold. Better still, maybe I'll just text him and tell him to meet me in the City Inn.
    Have a good day all. Good luck if you're backing a horse or two.

  9. #59
    We're not really 'ere! trainman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grailhunter View Post
    he has told me he will meet me in Yates in Portland Street.
    Whaaaat??? Unless you are checking out the veracity of Millay's masterpeice just don't do it! You're in sight of the Circus Tavern, Grey Horse & Old Monkey over the road, & short walk from the City Arms (Kennedy St) and Waterhouse next door (a good spoons I discovered last week). Good luck whichever direction you take.

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    We're not really 'ere! trainman's Avatar
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    By the way, well done to Big Buck's on an excellent performance in the Stayers' yesterday and the first fav to win one of the principle races (tho the whole meeting has been a blood-bath for punters), but I was almost hoping he'd fail. Why? Well, what the hell is that apostrophe doing in his name???
    Last edited by trainman; 19-03-2010 at 14:51. Reason: I ain't telling...

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