PuG Crawl Harrogate 7th July 2023.

[Strongers]

I'll be driving up so staying in a hotel Friday night.

Looking forward to it

[Tris39]

I was in York last week, meeting Paul Mudge for a few heritage pubs. He had been meeting some old university friends for a reunion in Harrogate, as it happens, and said that the beer was not very good in the Nicholsons pub (by which I assume he meant the Alexandra). You can read his account of the four pubs he went into there - in the comments below Retired Martin's blog. He gave a good account of the pub on the station, but says the Spoons and the Blues Bar were not much better than the Alex.

I've never had a crap pint in Winter Gardens (JD Wetherspoon) or a poorly cooked breakfast for that matter and I've had quite a lot including a couple of pints on a Sunday night recently and a breakfast on the Monday.

He may have been unlucky, but that's never been my experience.

We never go in the The Alexandra beacause it's crap.

Only had a problem with Blues Bar once and that was back in 2013 when it was going through a bad patch, so you'll have to make your own minds up.

The Alexandra looks like some corporate affair with a modern 'Victorian' interior; seems odd to include it unless the beer is outstanding.

[Tris39]

Let's hope we don't get derailed.

[Bucking Fastard]

Just wondered who is turning up?

Reading back through this thread I assume the following

Tris 39
Pangolin
sheffield hatter
Gann
Bucking Fastard
Clive
Spinko
Strongers
Real Ale Ray
Fiona
rpadam
an ecumenical matter ?

I will update this list as other attendees confirm.Let's hope train issues dont cause major issues.

See you all in the Harrogate Tap around noon this Friday.

[Spinko]

Just wondered who is turning up?

Reading back through this thread I assume the following

Tris 39
Pangolin
sheffield hatter
Gann
Bucking Fastard
Clive
Spinko
Strongers
Real Ale Ray
Fiona
rpadam
an ecumenical matter ?

I will update this list as other attendees confirm.Let's hope train issues dont cause major issues.

See you all in the Harrogate Tap around noon this Friday.

Yes, driving the 50ish miles down in the morning. Depending on the time I wake & not wasting too long in the gym, I'll probably be knocking around the Wetherspoons from 10ish.

It's looking like shorts weather again, mid-twenties Celsius

[Pangolin]

Trains on the Harrogate line have not been noticeably affected by the overtime ban so far (although there was a signalling cock-up yesterday) and LNER claim to be running a full service. to York and Leeds, so hopefully shouldn't be too bad. Cross Country seem to be ok and Trans Pennine are in usual state of disarray of course.

Here is an unscientific stab at timings, reducing a few more to wild cards leaving a manageable(?) 10. Most of the others are pretty close, so could easily be knocked off later by any who are staying on for the evening.

1200-1230 Harrogate Tap
(Husk)
1240-1305 Tap on Tower Street
(Coach & Horses)
(Alexandra)
1315-1340 Blues Bar
1345-1410 Fat Badger
(Last Post)
1415-1440 Old Bell
1445-1510 Hales
(Winter Gardens JDW)
1520-1545 Major Tom’s Social (note 1400 opening)
(Starling)
1550-1615 Little Ale House (note 1400 opening)
(Cold Bath Brewing)
(Christies)
1620-1645 Inn on Cheltenham Parade
(North Bar)
1650-1715 Disappearing Chin
1720 Harrogate Tap

[Strongers]

Trains on the Harrogate line have not been noticeably affected by the overtime ban so far (although there was a signalling cock-up yesterday) and LNER claim to be running a full service. to York and Leeds, so hopefully shouldn't be too bad. Cross Country seem to be ok and Trans Pennine are in usual state of disarray of course.

Here is an unscientific stab at timings, reducing a few more to wild cards leaving a manageable(?) 10. Most of the others are pretty close, so could easily be knocked off later by any who are staying on for the evening.

1200-1230 Harrogate Tap
(Husk)
1240-1305 Tap on Tower Street
(Coach & Horses)
(Alexandra)
1315-1340 Blues Bar
1345-1410 Fat Badger
(Last Post)
1415-1440 Old Bell
1445-1510 Hales
(Winter Gardens JDW)
1520-1545 Major Tom’s Social (note 1400 opening)
(Starling)
1550-1615 Little Ale House (note 1400 opening)
(Cold Bath Brewing)
(Christies)
1620-1645 Inn on Cheltenham Parade
(North Bar)
1650-1715 Disappearing Chin
1720 Harrogate Tap

Two crawls for the price of one

[ROBCamra]

Trains on the Harrogate line have not been noticeably affected by the overtime ban so far (although there was a signalling cock-up yesterday) and LNER claim to be running a full service. to York and Leeds, so hopefully shouldn't be too bad. Cross Country seem to be ok and Trans Pennine are in usual state of disarray of course.

Here is an unscientific stab at timings, reducing a few more to wild cards leaving a manageable(?) 10. Most of the others are pretty close, so could easily be knocked off later by any who are staying on for the evening.

1200-1230 Harrogate Tap
(Husk)
1240-1305 Tap on Tower Street
(Coach & Horses)
(Alexandra)
1315-1340 Blues Bar
1345-1410 Fat Badger
(Last Post)
1415-1440 Old Bell
1445-1510 Hales
(Winter Gardens JDW)
1520-1545 Major Tom’s Social (note 1400 opening)
(Starling)
1550-1615 Little Ale House (note 1400 opening)
(Cold Bath Brewing)
(Christies)
1620-1645 Inn on Cheltenham Parade
(North Bar)
1650-1715 Disappearing Chin
1720 Harrogate Tap

I disgree with OB in that I think Cold Bath Brewing is well worth a visit and would have had it on the main list rather than a wild card.

Just my opinion, but we never go to Harrogate without visiting it alongside the Little Ale House and the Harrogate Tap.

Also, anyone fancying a curry, The Shalimar (Cheltenham Parade) is the best we know and it does a slow cooked Nihari curry which is excellent.

[sheffield hatter]

Here is an unscientific stab at timings, reducing a few more to wild cards leaving a manageable(?) 10. Most of the others are pretty close, so could easily be knocked off later by any who are staying on for the evening.

Unscientific, maybe. But remarkably similar to my rough notes.

Harrogate is quite a small town but with a huge pubs offering. I'm sure we'll be adding and subtracting as we go along.

[aleandhearty]

Unfortunately, I can't make it on Friday, now. I was particularly looking forward to it, as it's been a while since I've been on one and Harrogate would have been eminently 'doable'. Was also looking forward to putting faces to names I'd not met before. Another time.