Gig tomorrow

Free admission - all welcome.

Gig in the Guest House

Pleased to say that I've been booked - 

at fairly short notice, but better than never!

Live at the Guest House, Southport

Gig next Saturday - all welcome

Gig this Saturday

Guest House, Union Street, Southport - free admission

Gig at the Guest House

The Guest House, Union Street, Southport

September Guest House singaround cancelled

The room in the Guest House
where the sessions are held

I've just come home from Whitby Folk Week to learn that my local, the Guest House, Union Street, Southport will be closed from 3 to 8 September. Not sure why yet, but it does mean that my song session which takes place on the first Monday of each month will not take place on Monday 5 September. There shouldn't be a problem with October.

Sorry about that; please mention this to anyone else who might otherwise turn up. 

The Guest House, Southport

A minute's walk from Southport's Lord Street is the Guest House on Union Street. The impressive exterior is half timbered, and inside the walls are wood-panelled, so people often assume it is much older than it really is: just over 100 years old. There are three separate rooms and a drinking area around the bar. Above the bar there are glass screens which many years ago used to be pulled down at closing time, but are now fixed. The interior is mostly unaltered and the pub has just been listed in CAMRA's National Inventory, a record of pub interiors worthy of both protection and celebration, the only pub in Southport with this distinction. Outside there is seating to the front of the pub and in the attractive courtyard to the rear, which has a covered area for smokers.

At the weekend there are 11 handpumps serving real ale, although this number may go down to 8 or 9 during the week. Theakstons Old Peculier, Jennings Cumberland and beers from the Caledonian range often feature, but there is always a changing selection of guest beers, often from local breweries such as Southport, Formby and Parkers. The pub is regularly in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide, which is based on beer quality.

There is also an extensive selection of malt whiskies. You can have a coffee, and they serve a range of light, reasonably priced snacks at lunchtime; sometimes in the evenings free nibbles are placed on the bar.

Thursday night is a popular quiz night, and there are two unamplified folk nights each month in the

front room: the first Monday is mostly songs, while the third Monday mostly folk tunes. They also have a solitary television. Generally, though, this is a pub where people go to meet friends and have a conversation. The clientele is fairly mixed in terms of age, gender and interests.

The Guest House is near all the main bus routes on Lord Street, and less than 10 minutes' walk from Southport railway station. Street parking only. Enquiries: 01704 537660.

This is part of a series of articles that I am writing for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.

Another Saturday night

Last night outside my local, the Guest House, an old man who was well into his 80s fell and gashed his head. Both the licensee, Gail, and a barmaid, Marilyn, went out to help, taking out towels and sitting with him. After a while when the ambulance still hadn't turned up, a couple of pub regulars helped him inside to sit in the warm to wait. They checked he was okay before leaving themselves.

When the ambulance did arrive, the two female paramedics were very cheerful and helpful, and he confirmed that he had simply fallen, and not been mugged, before they took him away. In the meantime, the pub staff were trying to track down his daughter on a smart phone, as the info he gave them about her whereabouts was out of date, probably a result of confusion brought on by his fall.

I just saw a lot of concern. Where, I wondered, was the violent, selfish, drunken mayhem that the anti-alcohol brigade constantly claims fills the pubs and streets of our town and city centres at weekends? After all, they wouldn't lie just to try to scare people into staying at home at weekends, would they?

Power of the press

Our local paper, the Southport Visiter (sic), has published an on-line list of our best local pubs, and I was pleased to see my local, the Guest House in Union Street, come top. The full list is here. I wouldn't necessarily agree with the entire list; there are some I wouldn't have included and others that are surprising omissions, such as the Zetland, the Mount Pleasant, the Bold (in Churchtown), the Hesketh and the Freshfield. That said, we're quite fortunate in Southport for having some good pubs locally, which is often not the case in seaside towns: at union conferences, we found Blackpool and Bournemouth particularly deficient in this respect.

It's good that our local paper is supporting local pubs. For just over a year, CAMRA has been given a weekly column, which has mostly been written by local CAMRA stalwart, Mike Perkins and, until my previous computer broke down, I contributed several articles, which can be found here. Now that I'm on-line again, I intend to write more; for one thing, Mike could do with a break. I know from my period of editor of local CAMRA magazine, Ale & Hearty, that the local Branch likes to have a magazine and the newspaper column but, with a couple of exceptions, don't feel obliged to lend a hand. I've spoken to a couple of editors in other Branches who have had similar experiences. Regrettably, the tendency to dump tasks on individuals is by no means confined to CAMRA: many mass membership organisations tend to leave the bulk of the work to an individual or small group. Sometimes the individuals concerned prefer it that way, but mostly not.

The list is derived from CAMRA's What Pub website.

It's on the cards

A while ago in the Guest House, Southport, a group of young people whom I hadn't seen before ordered a large round of drinks and offered to pay with a card. "We don't take cards," the barman replied. This resulted in a scramble to get the necessary cash together. At the time, I thought it odd that they assumed that all pubs take cards, but if where they normally drink does, perhaps it's not so surprising after all.

The Guest House did try taking cards for a while, but abandoned the experiment. I don't think there were many takers, and there are costs involved for businesses that accept them. As it's a drink-led pub, perhaps the charges ate too much into the margins. I might out of interest ask the licensee why she stopped to see whether my guess is correct.

The only time I've used a card just to buy drinks was during that short-lived Guest House experiment; I just did it for the novelty, and was slightly taken aback paying for my evening's drinking in one go. I prefer to see my cash dwindle in dribs and drabs as the evening goes on. Besides, there is a hole-in-the-wall about two minutes' walk from the pub. I sometimes use a card in a pub if I'm buying meals with my drink, but that's it: beer on its own is part of the cash economy as far as I'm concerned.

Pubs that don't take cards must be among the few businesses that operate solely on a cash basis nowadays. There is a corner shop I know that has a 'cash only' sign on the door, and perhaps there are small newsagents that are cash only, but in the world of business as a whole, such a way of operating must be uncommon. I wonder whether such pubs will ever join the cash-free economy. If they do, I'm sure I'll adapt, but in the meantime. I prefer to pay cash for my beer.

Tommy Legs at Spoons

I met my friend Clive, who also happens to be the Bothy organiser, in the Sir Henry Segrave on Lord Street in Southport yesterday evening. There's a cider festival on at present, which I'd forgotten, but I wasn't in the mood for cider anyway; I do think it's good that Spoons do things like that, though, making the point that there is a lot more to cider than just Strongbow. I began with a beer, the name of which I forget, which is appropriate because, while it wasn't actually objectionable, it wasn't especially memorable either.

I then went on to the curiously named Tommy Legs (4.5%) by Derwent Brewery. The Derwent website describes it thus: "A complex, hoppy copper ale. Hopped three times, giving a full flavoured beer with a hit of cascade hops." I'd say it is a good example of a nicely flavoured, fairly bitter beer, light brown in colour and slightly old-fashioned in this modern world of golden ales, but none the worse for that. The strength too was in my favourite range of (4.2 to 5%); I rarely drink anything under 4%, as too often I find them thin and insipid, although - before anyone protests - I have drunk three point something beers that are exceptions to that experience. I was chatting to the friendly barmaid and she told me she'd worked in a Spoons near Preston, but had transferred here and was enjoying it; I suggested it might be because you get a better class of scally in Southport.

I was curious about the name: I first assumed 'Tommy' was a First World War reference, but in fact Tommy Legs is the nickname of a lighthouse in the Solway Firth near Silloth (where the brewery is situated) in Cumbria: click here and scroll down to near the bottom for a fuller explanation.

Clive and I later ended up in the Guest House drinking Golden Sands (4.0%), one of Southport Brewery's best in my view, and at £2.50 a pint as well.

Local music nights this week

Yesterday evening's singaround in the Guest House was surprisingly well attended, seeing that the weather was unpleasant and it was so soon after New Year. Nine performers turned up, plus several people who had come along just to listen. Nice to have an audience!

For this month only, the Mason's singarounds have been put back a week to the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, owing to the fact that the 1st Wednesday was 1 January. The first one this year is this Wednesday 8 January. The Mason's is in Anchor Street, Southport, behind the main post office. Robinson's real ale.

This Thursday 9 January has two singarounds in Liverpool: the singaround in the Belvedere, 5 Sugnall Street, Liverpool, L7 7EB takes place between 2pm to 4pm. 4 real ales. Later at 8.15pm, it's my monthly acoustic song session in the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool from around 8.15pm. 8 real ales.

I received a text last night from Sue Raymond that her weekly open mike nights in the Upsteps, Upper Aughton Road, Southport will begin again next Tuesday 14 January. One real ale sometimes on.

All these events are free, and performing is optional. This is just a selection - for more, see my events page.

Local music events

December gets busy but here is a selection of local music events over the next week.

Starting with an evening for a good cause: tonight The Corduroy Folk Club is hosting an evening of folk music to raise funds and supplies for the Southport Soup Kitchen. Group songs in between some fabulous solo performances from 7.00pm until 10.00pm. Drop in for a drink or stay all evening but please bring a donation for the soup kitchen. The performers will include: David Hirst, The Dharma Bums, Keith Price, Pete Rimmer, Kevin Littlewood, Will Simmons, Chris & Siobhan Nelson and Bill Hackney. The venue is Shush Hair and Beauty, Liverpool Road, Birkdale, across the road from the Crown Pub.

Lion singaround this Thursday 12 December from around 8.15pm. Free - all welcome, even if you don't want to sing. Lion Tavern, 67 Moorfields, Liverpool, L2 2BP, right by the station.

This Sunday at lunchtime, there will be carol singing in the Fishermen's Rest, Weld Road, Southport. This annual session was run for many years by our friend Jeff Stoker, and we are carrying them on in his memory.

On Sunday evening there will be a residents night at the Bothy Folk Club, Park Golf Club, Park Road West, Southport, PR9 0JS. The club's team of residents will have a chance show off! Thwaites real ale.

Next Monday, the 16th, there will the usual 3rd Monday acoustic music session in the Guest House, Union Street, Southport from c. 8.00pm. Up to 11 real ales.

For more events, click here.

Spotland Gold

My local, the Guest House, has 11 hand pumps. During the week, there may only be 7 or 8 in use, but at weekends, all 11 are on. The range includes some regionals, such as Theakstons, Youngs or Everards, and Draught Bass occasionally makes an appearance: I sometimes try one in hope, but rarely have two. The hand pump furthest from the door always sells its beer at £2.50, whatever it is that has been put on; most of the other hand pumps are £2.70 or £2.80. The bar staff refer to the £2.50 pump as the pensioners' pump, and I've even heard some pensioners call it that too.

Last night, the pensioners' pump had Phoenix Spotland Gold. I've always found this beer to be dry and pleasantly drinkable, although not as hoppy as other Phoenix offerings. Phoenix's own description is characteristically terse: "Crisp hoppy pale ale." Personally, I prefer such brevity to the improbable list of food stuffs that certain beers are supposed to resemble as they pass over different parts of your tongue. Spotland Gold was brewed to mark the centenary of Rochdale FC in 2007, Spotland being their home ground.

Despite the range of beers that the Guest House serves, if I find a beer I like, I tend to stick to it, having been disappointed with a change of beer on too many occasions. When that happens, a disappointing pint takes a while to get though, while a pint you're enjoying seems to evaporate from the glass. On that basis, I stuck with the Spotland Gold last night.

What's on ~ next few days

Plenty for music lovers in the Southport area over the next few days:

Tonight (30th): Mary Humphreys and Anahata are the guests this evening at the Bothy Folk Club. Traditional songs entertainingly and tastefully played with concertina, banjo and melodeon accompaniment (and cello if we're lucky).
l "Wonderful and unusual versions of songs and brilliant accompaniments and tunes." Pete Coe, Ryburn Folk Club.
l "I've been playing it over and over as I've been driving around in the car" - Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2.
l "Their music seems to be simple, pared-down, beautiful and timeless" Mick Tems, Taplas.
That's tonight at the Park Golf Club, Park Road West, Southport, PR9 0JS. 8.00pm. 

Monday (1st July): is the free acoustic song session in the Guest House, Union Street, Southport from around 8.30pm. Good range of real ales.

Wednesday (3rd): Mason's singaround on Wednesday, 3 July, from c. 8:45pm. Anchor Street, Southport. This may be the last one until September.

Guest House at the Ammies

Our local paper, the Southport Visiter, and the town's snappily-named Business Improvement District Development Group holds an awards ceremony called the Ambassador Awards with the aim of "celebrating the best of our town’s hospitality, leisure and retail". Nominations are made for a range of jobs, such as best waiter/waitress, chef, receptionist, shop assistant, and also for best restaurant, chippy, pub, café and so on. As many of the awards go to ordinary members of staff in some of the categories, I have no great objection to them, although the Visiter has largely failed in its attempts to make us call them "the Ammies".

The Guest House in Union Street, Southport

This year, the award for best pub/bar went, for a change, to a proper pub: my local, the Guest House. The newspaper report about the event stated that "Landlords Fred [Hook] and wife Gail have been at the Guest House for 12 years". This will probably be news to Gail's husband - Fred is Gail's business partner - but isn't that about par for the course for a local newspaper?

The runners up were the Sandgrounder (previous post here) on Lord Street, and the Phoenix (previous post here). Both are fine when they're not deafening you with sport, but neither is what you'd call a proper pub. Both have similarities to Wetherspoons, which isn't a criticism, just a description. The Guest House is undeniably a pub; it has three separate rooms and is just over 100 years old. Until the brewery was closed, it was the only pub in Southport belonging to Higsons of Liverpool. When I first went in there in the 1970s, the room on the right as you entered had a sign on the door stating "Gentlemen only", which disappeared on the day the Sex Discrimination Act came into force. That was also the first day that I entered that room, but even now out of habit I still tend to use the room on the left.

So well done the Guest House: yet another award to add to the many that it has won over the years.

For the record, Visiter is the correct spelling for the newspaper.

2 acoustic song sessions

The Lion, after which the pub is named

Now that Christmas and New Year are over and done with, except for the credit card bills of course, our usual round of acoustic music pub sessions has begun again. Next week sees the first of the song sessions that I organise taking place. Both venues usually provide sandwiches:

• Monday 7th is the first Guest House song session of the year. The pub is in Southport's Union Street and serves up to 11 real ales. All welcome to perform or just listen.
• Thursday 10th is my song session in The Lion, Moorfields, Liverpool, just across the road from Moorfields Station. eight real ales always on offer, with 10p discount for CAMRA members if you show your membership card.

They begin at around 8.30 p.m. and they are open to all. You may perform or not at your own discretion.

Xmas cheer

Tonight is the Bothy's Xmas Party night. As well as loads of local performers, there will be the Bothy Chorale (and even I'm not quite sure what that it), hot pot and of course the usual Thwaites Wainwright. Old friends often turn up for the party night, and it should be good fun. It's basically a singers night, although if you want to play, I suggest you get there early. It begins at 8.00 p.m. tonight at the Park Golf Club, Southport, PR9 0JS.

The Southport Swords

On Boxing Day, if you need to escape from the flood of "heart warming" Xmas films on TV, you can instead watch the Southport Swords. They will be out on their customary Boxing Day dance tour which begins at the Hesketh, Botanic Road, Churchtown at lunchtime, going on to the Guest House, Union Street, Southport at about 2.30 p.m. These being the Swords, timings are very approximate.

Both pubs serve real ale.

Guest House music tonight

A session in the Guest House

The last pub acoustic music session of the year in Southport will take place tonight (Monday) in the Guest House, Union Street, Southport. As usual, it's free and playing along with the music isn't compulsory; you can just listen if you like. The Guest House is of course noted for its good beer range, and they usually provide free chip butties on music nights.

If you fancy joining in, get to the Guest House with your instruments at around 8.00 p.m.this evening. These sessions are often very popular, so don't leave it too late if you want a seat.