Lion song session moves

The Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool

From May, my acoustic song session, aka singaround, in the Lion Tavern will move from the second Thursday of the month to the second Tuesday. This is because something similar takes place every Thursday afternoon in the Belevedere in Liverpool, and one or two people have commented to me that they'd prefer the two sessions to be on different days.

No sooner said than done. Well, not quite, as people have been saying this for years, but Tuesdays weren't available until the new management took over the pub fairly recently.

The next session is therefore on Tuesday 9 May, beginning at around 8.30 pm. All welcome, including non-performers. The Lion has eight real ales and a real cider.

Lion singaround starts again

The Lion, near Moorfields railway station

I'm pleased to announce that my monthly singaround in the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool can begin again next week on Thursday 9 March at around 8.30 pm. As I've written previously, the pub was closed for months after a disagreement between the licensee and Punch Taverns. It reopened in January but then closed again for redecoration.
Yesterday it reopened permanently, we hope, and a few of us were there to celebrate the good news. It is a very attractive pub with etched glass, old tiles, wood panels, and a good choice of eight real ales.

All welcome next week, not just singers.

The Lion singaround returns

A detail in one of the Lion's windows

In June, I wrote that the classic Liverpool pub, the Lion Tavern, had closed, and in November that it had reopened; some of us had been worried that it might never open again. I'm pleased to report that the song session that I have run in the pub from July 2010 will begin again next week; the last one was in June, just before the pub stopped trading.

It is the same night as before, the second Thursday of each month, and it is completely acoustic - no amplification at all. The session is open to both singers and non-singers; anyone who just wants to come and listen is very welcome.

If you're free on Thursday 12 January, it's at the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool, just across the road from Moorfields Station on the Northern Line, and starts at around 8.15 pm. The last train to Southport leaves at 11.40 pm. The Lion has a good selection of up to 8 real ales.

Hope to see you there.

The Lion serves tonight

The Lion

I've received a message on Facebook last week from Colin Batho that the Lion in Moorfields, Liverpool is due to reopen. Looking at the Liverpool Echo on-line, I've just noticed that the grand reopening is today. It closed down in June following a dispute over the rent between the licencees, Sean Porter and Michael Black, and Punch Taverns. They accused Punch of reneging on a promised rent reduction; the pubco denied that such a promise had ever been made.

The Lion is an extremely attractive traditional old pub with etched glass, woodwork, tiles and a glass dome in one the rear rooms. I'm not the only one who has worried that the closure might have been permanent.

The dome

Dave Hardman, who has worked in the pub for ten years as a barman, will be taking it over. I'll pop down soon to Liverpool to see whether there is any chance of resurrecting the monthly song sessions that I've run there for six years. Apparently the nearby Cross Keys, which was also run by Sean and Michael, will be reopening soon, but I know no details of that; I'll try to find out more.

Sean and Michael have recently opened a free house, which they've renamed the Lion, on Market Street in Birkenhead; it had previously been known as Stracey’s Sports Bar and the Caledonia. I'll try to visit there soon as well.

Report in the Liverpool Echo here.

Lion singaround in doubt

The Lion's glass dome

I was in Liverpool today and went to look at the Lion Tavern on Moorfields, a great real ale pub and home to one of my monthly singarounds. I reported a fortnight ago that it had closed, and I saw today it is unfortunately still completely closed up, with no notices to indicate when it may open again.

I'll report here if there's any change, or whether next week's singaround, due on the 14th, will have to be cancelled.

Lion Tavern closed

A detail in one of the Lion's windows

I was quite shocked to learn that the Lion Tavern and the Cross Keys in Liverpool have been closed as a result of a dispute with Punch Taverns over the rent, according to the Liverpool Echo. Both are run by Sean Porter and Michael Black. The Echo's report of the dispute is here.

The Lion particularly is architecturally interesting with old tiles, wood panels, mosaic floors, a glass-domed ceiling in one room and etched windows; it is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory.

Sean used to work in the Mason's in Southport and asked me six years ago to start an informal song session in the Lion like the one in the Mason's that I usually attended. They have had to cancel their advert in Ale & Hearty, the Southport & West Lancs CAMRA magazine, after I'd just spent some time redesigning it - not that that is the main issue here. At the time of writing it's uncertain whether the pub will reopen with Sean and Michael, or with someone else in charge.

From a personal point of view, I am concerned about the future of my monthly music session, but more importantly, I hope that Sean and Michael are able to resolve their differences with Punch and stay on. The Lion has always struck me as well-run with eight real ales and a couple of real ciders since before I began my singarounds in 2010; the beers have always been in good condition, with some interesting changing guests.

Fingers crossed.

This is the revised advert. I hope it can be used at some point!

Lion session this Thursday

An old Walker's window in The Lion

Just a quick reminder that the regular 2nd Thursday of the month acoustic song session in the Lion Tavern will take place this Thursday 12 May from around 8.15 pm after a month off in April. The Lion Tavern is in Moorfields, Liverpool, just across the road from Moorfields station.

All welcome, whether you want to sing or not. The Lion serves eight real ales and a real cider too.

Please note that Moorfield station platform 2 (Northern Line} is currently closed for refurbishment. Merseytravel advice here.

Lion song session cancelled

A room in the Lion

Just a quick note to reiterate the point in my forthcoming music events list that today's song session in the Lion, Moorfields, Liverpool, has been cancelled. This is because several regulars thought they were unlikely to be able to attend.

The next song session in the Lion will be on Thursday 12 May. All welcome, even if you don't perform: participating is voluntary!

Rat Brewery Rata Nui

Picture borrowed from brewer's twitter feed

At my acoustic song session last night in the Lion in Liverpool, I came across a beer new to me: Rata Nui from Rat Brewery, a 5% hoppy golden ale made with New Zealand hops. The brewery is a six barrel micro in Huddersfield and is a subsidiary of Ossett Brewery. They specialise in rodent-themed beers, although I do hope this refers only to the names rather than the ingredients.

I found Rata Nui to be strongly hoppy, with some citrus but not a lot, and quite heavy: you would not mistake this for a light citrus summer beer. Once I'd discovered it, I stayed on it for the rest of the evening. I hope to see it again – good prominent flavour and in my favourite strength range. 

It was a good turnout for the music session too, with an appreciative couple who just happened to be there enjoying the music so much they offered to buy us all drinks. Always nice when that happens, but unfortunately I had to rush for my train.

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.

Roosters Fort Smith

Our monthly acoustic song session in the Lion in Liverpool went very well last night, even though I nearly accidentally ate a fish sandwich (I hate fish). There seemed to be something of a political slant to some of the songs, mostly praising the glories of the Coalition government ... no sorry, that was the nightmare I had last night - probably too many cheese butties!

As usual there were eight real ales and ciders on, all with a 10p discount for CAMRA members - well, those 10 pences do add up. The beer I was on most of the evening was Roosters Fort Smith, a 5.0% IPA, although it's 5.5% according to the brewery's website. I hadn't seen this one before. The website describes it thus: "Named after the town in which Rooster Cogburn lived, Fort Smith is a big and bold India Pale Ale, brewed using Citra and Chinook hops from the USA to create tropical and passion fruit aromas and a lasting, bitter finish." Well, I didn't get the tropical and passion fruit aromas - I rarely detect them, but perhaps that's because my sense of smell is less than perfect - but apart from that, it's a fair description. The bitterness is definitely lasting, to the extent that a final drink of a beer I usually like - the house beer, George Wright's The Lion Returns 3.9% - tasted quite insipid by comparison. Some beers have such a powerful taste that they just cannot be followed, and Fort Smith certainly made a nice change from the insipid golden beers that some brewers produce nowadays.

It had been raining most of the evening, so after my pints of 5% beer, I decided that if it was still wet when the train reached Southport, I'd get a taxi. However, it had stopped when we arrived so, without a good excuse, I walked the mile home.

The Lion Returns

As summer fades into the golden (or perhaps drizzly) days of autumn, my monthly* acoustic music session in the Lion Tavern begins its autumn season this Thursday the 12th. Usual business: all welcome, free, come along and play or just listen if you prefer. Eight real ales (including the house beer - pictured), although other drinks are available. The Lion is in Moorfields, Liverpool, just across the road from the railway station. From around 8.15 p.m.

Also on Thursday in Liverpool, there is the usual weekly singaround in the Belvedere, 8 Sugnall Street, Liverpool, L7 7EB, between 2.00 and 4.00 in the afternoon. It's a good real ale pub too.

* On the second Thursday of each month.

Liverpool sessions

The Everyman Folk Club used to meet in the Everyman Theatre bar on Hope Street for many years. When the Everyman closed down for major rebuilding, the club moved to the Fly In The Loaf on Hardman Street. Both venues were noted for good beer. After only a few months, they moved again, this time to Osqa's Arena Bar, corner of Oldham Street & Roscoe Street, L1 2SU, where it continues to meet every Wednesday from 8.30pm in a singers night format. This venue has no real ale, which is why I don't feel inspired to go along, but if real ale isn't top of your list of priorities, I'm told this is a good session. The excellent Roscoe Head, which has been in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, is only yards away.

Every Thursday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm there is a singaround in the Belvedere Hotel, 5 Sugnall Street, Liverpool, L7 7EB. This cosy two-roomed pub usually has 4 real ales on.

The domed ceiling in The Lion
(it's not a small dome ~ it's a large lamp)

This Thursday, 13 June, is the monthly singaround in the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool, across the road rom Moorfields Station. There are always 8 real ales on. The Lion's etched glass, tiles and wood panels make it a very attractive pub, and the singers meet in the rear room with the glass dome. This singaround, or acoustic song session, takes place on the second Thursday of each month, and it begins at around 8.15pm.

Of course, if you're feeling energetic on the second Thursday of the month, you could go to the Belvedere in the afternoon, and then to the Lion in the evening. I haven't done that yet, but I'm sure I will some day.

Lion acoustic night

This Thursday the 14th, I'll be clutching my guitar and heading off to Liverpool; specifically to the Lion near Moorfields station for my monthly singaround, or acoustic song session if you prefer, which takes place on every second Thursday of the month. As usual, it will be an informal evening with singing and playing by anyone who decides to have a go. With eight real ales, and free sandwiches provided by the pub, it's not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening, especially if you've already been to the weekly Thursday session in the Belvedere in Liverpool in the afternoon.

We don't usually get a large turnout, probably just as well considering the size of the room, but it seems to go down well with the people in the pub which is good because, if we got on their nerves, I'm sure we'd be given our marching orders. From around 8.30 p.m.

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.

Review of my ale and music year

Around this time of year, bloggers tend to do a review of the year. I don't feel able to speak generally about the whole country on the enormous subjects of music and ale, so I've decided to write a short review of my personal year.

Best Folk Club: Southport's Bothy, which is one of the oldest folk clubs on the country, continues to provide, within the limits of what a voluntary, non-profit making organisation can, an excellent range of guests withing the folk scene, using the broadest definition of that term. Traditional singers, singer-songwriters, old established favourites and rising young stars make up the guest nights. In between guest nights, there are singers nights when anyone can get up to play a couple of songs and tunes: the quality of singers nights is such that some people prefer them to the guest nights. The format hasn't altered since the club was founded in 1965, and it has clearly passed the test of time.

Favourite pub: this has to be the Guest House in Union Street, Southport. Despite being a pubco tenancy, Gail the licensee consistently has up to 11 real ales on, which usually constitute a mixture of microbrewery offerings alongside more familiar regionals. This does mean that occasionally the selection is not especially exciting for lovers of microbrewery beers, but generally I'm more than happy with what's on offer; I don't know of any tenancy that can provide such a range. The pub itself is just over 100 years old, largely unaltered with wood-panelled walls and it hosts acoustic music nights on the first and third Mondays of each month.

Favourite pub in Liverpool is harder: the Ship and Mitre on Dale Street has an excellent range but suffers from a ill-judged 1960s refurbishment, while the Lion on Moorfields also has a good range and is an attractive mini-gin palace as well. The former pub hosts the Woody Guthrie Folk Club (last Thursday of the month), while the latter has my acoustic song session on the 2nd Thursday of the month.

Favourite beers: around the 4% mark, I'd mention Southport Golden Sands (4.0%) and Liverpool Organic 24 Carat Gold (4.2%). My favourite strong beer has to be Liverpool Organic Shipwreck, a 6.5% IPA. Honourable mentions go to two Wigan breweries: Prospect for consistently good beer and Allgates for its significant improvement. The formerly good Cains of Liverpool continues to be disappointing.

Best Beer Festival: for my money, the Wigan Beer Festival. Although it's in a sports hall with less atmosphere than the now redeveloped Wigan Pier venue, it makes up in so many other ways: much more extensive and interesting range of beers than before, ample seating for all, regular courtesy bus between the festival and the town centre, and it's friendly to boot. To any who still miss the old venue: the festival was outgrowing Wigan Pier even before it moved, and would have no chance of fitting in there now even if it were available. The National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester and the Southport Beer Festival also worth visiting.

Favourite Music Festival: this has to be Whitby Folk Week. I've been going since 1988 (with one year missed since). The setting of a beautiful old fishing town is unique with a good range of guests and events in various venues across the town, pub sessions for songs and tunes all over the town, frequent folk dancing in the streets, plus for me the annual Lunchtime Legends gig in the Elsinore, which has been a fixture of the folk week fringe since 1992. Also extremely good was Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival, which had a completely different character: a big stage in a field with a succession of acts invited by Fairport throughout the weekend. Their big-name guests this year included Squeeze, Joan Armatrading, Bellowhead, Richard Thompson, The Saw Doctors, Dennis Locorriere, Big Country, Ashley Hutchings Morris On, and Richard Digance, plus a load of newer artists, most of whom I hadn't heard of but who were all pretty good.

Best non-folk gig: rock band Karnataka whom I saw in St Helens. Hint of progressive and hint of Goth, but mainly themselves. If you recall All About Eve, Karnataka are vaguely in that style. A seasoned band with good material and a lead singer, Hayley Griffiths, who has a beautiful voice.

Biggest disappointment of the year: being put on tablets in April for four weeks with no drinking for a month. During this period, I went to stay with my friend Geoff in London, but the expected pub crawls didn't materialise and the trip to Fullers Brewery was interesting but lost something with me on the wagon. I also opted out of a Wigan beer festival helpers' trip to Ulverston Brewery during this period, and I cut short my attendance at a friend's stag night once I'd had my fill of pub coffee.

Best apocalypse: 21 December, which was when the Mayans had supposedly foretold our doom.

Favourite blog: after this one? Too close to call!

All the best for 2013!

Lots of events this week

Quite a busy week if you fancy some time away from X Factor:

Tonight, the 5th, is my usual first Monday evening acoustic song session in the Guest House, Union Street, Southport. This pub has a good range of real ales. From around 8.30 p.m.

On Wednesday 7th it is the turn of the singaround in the Mason's in Anchor Street, Southport. Robinson's beer. From around 8.30 p.m.

On Thursday 8th, the monthly acoustic song session in The Lion, Moorfields, Liverpool, which serves eight real ales. From around 8.30 p.m. Regrettably, I am unable to be there myself.

On Saturday 10th, the Argarmeles Clog, along with several guest Morris sides, will be dancing at various times between 10.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. in Chapel Street, Southport in aid of Children In Need.

Also on Saturday, the Zetland Beer Festival begins (see previous post).

On Sunday 11th, it is a singers night at the Bothy Folk Club, Park Golf Club, Park Road West, Southport, PR9 0JS. Thwaites real ale. Performers get in free. From 8.00 p.m.

The Lion Sups Tonight

The attractive bar in The Lion

Well, tomorrow night anyway. My acoustic music session in the Lion is on again. Usual business: free, come along and play or just listen if you prefer. Eight real ales (other drinks are available). The Lion is in Moorfields, Liverpool, just across the road from the railway station. From around 8.30 p.m.

Also on Thursday in Liverpool, there is a singaround in the Belvedere 8 Sugnall Street, Liverpool, L7 7EB, between 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm. This takes place every week. It's a good real ale pub too.

Acoustic sessions this week

Old Higson's handpump
in the Guest House

You wait ages for a pub music session, than three come along at once.

Sunday 5th: summer singaround at the Bothy, which meets at the Park Golf Club, Park Rd West, Southport, PR9 0JS, from 8.00 p.m. Thwaites Wainwright real ale always on sale.

Monday 6th: my monthly acoustic song session in the Guest House, Union Street, Southport. Up to 11 real ales available.

Thursday 9th: it's my acoustic night at the Lion Tavern, Moorfields, Liverpool, from around 8.30 p.m. Eight real ales. I can't make it on this occasion - the first one I've missed - but the other regulars decided go go ahead without me.

All of these sessions are free and you can perform if you wish, but it's not compulsory. Neither's drinking, but it would be a shame to miss out on the great real ales that these venues serve.