A Tour of Waterloo pubs – part 3

Stamps Too

Turn right out of Waterloo railway station, cross the road and in a minute you will reach Stamps Too, a pub that is noted for two main things: decent beer and live music.

First the beer: they have five changing guest real ales and on my visit, they were serving: Liverpool Organic Brewery Bier Head; Parker Centurion; First Chop AVA; Redwillow Mirthless Pale Ale; and Thirstly Cross Whisky Cask Cider. With the exception of the cider, which is from Scotland, these are all local. Stamps Too prefers to supporting local breweries, which is why it is the CAMRA Liverpool Branch Locale Pub of the Year, awarded for supporting local beers. I had three of the beers, and all were in good form. 

There was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and I unexpectedly bumped into a couple of people I knew there. The boss told me about winning the Locale Award, but added that he hadn't officially been told about it yet. Stamps Too is at 99 South Road, Waterloo. Enquiries: 0151 280 0035. 

The Liver Hotel

Just down the road is the Liver. It is a local landmark as it prominently sits on the corner of Crosby Road North. It is externally an attractive pub with an outdoor drinking area to the front, and inside it has several rooms which have retained some woodwork and original features. 

They have changing guest beers: the beers on offer when I was there were Sharp's Doom Bar and Robinson's Dizzy Blonde; there was also a George Wright pump clip, but it wasn't on at the time. There is a generous 20% discount if you produce your CAMRA membership card. 

As for food: there is a good value menu, a specials board and they have just introduced a menu of pizzas that will be all made on site. Events they put on include: live bands on Saturday, open mike night on Sunday, and a percussion workshop every Monday. They intend to put on darts nights soon and they show Sky Sports. The Liver is at 137 South Road, Waterloo, L22 0LT. Phone: 0151 928 1708.

To see the rest of the Waterloo pub crawl, click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

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.

Scouse humour

Seen in the Volunteer Canteen, Waterloo:

More Waterloo pubs

Turn left out of Waterloo railway station on the Merseyrail Northern Line and in less than five minutes you will reach two pubs that are in the Good Beer Guide.

The Queens Picture House

The Queens Picture House, 47-49 South Road, is a Wetherspoons pub converted from a furniture shop, but the name reflects the fact that the site was originally a cinema. It is decorated in a bright modern style with a single bar and an enclosed outdoor drinking area to the rear. Like all Wetherspoons pubs, it has TV screens with the sound off, and free WiFi. It has good disability access with a ramp at the front and suitable toilet facilities. 

There are photographs and information about local history and people of the area, such as shipbuilding and the aviator Henry Melly who flew from Waterloo. There are pictures of the Anthony Gormley statues and information about the captain of the Titanic who lived locally. 

The real ales that were on were: Ruddles Best; Greene King Abbot; Sharp's Doom Bar; Bateman's Gold; Roosters Wild Mule; Coach House Postlethwaites; Brecon Red Beacons; and Old Rosie cider. There is something there for most beer tastes. Phone: 0151 949 2070. 

The Old Bank

Nearby is the Old Bank at 43 South Road. It's an attractive building externally, but the inside is quite a contrast to the sober exterior: it is very much a music orientated venue with music posters and memorabilia all around. They have music on six nights: Tuesday Karaoke; Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday are acoustic nights; and live bands on Friday and Saturday. Monday is described as their chill-out night. 

The only beer on when we visited was Liverpool Organic Brewery Liverpool Pale Ale, along with Lilley's Lemon and Ginger Cider. They explained they had had an extremely busy weekend (our visit was on a Monday) and that there were normally four ales on, such as Allgates and Slaters: indeed there were usually 3 or 4 on my previous visits. 

They show live football and other major sporting events; there is a beer garden and a function room upstairs. This pub also has free WiFi. Contact number: 0151-928 7020.

I wrote about the Volunteer Canteen in Waterloo here.

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.

The Volunteer Canteen, Waterloo

Waterloo is fortunate in that it has four Good Beer Guide pubs within a quarter of an hour walk, all reasonably close to Waterloo Station on the Liverpool to Southport line. Of these, only the Volunteer Canteen on East Street is a traditional pub, the others being converted from shops and a bank. The Volly is a mid-terrace, Victorian pub with an interesting exterior in a backstreet less than 10 minutes from the station and bus stops. Originally called Waddington's Canteen Vaults after an early landlord, it gained its present name in 1906 as a tribute to the fact that some of its then regulars had survived fighting in the Boer War.

The lounge still has table service

It used to be owned by Higsons of Liverpool, as you can still see in the engraved windows (you can just make the name out if you click on the top photo). It is a two-roomed pub in which I could see few signs of modernisation. The attractive lounge still has table service, while the vaults seem to be more popular with regulars. They are in the process of setting up a community book swap/library in the lounge, making use of the old wooden bookcases. The bar serves both rooms, and I was told that the bar fittings on the lounge side are listed. There is a quiz night on Tuesdays, and a TV for sports, but other than those, it relies on just being a good local: a sign outside declares: "No pool - no jukebox - no fruit machines. Plenty of good traditional beer. Bar food". I found the people there to be very friendly, and I ended up chatting to several people who were obviously regulars.

The listed bar

The real ales that were on were:
Liverpool Organic Pilsner;
Liverpool Organic Special 857;
Peerless Storr; and
Courage Best Bitter.
The beers I had were all very drinkable, and I ended staying rather longer than I had planned.

The Volly was awarded Community Pub of the Year in 2014 and I can understand why. I wrote about it previously six years ago, and I'm pleased that it remains a fine pub that is definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the North Merseyside area.

If you suffer from technology dependency, there's free WiFi too.

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.

Waterloo Beer Festival

My friend Roland texted me about going to this beer festival. I said yes, and agreed to book the tickets on-line. When I did so, I got a message that my tickets had been e-mailed to me, and I'd need to print them off. Oops! My printer was broken, and I'd been promising myself for perhaps 9 months that I'd replace it: well, you can't rush these things. Off to Argos and an hour later I'm the proud owner of a new printer, and the first documents it printed were our tickets.

Old Christ Church

The festival is run by Liverpool Organic Brewery in the Old Christ Church in Waterloo, which is a great, if draughty, venue. A jazz band called Swingology provided some good music, and not too loud; I noticed that entertainment was provided at all sessions, so if you're one of those who find that music affects your taste buds, this festival may not be for you. The noise levels were high, but through conversation rather than the music; the acoustics are such that noise of any kind bounces all over the place.

I was wearing a badge that hinted at my support for nuclear disarmament, and the fellow who served me couldn't stop laughing when I ordered a beer called Bomb from Atomic Brewery (5.2%), a hoppy golden ale. Dragon Slayer (4.5%) from B&T Brewery was bland to my taste, but probably fine for people who prefer the likes pf Wainwright. I tried 9 different beers in all (half pint glasses) and my favourite was Buzz (4.6%) from the Animal Brewing Co. The most extreme beer was the aptly-named Hop Monster (4.5%) from Exit: very enjoyable but it certainly scorched my taste buds to the extent that the next beer I had, Moondance (4.5%) from Melwood initially seemed disappointing and bland, but as the taste of Hop Monster receded, it became clear that this beer, brewed near Kirkby, was really quite pleasant.

When the session ended, we went to the new Wetherspoons in Waterloo, the Queens Picture House, very close to the station. It was formerly a carpet shop, but before that, there had been a cinema on the site. The decor is bright and more modern than our older Southport Spoons and I quite liked it: Roland said that the last time he'd been there was to buy a carpet. I can't remember what I drank but it was fine. After one pint, we decamped to the Volunteer Canteen, East Street, Waterloo. This small, two-roomed, mid-terrace pub was full with football fans and refugees from the beer festival, but despite the bustle and noise, it was very friendly as usual. The excellent Lemon Dream (4.5%) from Salopian was my drink, until it ran out, and then it was on to Liverpool Organic Cascade (3.8%).

After that, it was on the train back to Southport.

Liverpool Organic Brewery are running another festival from 30 July to 2 August in St Luke's Church, the famous bombed out church at the top of Bold Street, Liverpool.

Waterloo Beer Festival review

On Friday afternoon, I went to the Waterloo Beer Festival where I'd arranged to meet an old school friend. This festival is held in the Old Christ Church on Waterloo Road, which is now deconsecrated and narrowly escaped demolition a couple of decades ago. It is an old Victorian church, complete with stained glass windows in need of a bit of care and attention (there is, for instance, some subsidence around the pillars, but I'm not sure what you can do about that without a load of cash); it's much better as a distinctive resource for the community rather than just another building site. You'll find it about 10 minutes' walk from Waterloo Station: that's Waterloo in Merseyside, not London.

The festival offered 200 real ales, 50+ ciders and perries and a range of exotic continental beers, and was run by the Liverpool Organic Brewery along the same lines that CAMRA festivals are run, with the added bonus of lots of seating, although I suspect that might be different on Friday and Saturday evenings, both of which were sold out on-line. I didn't have a beer I didn't like, even though I'd decided to try only beers previously unknown to me; trying unfamiliar beers can sometimes lead to disappointment. I was amused to see a brewery called Mr Grundy's Brewery, so I had to try their beers: 1914 was a 5% dark stout which I did like (some stouts can seem overpowering to me), and a pale bitter 4% called Golden Dawn which was more to my taste. I think my favourite of the day was from Great Heck brewery of Yorkshire called Heaven and Heck - 5%, pale, hoppy and full of flavour.

No offence intended to our hosts, Liverpool Organic, but as I can buy their excellent beers at any time, I didn't have any on this occasion.

All in all a great festival, where I met several old friends, including from where I used to work, from Wigan CAMRA branch, from the Southport Swords and from the Bothy Folk Club, as well as my old school friend, who has already decided to pencil the next Waterloo Beer Festival (22 - 25 November) in his diary.

The only thing I don't understand is why they've got a picture of David Mitchell on the front of the festival programme.

Crosby Beer Festival

I've just heard about the Crosby Beer Festival, which takes place next weekend, 7th to 9th October. It's being run by Rotary for charity (they raised more than £8000 for local good causes last year), and will take place at the Crosby Civic Hall, Crosby Road North, about 5 minutes walk from Waterloo railway station.

Opening hours are:
Thursday and Friday: 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm.
Saturday: 1.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

You can get full details from their website.

1st Waterloo Beer Festival

The first Waterloo Beer Festival takes place next weekend (1st to 3rd July) at Old Christ Church in Waterloo Road, L22 1RF, just a few minutes' walk from Waterloo Station. It will have more than 100 beers, plus ciders and perries.  Liverpool Organic Brewery is organising it in aid of Jospice, and there's a discount on the admission price for CAMRA members in the form of beer tokens. You'll find more details and directions on the festival website.

Opening times are: Thursday: 6.00 to 11.00 pm.  Friday and Saturday: 12.00 to 5.00pm and 6.00 to 11.00pm.

If you allow enough time before it opens, you can stroll down to the seafront to see Antony Gormley's sculpture Another Place, the famous statues on the beach.

Volunteer Canteen, Waterloo

Less than a quarter of a mile from Waterloo Station (on the Southport to Liverpool line), there is a first-class pub that is embedded in a row of houses that all open straight onto the street, close to Crosby Marina. It is a small pub with a comfortable wood-panelled lounge and a rather more spartan bar. In the lounge, there is still waitress service to your table, and on the walls pictures of old Liverpool, in particular of the old overhead railway that used to serve the docks. There are no fruit machines, pool tables, juke box or food ~ it's just a good honest, old-fashioned local that does not look to me as though it has ever been altered, although it is not the scruffy drinking den that word 'unaltered' can sometimes describe ~ quite the contrary, in fact. As a result, it is often busy with a friendly crowd of regulars chatting and having a good time, with helpful bar staff.

The pub was originally a Higson's house and is rather like a small version of the Crow's Nest in neighbouring Crosby, also a former Higson's house. When I visited the guest real ale was Bateman's XXXB, which was in such excellent condition I didn't try any other beer (which is usually from the Cain's range).

If you fancy trying this untouched reminder of a former age, turn left out of Waterloo Station then right at the Marine pub into East Street. You'll find the Volly on the left. (postcode L22 8QR)