Stags, Hens and Christmas

Quite a few years ago when I was a regional union rep, I sometimes attended meetings in Leeds. 

After one meeting, I saw in the office a large group of women, reps and union staff, all dressed up in St Trinian's-style outfits. Curious, I asked what was going on and was told it was a hen night. I congratulated the bride-to-be who – to my surprise - asked me if I'd like to join them. I did and it was certainly a lively night, but thankfully I didn't have to adopt the dress code!

While some stags and hens like to jet off to foreign parts, partying at home is still a popular way of celebrating the end of single status; indeed the economic downturn has meant a drop in stags and hens celebrating abroad. Four of the top ten favourite locations for stag and hen parties are in the UK: London (11%); Brighton (6%); Liverpool (5%); and Edinburgh (4%). Such events do sometimes get a bad press, but most are usually well-behaved and can provide a welcome boost to a pub's business.

Christmas is also often an occasion for pub crawls. While most drinkers have their own favourite drinking haunts, it can be very agreeable to try a few different places with a group of like-minded friends. For beer drinkers in particular, this may provide an opportunity to try brews they don't normally come across.

Probably the worst way to organise a crawl is to meet with no plan; this can cause arguments about where to go next. It's much better to decide in advance where you're going. If your group is large, it helps to choose places where you can all get in without filling up the place. Packing out a small pub can annoy the regulars, and on one crawl in Liverpool I happened to be last and simply couldn't get in. I don't think it was planned that way!

For real ale drinkers, planning a crawl is easy nowadays with CAMRA's What Pub website. Simply type in a place name or postcode and it will tell you all the real ale pubs in the area.

► This is one of a series of articles that I write for the CAMRA column in our local papers, the Southport Visiter and Ormskirk Advertiser. Older articles on local pubs are here.

Southport Mild Trail 2019

Click on picture to enlarge the map.

In May Southport and West Lancs CAMRA is running the Southport Mild Trail. Eight local pubs have agreed to offer customers a cask conditioned mild option for the whole month of May. The participating pubs are: 

• The Beer Den.
• The Bold Arms (Churchtown). 
• The Cheshire Lines. 
• The Corridor. 
• The Grasshopper.
• The Guest House.
• Southport & Birkdale Sports Club.
• The Windmill. 

Join the Mild Trail either by using the card printed in the local CAMRA magazine 'Ale and Hearty' or by picking up a Mild Trail card (as shown above) at any of the eight pubs, ordering cask mild at each participating pub and asking them to stamp the card. Completed cards will be included in a draw with a chance to win one of the prizes listed on the local CAMRA website.

Churchtown pub tour

The village of Churchtown is known for its picturesque qualities: St Cuthbert's Church, the village green, the stocks, thatched cottages and two of the oldest pubs in Southport. The Bold Arms and the Hesketh Arms, listed buildings dating from the 18th century, sit on opposite sides of the village green. I recently visited them, along with one of the resort's newer pubs, Peaky Blinders. All three pubs allow children and dogs, and all have outside drinking areas.

The Hesketh (Google street view)

The Hesketh is a large pub that has a central bar with several separate drinking areas, various nooks and crannies, and is popular for food. On one wall, I saw this sign: “Dogs welcome – owners tolerated”! The real ales that were on when I called in were: Sharp's Doom Bar, Thwaites Wainwright and Bombardier, which I was told usually alternates with Black Sheep. William Sutton, credited as the founder of Southport, was the landlord here when it was known as the Black Bull. Every Boxing Day, the Southport Swords dance outside this pub as they have done for decades.

The Bold (Google street view)

Strolling past the village green, you quickly reach the Bold. This three-roomed pub is an old coaching house and it too is popular for food. You can watch the big football matches here as you enjoy your pint. Talking of beers, they were serving: St Austell Tribute, Robinson's Dizzy Blonde, Taylor's Landlord, Abbot and IPA (both from Greene King), and Tetley Cask. Their website advertises the imminent launching of a gin club, and I saw that Thursday is their quiz night.

Peaky Blinders

Leaving the Bold, you pass the Remedy bar – no real ale, but just the place if you're into gin – and a few minutes later you reach Peaky Blinders. This is an L-shaped bar with modern furnishings and large windows overlooking the road. It is light and airy, with walls decorated with a reproduction of old newspaper adverts and cuttings. The real ales available on my visit were: Taylor's Landlord, Wadworth's Horizon, Black Sheep and Cumbria Way which had run out just before I arrived. Cheese platters and paninis are available.

This is one of a series of articles that I write for the CAMRA column in our local papers, the Southport Visiter and Ormskirk Advertiser. Previous write-ups are here.

A short Ormskirk pub crawl

My friend Ann and I decided to pay a visit to the historic market town Ormskirk to stroll around the centre and have a look inside some of the pubs. The market was in full swing when we arrived by train; both the railway and bus stations are just a few minutes' walk from the town centre and all three pubs that we visited.

Our first port of call was the Cricketers on Chapel Street. It is pleasantly decorated and consists of the main pub room and an extension called the Pavilion, which is more set up for dining. There is also an upstairs room and a beer garden. Five real ales were on offer: Gold and Hen Harrier both from Bowland, OSB (Old School Brewery) Headmaster and Detention, and Salopian Shropshire Gold. The Cricketers has won local CAMRA awards for West Lancs Pub of the Year in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The pub is popular with diners and has an interesting menu; children are welcome. Monday evening is quiz night.

A short walk brought us to Tap Room No. 12 on Burscough Street. Formerly a shop, it was converted into a single-roomed bar, and the wooden panels and genuine pub furniture successfully recreate the atmosphere of a traditional pub room. They had the following real ales when we called in: Salopian Oracle, OSB School's Out, Problem Child Rapscallion and Wainwright. They can also sell you 20+ gins as well as craft and continental beers. Although it is a small bar, there are several regular events each week: quiz night on Wednesday, open mike on Thursday and live music between 4.00 and 10.00 pm on Saturday.

Our final stop was the Court Leet in Wheatsheaf Walk, just off Burscough Street. The most interesting feature of this pub is its open air balcony on the first floor. The real ales available were: Sharp's Doom Bar, Greene King Abbott, Clipaty Hop and Cheshire Gold, both from Coachhouse, Ruddles Best, Saxon Red Ale and Barbarian both from Parker, and Big Bog Quagmire. Ann was drinking wine and particularly enjoyed the Shiraz. For food, there is the usual Wetherspoon's range, and children are admitted.

The beer was in good order in all three pubs, and I hope to write about other pubs in this characterful town soon.

The name Court Leet was taken from the original Court Leet which used to run Ormskirk's municipal affairs from a building on this site until its abolition in 1876. Sometimes the town officials would adjourn after their business was concluded to a long-gone pub called the Old Wheatsheaf, after which Wheatsheaf Walk is named.

Southport Traditional Pub Promenade

Sometimes our traditional pubs in Southport's residential areas are unfairly overlooked, and yet they can offer you a great night out. I recommend this tour of three such pubs, close to each other and not far from bus routes. I found the real ales in all three pubs were well-kept.

The Zetland in Zetland Street is well-known for having one of the finest bowling greens in the North West (booking advised). It is a multi-roomed pub which offers three real ales: Jennings Cumberland is on permanently, and the two guest ales on my visit were Banks's Sunbeam and the popular Wainwright. Although it had been a while since I had called in, I'm glad to report that it's still a friendly local. The Zetland has several regular events: there is a quiz with cash prizes on Saturdays and bingo on Sundays. They have live music about once a month.

The Mount Pleasant on Manchester Road is also a multi-roomed pub with a glass conservatory; it has an extensive food menu with various offers and choices for kids. There are usually three real ales: Sharp's Doom Bar is always available, and when I was there the guests were Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Robinson's Trooper. Films are shown on Thursday afternoons, a quiz is held on Fridays and there are live bands on Saturdays. Darts teams play there and big live sports events are shown.

The Imperial on Albert Road is also well-regarded for its food, which include special offers, but it also serves four real ales. When I called in, there were three regular beers, all from Holt's brewery: Two Hoots, IPA and Bitter, along with a seasonal guest, Mistletoe from the Bootleg Brewing Co, a beer I hadn't come across before, but found to be a full-flavoured, strong (5%) pale ale. Other features of this pub are TV sport, a quiz on Sunday nights, and sometimes live music. I noticed a sign advertising poker night on Wednesdays.

If after all this you still fancy another pint, it's a quick walk, or even quicker bus ride, into the town centre.

CAMRA AGM - a RedNev pub tour? [cancelled]

Are any readers of ReARM coming to Liverpool for the CAMRA AGM? If so, would you care to join me for an informal tour of some of my favourite Liverpool pubs?

I was thinking of holding it on Saturday night, meeting in the members' bar and taking it from there. I haven't thought it all through yet, but I was thinking of 5 or 6 pubs, including:

• The Philharmonic - the most ornate pub I know anywhere. John Lennon said one of the downsides of fame was not being able to go into the Phil for a pint.
• Ye Cracke - also John Lennon connections, plus it's the first pub I drank in in the city centre area.
• Roscoe Head - a multi-roomed pub that's been in every Good Beer Guide.

If anyone's interested, let me know in the comments below. If there are any takers, I'll publish a post next week with more details.

P.S. 27 March: No takers, so obviously not a good idea.
As the song says, let's call the whole thing off! See some of you perhaps over the weekend.

A trip to Chester

The Bothy Folk Club celebrated its 50th birthday in April, and the planning committee for the celebrations decided that our final meeting would be a social event in Chester. And so it came about that we caught the train last weekend to enjoy an evening in this historic city visiting four pubs. (* = in the 2015 Good Beer Guide)

The Pied Bull

The first pub for the early birds was the Pied Bull* on Northgate Street. This pub is home to the only microbrewery in the city. An attractive stone-clad exterior leads into a wood-panelled interior where on handpump there were a real cider (Black Rat) and five real ales (Adnams Broaside, Pied Bull Sensibull, Pied Bull Bull's Hit, Pothole Porter and Trinity 3 Exit 33). The three beers I had were all fine, and the staff were very helpful and friendly. They're also brewing their own craft beer of which they gave me a sample, which I found quite heavily hopped. Not my bag, but not too bad at all. The pub serves food, provides accommodation and puts on occasional beer festivals.

The Old Harkers Arms

We had to leave this great pub to meet those who had set out later, so we went to the Old Harkers Arms* on Russell Street. This pub has been converted from an old warehouse right next to the Shropshire Union Canal. Bare boards, iron columns and a ceiling made from old packing boxes are relics of its warehouse days. It served nine beers: London Pride, Weetwood Cheshire Cat, Bragdy Conwy IPA, Bragdy Conwy Gold, Big Shed Sentinal Amber Ale, Spitting Feathers Old Wavertonian, Conwy Surfin' IPA and Bruning & Price Original, plus some real ciders. Surfin' IPA prompted a spontaneous Beach Boys impersonation, although I don't think Brian Wilson need worry too much. We all enjoyed the various beers we had. This venue was filling up while we were there; it is very popular for food. It also has outside seating by the canal.

The Forest House

Our next pub was the Forest House, a Wetherspoons pub on Love Street where we went for a meal. This is in a Georgian house dating from 1759, and it is a particularly attractive building, both inside and out. It is multi-roomed and they have preserved much of the original layout and features. There were four real ales on: Brogdy Conwy Minera Mountian, Ruddles Best, Abbott and Weetwood Cheshire Cat. Everyone had fish and chips, except me: I had a Chicken Tikka Masala as I can't stand fish. Beers and food were fine.

Our final port of call was The Cellar* on City Road. Despite its name, this bar is at street level; basic furniture and bare brick walls create a venue mostly for standing. It was popular and was filling up while we were there. The beers on were: Left Handed Giant Brewing Co USPA, Thornbridge Ruin, Wild Beer Co Rod Nam Sang, Deva Gladius, Squawk Brewing Co Porter and Buxton Brewery Buxton IPA. It does snacks, and often has live music; in fact a band was setting up while we there. Again, the beer was well-kept.

Team photo about half way through

We left just before 10.00pm, most of us to catch our trains back to Southport. Two of the group live more locally and acted as our guides: they assured us there were many more great pubs in this city, so perhaps there will be more trips and further posts here. It was a very enjoyable trip.

This is an expanded version of an article that I wrote for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.

Whitby pub crawl 2013

Pub crawl in Whitby, North Yorkshire next Tuesday.

If you're in the area, why not join us?

And if you're around at lunchtime the next day, you can come and see our band, The Lunchtime Legends, playing in the Elsinore on Flowergate in Whitby. It's free.

Crawling in Liverpool

Liverpool has a great buzz in the run-up the Christmas, the streets and pubs being full of people out to have a good time as only Liverpool people can. My friend Jean's annual Christmas crawl of selected real ale pubs takes place tonight, the 20th December, in Liverpool. There will the usual mixture of people, including folkies and CAMRA types, but basically anyone who wants to tag along is welcome.  The itinerary is below, and we're usually fairly good at keeping to the times, should you want to join part way through. It must be said, though, that this is a pretty good pub crawl at any time of the year. Cheers!

Chorley pub crawl

Our local CAMRA branch is planning a trip by bus to Chorley this Saturday afternoon for a pub crawl. There are eight pubs on the itinerary. I haven't been to Chorley for a drink since the 1980s or early 1990s, although I have driven through the town many times. I was asked to put the crawl onto a Google map that can be easily circulated by e-mail and printed if necessary. It's below, as you can see, and I've also included a link to it in my pub crawl page.


View Chorley Pub Crawl ~ 26 May 2012 in a larger map

Jean's Christmas pub crawl

Tonight is the Christmas pub crawl organised by my friend Jean Pownceby when we visit an array of great Liverpool pubs.  If you're around and would like to join us for a pint, the itinerary is below.

P.S. This is a rather good pub crawl at any time of the year.

Live in Liverpool

Two events in Liverpool I'm interested in this week:

Click on flyer to enlarge it.

Firstly, my monthly singaround in the Lion Tavern, which is by Moorfields Station. Free, all welcome, and 8 real ales. from around 8.30pm. This Thursday 14 July - performing is optional.

Secondly, the Peace and Ecology Festival on Saturday 16 July from midday to 6pm, in St Lukes Church (the bombed out church), corner of Leece Street & Berry Street, Liverpool. It's free, with 6 hours of music and dance, with stalls and food. Black Lamp (Keith Price, Kevin Littlewood and me) are on at around 1pm. The festival is organised by Merseyside CND, with support from generous sponsors.

Soft drinks only at the festival, but loads of good real ale pubs nearby; click here for the Georgian Quarter pub crawl. If the weather is bad, there will be directions to an indoor venue nearby.

P.S. please note: owing to the lousy weather forecast, the festival will be moved indoors to St Brides Church on Percy Street and Catharine Street, Liverpool 8 ~ map here.

Pub Crawl In Preston

This time, the pub-crawl is by bus, as the Southport to Preston train line was one of Dr Beeching’s casualties. The quickest way to get there is by the Stagecoach X2 express bus, which takes 47 minutes from Southport monument to Preston bus station. Note that the last bus back is 18-20 (18-15 Saturday and 18-05 Sunday) so this is a daytime crawl. Dave Thackeray accompanied me on this trip in early November 2010.

Dave and I were both impressed by the friendliness of the staff and other customers we chatted to in all the pubs we went into. It was a miserable day with heavy rain, but we had a good time. Too good a time, as it turned out: we had to run to catch the last bus to Southport.

The numbers refer to those on the map.

1.  The bus station, where a sign encouraged us to use the subway (see picture).

2.  The Grey Friar, 144 Friargate.
A typical open plan Wetherspoons. The Wetherspoons beer festival was in full swing, and there were 12 varied cask ales on, not local. The one we tried were in on good condition. I had the Titanic Wheat Porter, while Dave had 3 different beers in thirds.

3.  The Old Black Bull, 35 Friargate
A mock Tudor pub with a small front vault and several other drinking areas, one with a pool table. This pub is completely free of tie for cask beers. When we visited, there were 8 real ales on, not local, including Downtown German Pale Ale, Hop Star Pretty Witch, Hawkshead Windermere Pale, Phoenix, Northern and Coastal Kernow Maid.

4. Dog and Partridge, 41 Friargate
A one-room pub with a rock jukebox, popular with local rock fans. The landlord has apparently been here for 30 years. The beers were in good form, and included Holts Bitter, Adnams Bok Bier (which was very nice), Bowland Sawley Tempted, Tetley Dark Mild and Old Rosie cider. They get the beers from the SIBA list.

5.  The New Britannia, 6 Heatley Street
Just round the corner from the Dog and Partridge. This is a one-room bar with 7 ales and a cider: two beers each from Prospect, Hop Star and Fuzzy Duck (one of which was a stout), and Old Rosie.

6.  The Black Horse, 166 Friargate
A Grade II listed building, this pub has an impressive interior with tiled walls, beautiful woodwork, a mosaic floor and a very tall bar. There were seven beers from the Robinson’s range on sale. Although tied to one brewery, the beers we tried were well kept, and the pub is worth visiting for the architecture alone.

7.  The Market Tavern, 33-35 Market Street
This is a small local in a pedestrianised area by the Victorian outdoor market. They have three hand pumps, a German weisse on draught and a good range of Continental bottled beers – a good destination for those who like try something different. There are two intimate seating booths, although we stood at the bar. The beers on sale were: Green Room IPA, Tring Side Pocket and Brains Dark.

Jean's Christmas Pub Crawl

Every year, Jean Pownceby, CAMRA Liverpool Branch socialite, organises a pub crawl in Liverpool shortly before Christmas.  These are not generally for the faint-hearted, but they are for those who like to have a bit of fun ~ and sample good beers along the way, as all the pubs serve real ale. Apart from anything else, Liverpool has a great buzz in the run-up the Christmas, the streets and pubs being full of people out to have a good time as only Liverpool people can. My write-up of last year's bash is here. This year's is on the 23rd December.  Here is the route:

The Globe is a wonderful little local in the heart of the city,
just across the road from Central Station.

Wigan Pub Crawl

Wigan has a varied selection of good pubs. You can get there easily by train from Southport (c. 30 minutes), Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston. All pubs were surveyed on 14 August, and the numbers refer to those on the map. The furthest pub on this crawl is just over 10 minutes’ walk from the railway stations.

1. Swan and Railway, 80 Wallgate

This is an attractive pub just across the road from North Western station. It has a beautiful large stained glass in the bar showing a large swan and some little trains, a separate public bar and it retains a lot of original features. It is listed as doing B&B. Outside smoking area.

Beers on sale were: Jennings Honey Bole, Ringwood Old Thumper (not often seen in this part of the world) and Banks Original.

2. The Berkeley, 27-29 Wallgate
Just across the road from Wallgate station is the Berkeley, an open plan bar that was once a coaching house. It has a function room upstairs, from which you can watch what’s going on down below. It is a sport-oriented pub with a Wetherspoons style of decoration but with lighter wood and it has its loyalty card for discounts on drinks, which they call the Berkeley Card.

The beers on when we called in were: Prospect Nutty Slack, Prospect 120, Cameron’s Nimmo XXXX and Bateman’s Thirsty Work.

3. The Boulevard, 17-19 Wallgate
This basement pub is surprisingly large and has a large room to the rear where entertainment is sometimes provided. A wall is covered with pump clips showing the beers that previously been on. It opens late (4pm Mon to Thu; 2pm Fri to Sun) and stays open late too.

The beers on were Thwaites Original and Liberation, George Wright Drunken Duck, Phoenix Wobbly Bob, and a real cider called Old Timer.

4. The Moon Under Water, 5-7a Market Place
Wigan's first J D Wetherspoon’s outlet, converted from of a building society, a tailor's and a photography shop. It is a fairly typical ‘Spoons with the usual beers plus: George Wright Longboat and Pure Blonde, Moorhouses Witch Hunt, Stonehenge Danish Dynamite and Saxon Archer.

The pub has an upstairs side entrance which leads to the Wiend, an attractive open area that resembles a village green with a large sculptured head that is actually a fountain, although there was no water when we were there. The next pub is near the Wiend.

5. The John Bull Chop House, 2 Coopers Row
Situated down a narrow alley off Market Place, this is a local rock pub with an excellent jukebox: “Baba O'Riley” by The Who was playing as we were being served, followed by “Snowblind” by Black Sabbath. Despite its rock pub reputation, the clientele was quite mixed when we were there.

The beers that were on were Thwaites Bomber and Wainwright, and apparently Original is usually on too. Please note that this pub tends to serve real ale only at weekends.

6. The Anvil, Dorning Street
This popular, multi-award winning pub is close to the bus station. It has an outside drinking area to the rear. The beers available when we visited were: Allgates All Black, Dark Star Meltdown, Roosters Yankee, Allgates Twitter and Bisted, Ossett Yorkshire Blonde and Hydes Original. Also on sale are six draught continental beers through tall silver fonts on the bar, and a range of bottles too.

7. The Tudor House Hotel, New Market Street
Apparently a former nunnery, this pub is popular with students and plays an active role in the local live music scene. It has a dark interior and an outside drinking area to the rear. When we were there, they were serving; Acorn Barnsley Gold, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew.

If you’ve time to spare at the end of this crawl, you can always return to the Berkeley or the Swan and Railway for a final drink, as both are only a minute’s walk from the railway stations. The final train back to Southport is 11-15pm, except on Sunday when it’s 9-13pm. Thanks to Ken and Carol Worthington of CAMRA Wigan Branch for their help in researching this crawl.

Pub Crawl - Liverpool Dale Street

Two days ago, I went to survey a pub crawl in Liverpool in the Dale Street area, easily reached by train from Southport. The furthest pub on this crawl is about 6-7 minutes’ walk from Moorfields Station. Pubs surveyed on 8 April (except the Hole, visited on 3 April). The numbers below refer to the map, which was designed by Dennis Jones of Liverpool CAMRA, used with permission.

1.  Ye Hole In Ye Wall
This interesting pub in Hackins Hey, round the corner from the Saddle pub, claims to be the oldest in Liverpool, dating back to 1726. The cellar of this pub is above the bar, as the pub was apparently built on an old Quaker burial site, and no one wanted to disturb the bones; this has led to stories of ghosts. The pub is extensively wood-panelled and has two separate seated drinking areas, separated by wooden partitions embedded with stained glass, as well as standing room around the bar. There are pictures of old Liverpool scenes on the walls.

The pub had two George Wright beers on: Saaz (4.5%) and Drunken Duck (3.9%). The other beers were Tetley Bitter, Landlord, Adnams Bitter, London Pride and Spitfire. Owing to the location of the cellar, this is probably the only pub in town where the beer is served by gravity dispense through hand pumps. (The previous posting gives more details of this pub)

2.  Thomas Rigby's
Another old, wood-panelled pub with three separate rooms and a courtyard at the rear, wonderful to sit in with a pint of good beer when the weather is fine. One of two pubs in Liverpool owned by Manx brewery, Okell’s, this pub featured in the film “Letter to Brezhnev”. The Nelson room to the rear is in honour of Admiral Lord Nelson who, it is said, was a regular in the 1790s. Hmmm …

There is usually a choice of beers from the Okell’s range, plus 3 or 4 guests. I had Newcastle Pioneer from Hadrian and Border, a light 4.2% beer named after the pioneer hops used. The pub serves good quality meals.

3.  The Vernon
This pub was closed for a couple of years, reopening last year. It's a long, two-roomed pub with a distinct slope as you walk towards the rear, slightly confusing after a few pints! The room at the rear was used as a meeting place for Militant during the Hatton era. There are good value meals: we had steak pie, chips and peas at £7 for two. One curiosity advertised on the menu was “beef burger on a sesame seed bum”.

There are six cask beers on: Brains Rev James seems to be on each time I go, and beer from Liverpool Organic Brewery was on this time. I have seen Cambrinus and Baltic Fleet beers on previous visits. The Vernon is a keen supporter of local breweries which is why it has LocAle accreditation from CAMRA.

4.  The Excelsior
This pub was closed on the day of my visit. It has served real ale on previous visits and still advertises cask ales in the windows.  Additional comment 26 Feb 2011: this pub was open when I passed today - I could see Deuchars IPA and Landlord clips on the handpumps.

5.  The Ship and Mitre
This pub has a 1930s art deco exterior, although the inside has been changed to suggest an old sailing ship. The upstairs room, however, is largely unaltered and is an art deco dream, wonderful for special functions, such as the recently revived folk nights - the new Woody Guthrie folk club is held on the last Thursday of each month.

Proudly boasting the best range of real ales in Liverpool (something like ten when we visited), there are always beers on here that I have never heard of before. We had Summer Wine Invictus and Gold Cup Ramsbury, both 4.5% and excellent. The pub holds regular beer festivals for real ale, and various continental beers through out the year. The next real ale one is 21 – 25 April. There is also good food available.

6.  The Lion, Moorfields
The Lion is a small gin palace just across the road from Moorfields station - ideal to finish the crawl, being so close to the train. It has three separate drinking areas and up to eight changing guest real ales. I can’t see any significant alterations to this lovely little pub, which has a stained glass domed ceiling in the rear room (pictured), panelled wooden pilasters and etched glass panels; much of the original glazing survives.

We had Hawkshead Bitter, and Lees Bitter from Middleton is often on, not a common sight in Liverpool. Food is available, including the popular cheese board.

The last train back to Southport is 23-40. Return ticket: £4.40. An all-areas Saveaway is £4.50.

Click on the map to open it in a new window, which you can print if you want to.