A pub reopens

An old photo of the Up Steps

At a time when pub closures are everyday news. it's nice to hear about an old pub coming back to life. The Up Steps in Upper Aughton Road, Birkdale, reopened for business yesterday after having been closed for about a year, and as I happened to be in the area today, I decided to pop in at around teatime.

It is a cosy pub with four separate drinking areas served by one bar. The refurbishment has involved an attractive redecoration that has brightened the place up considerably without changing the basic layout. There are three handpumps, two of which were in use when I was there, serving:

• Southport Brewery Golden Sands (£2.90);
• Up Steps Beer (£2.30), brewed by Thwaites.
• Thwaites Wainwright (not on - pump clip turned round).

I had a pint of each of the two that were on and both pints were fine. The Up Steps Beer was quite a pleasant, middle of the road beer with no strong flavours, but certainly good value at the price. The sign outside the pub says that it's a free house and, as the house beer will probably always be on, I'm assuming that at least one of the other pumps will have a changing guest beer. I had a chat with the people on each side of me at the bar and it was all very friendly.

I've always liked the Up Steps - I've played at many open mike nights there in the past - but unfortunately the pubco had let it become rather dingy. Let's hope this new start encourages the people who live nearby to make good use of a much improved pub in their neighbourhood.