The Globe in Liverpool |
It has hardly been changed over the years and it is very much a local in the heart of the city centre. It won the local CAMRA branch's Best Community Pub Award in 2012, and Kitty McNicholas, who has worked there for 24 years, won their Bar Person of the Year Award in 2014. The pub attracts people from all over the city as well as visitors, and it is not unusual to find yourself in lively conversation with complete strangers. Tastefully refurbished in 2012, it has kept its traditional atmosphere, and photographs on the wall recall the pub's history.
It is a small, cosy pub with a single bar, complete with coloured glass above, to your right as you enter. A sloping floor takes you through to the tiny rear lounge where the Merseyside Branch of CAMRA was founded in 1974: there is even a plaque on the wall to mark this momentous occasion. The slope has been known to fool unwary drinkers who may have slightly overindulged.
They often play classic pop and rock & roll songs from the 50s and 60s on the music system, sometimes leading to spontaneous community singalongs, or occasionally – if space permits – dancing.
There are five handpumps, and the real ales on offer when I called in were: Young's Winter Warmer; No 18 Yard Rudolph's Reward; Red Star Coney Island; Wainwright; and Sharp's Doom Bar. Those I tried were in good condition; I have been going to this pub for many years and I don't recall ever having a bad pint in here.
As for the shopping, Liverpool's famous Bold Street is nearby, and the Liverpool One complex with more than 170 shops, bars and restaurants is a short walk away. Why not relax in the Globe afterwards before you go for your train?