Pubs of 2014

Right, here we go...... The purpose of this blog is to log all the pubs that I have visited and consumed an alcoholic beverage in during 2014. The rules are quite simple, the establishment needs to be a public house, it sounds straightforward but it may get complicated for example things that wouldn't count are a visit to the bar at the cricket, a pre gig drink in a concert venue, a drink at the Birmingham German market etc. As judge and jury my decision is final, and if I'm in any doubt I won't count it.



My prediction as at the start of the year is that the final number will be somewhere around the 200 mark though I won't go to pubs just to get the numbers up, it will be a true reflection of my pub visting year.



My posts will include information about the pub, the ambience of the surroundings, the choice and quality of the beer, any interesting or amusing anecdotes about my visit and, where possible, photographic evidence.



I will try and keep the information as accurate as possible noting that alcohol consumption means that at times this may prove difficult !!



The format of the posts is simple, the first visit to the pub will be the blog entry and that post will be updated for any subsequent visit.



Hope you enjoy it...



Cheers

UPDATE January 2015

Right, that's it, it's finally finished, some 259 pubs later !! It's been hard work but it's nice being able to look back and relive the drinking experiences of 2014.

I am pleased with the final result and whilst I've been reviewing it, I have actually laughed a few times at my own jokes !!

A word of warning, it does start off a bit slow (some of my posts from Bath are a bit dull) but stick with it. In hindsight the format of posting repeat visits to a pub on the original post at times doesn't work very well when reading the blog in its' entirety but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I hope that you enjoy it.

I have stated this in the blog but I will say it again, thanks to anyone that I have had a beer with in 2014 and special thanks to Shelley for her patience !!







Wednesday, 12 November 2014

The Pump House

When I first started this blog I hadn't realised that there'd be so many grey areas about whether or not places should be included in accordance to the guidelines I set out in my prologue, The Pump House is one such instance. My original plan was that I wouldn't include it, Shelley's mate Lou had booked a meal to celebrate her 50th birthday so I naturally assumed that the place would be a restaurant, however this was more a pub that did food so I'm claiming it.

The Pump House was built in the 1870's and, surprisingly enough, was the former pump house of Albert Docks. It is a Grade II listed building that has been restored and turned into a large pub however its' soaring tower has become its' main feature and it is a distinctive landmark of the whole area..



The plan was that we'd meet between 7.30pm and 8pm however since Shelley and I had spent the afternoon sampling a few Liverpool city centre pubs we were running slightly late so we were a bit surprised to find ourselves the first to arrive.

Eventually they all filed in and surprised me by handing me birthday cards. With the four that I received in The Pump House added to the eight that I had opened at home that morning it meant that I had received an impressive and fairly unprecedented twelve in total !!

According to their website the pub 'specialises in real ale' however there was little evidence to support this claim though I did manage to have a fairly decent pint (or two) or Morland Old Speckled Hen.

Afternoon drinking that day meant that my bladder capacity was now well and truly reached, however the loo was that far away that I think the pub should have laid on shuttle buses. I needed to go again by the time I got back !!

Some years ago Levis advertised their 501 jean range by showing a handsome male model slipping out of his jeans in a launderette to the sounds of Marvin Gaye. The sight of a discarded pair of denim jeans on the floor of the loos at The Pump House is as far removed from that vision as is possible !!

I am conscious of the fact that there aren't many photos of Shelley and myself in this blog, not helped by the fact that there are way too many far from flattering selfies of me, so it was nice that we got a photo together in The Pump House just before we tucked into our fish 'n' chips..



Well, we were in the docks, it seemed the right thing to do !!

We were told that it was time to move on, a decision I didn't disagree with, I needed the loo again and wasn't wearing my hiking boots !!

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