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from Huw Rowlands, Mickle Trafford
In the latest edition of the Cheshire CAMRA magazine was
asked the question as to what could be better than sitting in the garden
of the Nag's Head (Bridge Trafford) drinking a pint of cask ale
and admiring the Highland Cattle in the adjacent field. Perhaps you mighjt
allow me to answer the question. I would suggest sitting in the front
garden of the Shrewsbury Arms at Mickle Trafford, admisring the
rare breed Red Poll cattle (of which there are only around 450 registered
breeeding females in Britain) whilst drinking a pint of one of the excellently
kept guest beers from the pub's extremely diverse range which changes
an an almost daily basis.
In case you were wondering, the cattle are mine; the pub
isn't.
from P Brown, Nantwich
I read your CAMRA publication with great interest and
make note of all the recommendations you make.
I would however like to make a recemmendation of my own, which is a very
successful pub in Nantwich.
The pub in question is the Boot & Shoe, Hospital Steet. I am
68 years of age and have always enjoyed the real ales and the selection
available today is to a great extent due to your organisation.
The Boot & Shoe is a fine example of how beer should be kept and managed.
The home-cooked food and the constant ever changing guest beer make this
pub a joy to visit.
From T Record, Birmingham
I read with interest and delight your article in Out Inn
Cheshire on the smoking debate. I go to the pub because I want to fully
enjoy a pint of excellent cask ale (and probably more than one of there
are several on offer). Two main reasons frequently make this impossible;
- The place is thick with smoke.
- The place reeks of cooking. Fried onions don't help
one appreciate the subtleties of cask ale.
Could no smoking areas be set aside at beer festivals?
from Stuart Elliott, Southport
I always enjoy reading Out Inn Cheshire whenever I visit
your beautiful county, and the last issue I read was as lively and sparkling
as ever, just like the ales you promote.
I could not help but notice your slogan "Country Pubs; Your Heritage.
Use them or lose them." Perhaps you might publish the attempt
made by my wife and myself to carry out this injunction on a cycle ride
from Cheshire.
Leaving Chester railway station, we headed out along the
canal via Waverton and Saighton, heading for Tilston. The first pub we
encountered on the A534 at Barton (the Cock o' Barton) had no real ale,
although the management was sufficiently professional to apologise for
this and there was a hand pump with the clip turned round. Although the
pub is listed in the 1998 Out Inn Cheshire guide as having no real ale,
perhaps there may be grounds for optimism here.
My wife was weary, but I enjoined her to press on to Tilston,
where I felt we were bound to come across real ale at the 2004 Good Beer
Guide listed Carden Arms. You can imagine my dismay and embarrassment
when we arrived here some 15 minutes later to find the pub closed, even
though it was only about quarter to two. In an endeavour to retrieve the
situation, I suggested that we cycle to the Bull Inn at Shocklack. This
was a relatively easy ride and a better strategy than heading south to
Malpas where the roads are rather hilly. Again, however, our hopes were
frustrated as this pub, too, was closed, although at least the management
has had the goodness to publish its hours of business in the windows,
unlike the Carden Arms. By the way, it has now been renamed "The
Bull Inn and Country Bistro" so perhaps this country pub, if not
lost, is already half lost.
By this time I had almost totally despaired, not only
of getting any real ale, but also of getting any lunch. By this time marital
relations were at a low ebb, so we cycled off in a disconsolate and desultory
way in the direction of Farndon, heading back toward Chester. Here, two
of the three pubs were shut but at least the Farndon Arms was open
and as it was nearly three o'clock, I swiftly ordered two pints for myself
and two halves for my wife. By agreement with the amiable landlord, we
finished these off sitting at the picnic benches in front of the pub after
he had locked the doors. The beer was excellent.
We now headed back to Chester past the White Horse at
Churton (doors closed and no real ale anyway, according to the 1998 Out
Inn Cheshire guide), until we reached the Grosvenor Arms at Aldford.
This is a brilliant pub with a landlord who takes an enthusiastic interest
in real ale, inviting me to try one of them before buying, in case it
might not suit my taste. Eventually we reached the outskirts of Chester,
enoying a superb pint of St. Austell at the Rake & Pikel at
Huntington, a friendly, unpretentious and comfortable hostelry.
So, of the ten pubs potentially on our visiting list,
six were closed and one had no real ale, reducing the possibility of enjoying
a pint of real ale in a country pub on this occasion to only three. Congratulations
to the Farndon Arms, The Grosvenor Arms and the Rake & Pikel must
be the message. We are trying to use you in this age of early retirement
and high disposable income and leisure. If your doors are not open, how
can we do so, because we certainly don't want to lose you!
Stuart's letter will strike a chord with many of our
readers. How often have you been disappointed by doors closed in the afternoon?
We appreciate that licensees cannot afford to pay staff to look after
an almost deserted pub, but surely something could be done? At least publishing
hours of opening would help (and sticking to them!)
We would be happy to publish details of pubs selling real ale in the afternoons
as a service to our readers. Licensees; over to you!
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