August 2025
Lancaster: A Most Painful Journey
To be completed…
Burton on Trent
On the 9th August I headed out on a CAMRA coach trip to Burton on Trent run by the Wirral CAMRA branch. Along with many I really miss the Liverpool trips that used to be very regular over the Spring and Summer months. Oh the memories. The trip was a fine almost full coach.
The three of us didn’t exactly speed through all the pub options. We arrived at the bus station at about 12:15. We headed first to the Dog, which was the closest to the drop off point. This wasn’t cos I wanted a drink quickly, it was more that I wanted their toilet; I hadn’t felt like using the coach one with my questionable legs—even before the pints).
The Dog was a fine start and I began with a Holden’s ‘Golden Glow.’ We looked at the map we had been provided on the coach and selected the next pub. I wanted to go to the Burton Bridge Inn but my mates thought better of it and plumped for the ‘Brews of the World.’
It transpired they were thinking it was closer and better for my legs. But it turned out that the ‘…World’ was shut and in fact we walked about the same distance after we moved on to the next place, which was Cooper’s Tavern.
The Coopers is a Joules pub and situated right opposite a massive former brewery which is decaying away. To get to it we had walked past the massive industrial complex which is the home of Molson Coors and their brews of Madri (it’s not Spanish, who knew!?), Coors (it’s not Canadian, who knew!?), Atlantic Pale, and Doom Bar (it’s not from Cornwall, who knew!?). Ho hum.
It was a warm, dry day so we sat outside, me with my usual Joules choice of ‘Slumbering Monk.’ Chatted with a couple of people from the coach. The next few pubs were all close together further up Station Street. We trotted on to the Devonshire Arms. Mate fell in love with the place due to the massive hanging baskets (he has a plant fetish). I was soon Jaipur’d up. Next up was the Last Heretic micropub. It’s quite a small place but has a decent outdoors area at the back. Met up once more with a couple of people from the coach. I once more bombarded them talking all things Ren. I need to draft more Renegades. I feel I’m doing them and the world a favour.
It was a short walk then to The Roebuck, where I went for a Batemen’s ‘XXXB.’ I was still keen to get to the Burton Bridge Inn. But we were now quite a walk from there and weren’t sure how long it’d take. Looking it up now I see it was 0.8 miles.I thought I’d look up how much an Uber would cost. Damn, it was less than four quid for three of us, not each! Bargain of the day. We were happy to dive on that and it arrived at the Roebuck in no tine.
We were soon sat outside the Burton Bridge Inn with a pint of ‘Stairway to Citra’. It was well worth making the effort. We even had another. Then it was back to the coach for our return trip to Liverpool. So six pubs, a handy Uber, a coach (and possibly some new Renegades)—a very good day was had by all.
The next Wirral trip is to Stockport at the end of October. I reckon it’s cheaper to do on the train, so maybe I’ll do that instead. But at least the branch are doing coach trips, hopefully the Liverpool trips will come back one day, but it’s been years now..
The three of us didn’t exactly speed through all the pub options. We arrived at the bus station at about 12:15. We headed first to the Dog, which was the closest to the drop off point. This wasn’t cos I wanted a drink quickly, it was more that I wanted their toilet; I hadn’t felt like using the coach one with my questionable legs—even before the pints).
The Dog was a fine start and I began with a Holden’s ‘Golden Glow.’ We looked at the map we had been provided on the coach and selected the next pub. I wanted to go to the Burton Bridge Inn but my mates thought better of it and plumped for the ‘Brews of the World.’
It transpired they were thinking it was closer and better for my legs. But it turned out that the ‘…World’ was shut and in fact we walked about the same distance after we moved on to the next place, which was Cooper’s Tavern.
The Coopers is a Joules pub and situated right opposite a massive former brewery which is decaying away. To get to it we had walked past the massive industrial complex which is the home of Molson Coors and their brews of Madri (it’s not Spanish, who knew!?), Coors (it’s not Canadian, who knew!?), Atlantic Pale, and Doom Bar (it’s not from Cornwall, who knew!?). Ho hum.
It was a warm, dry day so we sat outside, me with my usual Joules choice of ‘Slumbering Monk.’ Chatted with a couple of people from the coach. The next few pubs were all close together further up Station Street. We trotted on to the Devonshire Arms. Mate fell in love with the place due to the massive hanging baskets (he has a plant fetish). I was soon Jaipur’d up. Next up was the Last Heretic micropub. It’s quite a small place but has a decent outdoors area at the back. Met up once more with a couple of people from the coach. I once more bombarded them talking all things Ren. I need to draft more Renegades. I feel I’m doing them and the world a favour.
It was a short walk then to The Roebuck, where I went for a Batemen’s ‘XXXB.’ I was still keen to get to the Burton Bridge Inn. But we were now quite a walk from there and weren’t sure how long it’d take. Looking it up now I see it was 0.8 miles.I thought I’d look up how much an Uber would cost. Damn, it was less than four quid for three of us, not each! Bargain of the day. We were happy to dive on that and it arrived at the Roebuck in no tine.
We were soon sat outside the Burton Bridge Inn with a pint of ‘Stairway to Citra’. It was well worth making the effort. We even had another. Then it was back to the coach for our return trip to Liverpool. So six pubs, a handy Uber, a coach (and possibly some new Renegades)—a very good day was had by all.
The next Wirral trip is to Stockport at the end of October. I reckon it’s cheaper to do on the train, so maybe I’ll do that instead. But at least the branch are doing coach trips, hopefully the Liverpool trips will come back one day, but it’s been years now..
More Blogging Required
Definitely need to do some more ale blogging. It’s been a long while since I’ve done any really. Blogs need to be regular, don’t they? Even if that means once a week or once fortnight. What’s made me think of that is that I have a proper Ale Week ahead, with going to the Great British Beer Festival (or more correctly just GBBF) for the Trade Session on Tuesday afternoon, then I’ve got my first CAMRA coach this year (and it’s August! most correctly referred to as FFS!). The coach trip is to Burton on Trent, which was largely considered as a home of the large scale beer industry historically, but now it is home to brewing of Coors Lite, Miller Lite, and Carling. I’m not anticipating trying any of those whilst I’m down there. There’s challenging your comfort zone and there’s just silliness.
This Last Week In Beer
With both GBBF and the coach trip I dare say I’ll be trying quite a few different beers—without much in the way of Molson Coors.
Maybe I’ll even do a blog—or two—about it. I should, I know.
Some Neptune Types at GBBF in 2022 in Olympia.
This Last Week In Beer
With both GBBF and the coach trip I dare say I’ll be trying quite a few different beers—without much in the way of Molson Coors.
Maybe I’ll even do a blog—or two—about it. I should, I know.
Some Neptune Types at GBBF in 2022 in Olympia.