It was also to be my first journey on the new Nottingham tram extension which now has its terminal about a 15 minute walk from my house,after a fairly short journey i was in the middle of Beeston,a town i really like and also has some very good pubs,but i was here to do a new Micro Pub.
Beeston
Pottle of Blues
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A small pub that is situated just off Beestons high street.
There is a small single room inside with bench seating on each side of the room,four real ales on and poured from the barrel,i had a drink of Blue Monkey BG Sips,which was on top form.
A decent enough micro pub that my wife would not like,she prefers what she calls proper pubs with a bit more life to them.
As i was walking back up the short side street onto the High Street i noticed another bar that i had not seen before,so i had to go in and see what it was like.
Rye
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent sized modern looking bar that was very busy on my Saturday dinner visit with Beestons bright young people,so i looked a bit out of place.
The room is bare boarded and the seating normal tables and chairs,there were no real ales on here,but the keg Adnams Blackshore Stout went down well.
This was a bonus for me as i did not know about this new bar.
A quick walk back to the tram stop and i was soon on a tram into Nottingham.
This journey was more interesting and i was surprised how many new buildings were popping up close to the train station,i got off the tram close to the Theatre Royal and a short walk to do an old pub that has reopened under a different name.
Nottingham city centre
The Hop Merchant
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
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| Turf Tavern photo taken by Alan Winfield |
This used to be called The Turf Tavern and was a Shiptones tied house and one of many Shipstones tied houses that me and the wife did.
We had some good times in here and the chip cobs were great.
The pub is still just as small inside but has had a makeover,it is a shame that all of the seating is tall tables and chairs and tall bench seating.
There were three real ales on,i had a drink of a local beer Lincoln Green Sherwood,a very nice drink.
It was good to see a long closed pub reopened
A short walk across Upper Parliament Street and onto Queen Street for bus up to Mapperley,which is a pretty upmarket area with new pubs and bars opening.
This area is just outside of Nottinghams city boundarys and is closer to Arnold.
Mapperley
Copper
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A fairly new bar situated on Woodborough Road in Mapperleys vibrant shopping area.
A single room inside which runs to the rear,all very smart and upmarket with the customers to match.
There was just the one real ale on which was Navigation New Dawn Pale,this went down well.
This is one of three bars named Copper in the Nottingham area,in my opinion this is the best of the three.
My next new bar was next door but one to Copper,so a very short walk.
Old Flower Shop
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
This bar is slightly larger than Copper.
The seating in here is quite comfortable with some bench seating plus normal tables and chairs,there were also TVs showing football which i like to see and background music.
There were three ales on,plus a real cider,i had a drink of Oakham Citra,which was a really nice drink.
It was very busy with younger drinkers and people having meals.
I really took to this place,one to take my wife to.
Another short walk by more shops and i was outside my next new bar to do.
Tipsy T
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A new bar that is situated towards to end of the Woodborough road shopping area.
This bar had an L shaped room unlike the other two which had oblong shaped rooms running to the rear.
Quite smart inside with a mix of normal tables and tall tables and chairs.
There were two real ales on,i had a drink of Adnams Cashmere IPA,which was a very nice drink.
The bar was almost empty and the few in looked like proper drinkers.
It was a short wait for the bus back into the middle of Nottingham,where i would do a couple of my regular haunts.
A short walk back from Queen street and back across Upper Parliament street.
Nottingham city centre
Langtry's
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
This is one of our favourite Nottingham pubs and one i often do with the wife.
It was originally called the Peach Tree and had a really bad reputation when i first went in it in the late 70s.
There is a single bare boarded room with normal tables and chairs,there are always six or more real ales on and always a real cider,i had a drink of Jennings Cockerhoop which went down well.
This pub is usually busy and very handy for people going to the Royal Centre and Theatre Royal.
A short walk down Market street which has tram lines going down it and i was in the very centre of Nottingham,just up Friar Lane and i was in my next pub.
Southbank City
A pub that we often visit as me and the wife like it and our bus stop is outside it.
Originally a tea rooms then a Casa,it became the Approach which is pretty similar to what it is like to this day.
There is one large room with lots of TVs showing football when on,since its name change there is now a DJ rig and proper stage which has live bands on.
The pub now always stocks Navigation beers plus some decent guest beers,i had a drink of Navigation Golden,which was a decent drink.
I took my wife in here after the Nottingham beer festival and we had a great time as they now clear the middle area for dancing,which we did.
If you like to watch sports and dance in the evening then this is the place,we love it.
A short walk by the main square and i was waiting for a tram back home.
But i would get off just after the Beeston stop to do a pub i have only been in once before.
Beeston /Chilwell
Double Top
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
An estate type pub that was pretty hard to get to on bus years ago,but the tram now stops very close to it.
This used to be an Home Ales tied house with an average pint of Home Bitter on.
Since my first visit way back on the 5th August 1982 the pub is pretty much the same with a separate bar and lounge.
Home Ales beers have long gone,but there was one real ale on,this was Deuchars IPA,a decent drink to end my short crawl on.
A shame that the pub was almost empty on my Saturday afternoon visit.
A short walk back to the tram stop and a tram back to the terminus at Toton Lane,then a walk back downhill to my home.
A very good day out in my local area and five new pubs done.
