Antwerp - The Usual Suspects 2022

 After missing visits to Belgium in 2020 and 2021, the Usual Suspects returned to Antwerp on 30 June 2022, a day before the start of Bierpassie Weekend.

Simon, Andrew, Dave, Tim, Keith & Richard - De Vagant

The author of this post (Tim) was glad to meet up again with Simon, Andrew, Keith and Richard. This would be Tim's first meeting with one of the instigators of the annual pilgrimage to this Belgian beer festival - Dave. 

John Reynor - RIP

Sadly, John Reynor, another early adopter, passed away in 2021. We would pay a tribute to John at De Vagant on the Friday with jenever and beer and Dave generously footed the bar bill.

Previous posts about visits to Antwerp have followed a daily diary format but this year there will be three geographically differentiated posts as shown in the rough map:

S - Het Steen area featuring Cafe Pardaf and Paters Vaetje

H - Hoogstraat area featuring 'T Half Souke, De Ware Jacob and De Vagant

G - Groenplaats area featuring Bierpassie Weekend and De Kat.

This post will feature a few bars and other places of interest falling outside these areas which are all in the Grote Markt / Cathedral of Our Lady area, near the river Scheldt.

It was convenient and economical for me to stay at the Hotel Rubenshof again. Unlike Tryp Hotel, where most of the others were staying, it does not have air conditioned rooms or a lift but thankfully temperatures were slightly lower than in 2019. Unhappily for the others, the Tryp Hotel air conditioning had broken down on this occasion.

The Hotel Rubenshof reception and breakfast rooms retain delightful art nouveau features including stained glass windows, carved wooden cabinets and decorative paintings. Breakfast cost 9 euros and  included juice, yoghurt, bread rolls, croissants, ham and cheese. There was sometimes a wait for the coffee pot to be refilled.

After checking in, my first attempt to secure a beer at nearby Biercafe de Jordaan was unsuccessful due to a holiday closure. This was a wasted detour not improved by the rain which had not let up since my arrival. Things would improve after tram rides to reach Groenplaats and then on foot to 'T Half Souke on Hoogstraat. See separate Hoogstraat post (WIP).

'T Half Souke is one of the heritage cafes, featured in Belgian Cafe Culture by Regula Ysewijn, that I had earmarked for a visit after finding it closed in 2019. 

Preparations for this trip included updating a Google map to show Antwerp cafes featured in Regula Ysewijn's book.

L'Entrepot du Congo is a brasserie near Hotel Rubenshof and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts that I had earmarked to visit for a beer or a meal. There were roadworks in this area and on this visit I would only photograph the exterior. It was interesting to find 'Brouwery Brys Bornhem' engraved on a stone panel of the frontage.

I had also hoped to revisit Cafe ZeeZicht with the 'usual suspects', previously visited in 2018 (photo above). Near Tryp Hotel, this is one of the beer cafes in Dageraadplaats (known by our group as 'Argument Square' after many previous late night drinking sessions!). This was another missed opportunity for me on this trip though. 

Apart from Belgian beer cafes and the festival, this trip included three interesting visits unrelated to beer! On the Friday morning, while the others were resting after staying up until 4am in 'Argument Square', I enjoyed a free solo visit to Plantentuin (Den Botaniek), a landscaped botanical garden created in 1825.

Later, I would meet up with Simon for a walk around the Begijnhof / Beguinage which dates from 1545. With its cobbled streets, church and central garden this was well worth a visit although it was not as extensive or impressive as the one in Leuven which we had visited in 2018.

Looking North towards Antwerp from the ferry at Linkeroever

The third visit was to cross the river Scheldt on the free ferry from Het Steen to Linkeroever with Andrew, Dave and Simon on the Saturday afternoon while Keith and Richard revisited Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie in the docks area to the north. Simon would return to Antwerp using the pedestrian tunnel while Andrew, Dave and I returned on a later ferry. The four of us met up at De Ware Jacob. See separate Hoogstraat post (WIP).

We had intended to visit Brouwerij De Koninck, the brewery of Triple D'Anvers and Bolleke De Koninck APA (Antwerp Pale Ale). Another opportunity for 2023!

Addendum

In a theme related to the Wetherspoon's Carpets book by Kit Caless, some photos of Antwerp Cafe floor tiles are grouped above.

Chester - June 2022

 

Chester, once named Deva, is renowned for it's Roman remains and the Rows, covered first floor walkways on central streets with entrances to shops and businesses.

The county town of Cheshire, is served by several railway lines including a frequent Merseyrail service from Liverpool stations via Birkenhead, Rock Ferry and Port Sunlight. 

My visit to Chester, on Wednesday 8 June, followed breakfast at The North Western (Wetherspoon), accessed from Lime Street station, and a brief visit to the Walker Art Gallery in the St George's Quarter.

Leaving the train at Bebington and rejoining a later one at Port Sunlight gave an opportunity to walk through Port Sunlight village and visit the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

After a morning of cultural education, the time would soon come for some beer education in Chester. However, some history and archaeology would come first through an elevated walk along the city's walls.  Before the wall turns down to the river Dee, steps provide access to Duke Street, and heading downhill brings you to Bridge Street. 

A few steps uphill then brings you to the Brewery Tap on the west side of Bridge Street. The first floor main entrance is accessed by external steps.

There are food and beer menus at pavement level and the smoked mackerel sandwich served with coleslaw caught my eye from the daily food menu.

There is a freestanding bar against the rear wall of the stone-floored, high-ceilinged Jacobean hall that houses the Spitting Feathers Brewery Tap.

My first beer here was Spitting Feathers Honey Trap, a smooth 4.1% ABV pale ale brewed with honey from the brewery's beehives (£1.95 1/2 pint).

Later, a pint of Rush Hour went well with the smoked mackerel (doorstep) sandwich. The smooth 4.5% ABV American Pale Ale hopped with five varieties has mild citrus notes. (£4 pint). Staff at the Brewery Tap were also friendly and helpful making it a hard act to follow in every respect.

Panorama - from the Chester Cross - east (Eastgate Street) and south (Bridge Street).

The nearby Cavern of the Curious Gnome does not open until 3pm (Monday to Friday) so there was time for a wander around the streets and rows of Chester and a visit to the Pied Bull in the meantime.

Reputed to be the oldest licensed house in Chester, the Pied Bull dates back to 1155. On the west side of Northgate Street, it is home to the Pied Bull Brewery with the microbrewery located just underneath the bar. There is also a beer terrace at the rear of the premises.

A half pint of Quaffabull, 4% pale ale, with grapefruit citrus notes, costs £2.40 (£2.16 with 10% CAMRA discount applied). With hotel accommodation and comfortable seating, the Pied Bull has an upmarket atmosphere. 

Time passes and a visit to the Cavern of the Curious Gnome now becomes possible. The 'cavern' is actually a loft with access upstairs from Paysan winebar which itself is situated on the first floor row on the east side of Bridge Street (No. 61). 

I was the first customer of the day and chose a pint of Black Iris Brewery (Nottingham) Endless Summer (£4.50 pint). The soundtrack here is mainly classic rock but with some European touches.

There is also a European theme to the furniture and the beers with German lagers on tap and a wide selection of Belgian bottled beers. 

The bound menus are split into sections e.g. Belgian Beer 4.5% to 6.5%; Belgian Beer 6.5% to 8.4%; Trappist Beer. 

The quirky bar stools and decor make the Cavern of the Curious Gnome an interesting destination especially for anyone who enjoys sampling a wide variety of beers and lagers. The option of a seat on the row overlooking Bridge Street (see earlier photo) is available to anyone allergic to the choice of music playing inside the bar.

Before leaving I would donate a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine to the shelf which has a holder for the Chester & Hoole real ale pub guide leaflet, published by Chester & South Clywd CAMRA . This leaflet is also available at the Brewery Tap.

Please see the companion post Liverpool (Baltic Triangle) for details of brewery tap and pubs visited in the evening including: Cains Brewery, Black Lodge Brewery, Baltic Fleet and the Bridewell.

Southport - June 2022

The Merseyrail train from Liverpool Central, stops at Moorfields, Bootle, Crosby, Formby, Ainsdale and Birkdale before arriving in Southport. 

After views of docks and tower blocks in Liverpool and Bootle, there are golf courses and flat expanses of countryside between Crosby and Birkdale. 

An original plan to revisit the Liverpool Pigeon in Crosby, the first micropub in Merseyside, was changed after finding, on its Facebook page, that my dates coincided with a holiday closure. See the Liverpool / Crosby 2019 post for photos and details of the Liverpool Pigeon.

Southport has its own micropub, Tap and Bottles, near the station, but as my train arrived before noon opening time, it was not visited. 

view towards Blackpool from Southport Pier

Instead a long walk to the end of Southport pier provided views towards North Wales and Blackpool where the tower was faintly visible on the horizon.

At the end of the pier, there are information boards about the history of Southport pier (opened 1860) and the sea wildlife and birds in the vicinity.

The pier's current length is 3650 feet making it the second longest pier in the UK, after Southend. There are tram rails down the centre but the 'tram' that now operates has rubber tyres and does not need rails. Back over dry land, rather than sand, the closest pub is the Guelder Rose, a large Marston's pub.

Continuing above ground to the pier's entrance, at the junction of Promenade and Nevill Street, The Windmill is about a third of the pier's length away. This was the pub where I had planned to have lunch but with only two cask ales having no local appeal, plan C came into effect.

My route back towards the station passed a Peaky Blinders bar at 589 Lord Street, that was also worth a photo. Tree-lined Lord Street has wide pavements and shops with Victorian canopied frontages.

The Masons Arms

Turning off Lord Street, The Masons Arms 'Southport's Hidden Gem' can be found at 4 Anchor Street. There was smoke coming out of the chimney and inside a fire was being lit in the fireplace of the room on the left of the entrance.

This Robinsons (Stockport) pub had been decorated for HM the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. A group of local regulars was chatting at the back of the pub but the front was quiet on a Tuesday lunchtime.

Following a popular rule, spotting that Titanic Plum Porter was served made this an obligatory first pint of the day (£3.80). The music soundtrack was full of tunes from the  1960s /1970's and it was nice to hear Lola by The Kinks (1970) as I ordered. On the Road Again by Canned Heat (1968) would be another appropriate favourite tune heard here. There is a rooftop terrace at the Masons Arms but it was closed on this occasion. This would have been a good pub to spend more time at but after a pint it was time to visit some local micropubs easily accessible from stations just south of Southport.

Birkdale is a pleasant leafy neighbourhood with a main street (Liverpool Road) that crosses the railway line. Musicians were playing on the patio of the community building beside the station.

The Barrel House

The Barrel House micropub opened in May 2014. Previously a newsagents, it still sells newspapers. It is only a short walk away from the station, on the south side of the road. I resisted the temptation to buy a pork pie at Broughs Butchers on the way.

With the Plum Porter rule to follow, it made sense to order a half pint this time (£2.20). Unfortunately, the condition was not quite as good as the pint at the Masons Arms. 

A copy of the latest Ale & Hearty, the magazine of Southport & West Lancs CAMRA, made interesting reading and in exchange I would insert a copy of Ullage magazine into the holder before leaving.

There is an impressive display of bottled beers on the shelves and fridges including many from Belgium. Responding to my comment about this, the barperson mentioned that the Barrel House owner had lived for many years in the Netherlands. 

Having resisted the temptation to order a cheese platter at the Barrel House, a stop at Lathams the Bakers, to buy a 'diddy' pork pie, was needed on the way back to Birkdale station.

The Golden Monkey

Ainsdale is two stations south of Birkdale and marks the southern extent of Southport. In a similar fashion to Birkdale, the tree lined main street (Station Road) also crosses the railway line at a level crossing. 

The Golden Monkey, a short walk east from Ainsdale station, is on the north side of the road and the pavement patio area catches the afternoon sunshine. The real ale bar opened in June 2021 in premises that were formerly a dental laboratory.

My choice, from a selection of pale and golden ales, was Fuzzy Duck (Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs.) Summit, a 3.8% ABV pale ale showcasing Summit hops, tasting dry and bitter. (£2, 1/2 pint). This was enjoyed on the pavement patio which does not have much passing road traffic on a Tuesday afternoon.

A companion post - Liverpool (Moorfields) - documents visits to the Lion Tavern and Denbigh Castle, after taking the train from Ainsdale to Moorfields.

NB All prices shown are from Tim's visit in June 2022 and are subject to change.