Liverpool 2019 - Thursday 10 January

After a train journey from Newbury, with the weather turning misty from Birmingham, it was no surprise to find that the top of Liverpool's Radio City Tower (138 metres) was barely visible.

The Crown Hotel

After checking into my hotel on Hanover Street, opposite BBC Radio Merseyside, and buying a pair of gloves and a beanie hat to compensate for inadequate preparation, I returned to the Lime Street Station area to met up with Mark Geeson and friends at the Crown Hotel.

'Bod' and Mark at the Crown Hotel

Mark and the 'Farnham Travel' group had arrived earlier after spending two days visiting pubs and breweries in Burton upon Trent. The Coopers Tavern and the Tower Brewery were highlights of their trip.
The group had enjoyed good value lunches at the Crown before my arrival and were also happy with the beer quality. I enjoyed Hobsons Town Crier, from Shropshire, here.

Ian, the friendly landlord, explained to us that the award winning Siren Craft Brew Broken Dream breakfast stout had been specially obtained to cater for a CAMRA meeting at the pub later in the evening. Copies of MerseyAle, the magazine of Liverpool & District CAMRA, are available from the pub.

The Crown Hotel is spacious and has a comfortable feel with many interesting features.

From here we walked south east along Renshaw Street. Looking up, at the junction with Ranelagh Street, Sir Jacob Epstein's 1956 sculpture 'Liverpool Resurgent' on Lewis's (closed) store stands out on a prow. Known by locals as Dickie Lewis, the statue stands above a meeting place referenced in a song 'In My Liverpool Home' by Peter McGovern:
   "We speak with an accent exceedingly rare, 
    Meet under a statue exceedingly bare"

The Dispensary

We soon reached The Dispensary, at the junction with Oldham Street.

After a strong recommendation from a local at the bar, most people ordered White Rat from the Rat microbrewery which is situated under the Rat & Ratchet pub in Huddersfield.

I indulged in a favourite beer - Titanic Plum Porter served with a thick creamy head.

I also enjoyed the very pale White Rat as my second beer in the pleasant surroundings of the Dispensary which includes a variety of old enamel signs including 'Liverpool - Drive With Care' passed on the way to the Gents toilets.

The enamel signs even continue into the Gents!

The Roscoe Head

On leaving the pub we continued along Renshaw Street until the junction at St Luke's bombed out church where we turned left into Leece Street and found the Roscoe Head just around the corner into Roscoe Street.

The Roscoe Head is renowned as one of only five pubs that have appeared in every edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide since it was first published in 1974. It's a cosy traditional pub with four rooms. Six cask ales are listed on the blackboard by the bar. My choice was American 5 Hop pale ale from Sheffield's Blue Bee Brewery.

The Fly in the Loaf

Although only 50 metres further east along Leece Street, our next destination would be very different. Derived from the 'No flies in the loaf' slogan once used by Kirklands Bakery, The Fly in the Loaf is a bar offering craft and cask beers as well as bread based food like pizza.

The bar space is lit by globe shape lights over the bar counter and concealed lighting in the mirror backed shelves of spirits behind the bar.

While some ordered food, I would soon head elsewhere for a meal, after enjoying a glass of Rooster's Brewing Co High Tea, a hazy jasmine green tea IPA.

Taking the scenic route to my alternative dining spot involved turning left (north) into Hope Street, passing the Philharmonic Dining Rooms and then the Everyman Theatre.

At the adjacent annexe of the Everyman, I stopped to get a photo of the entrance to the Pen Factory. Serving cask ale and small plates of food at basement level it is described as the reincarnation of the Everyman Bistro.

The distinctive form of (RC) Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral lies just north of the Everyman.
Returning to rejoin my friends after a meal and passing The Grapes in Roscoe Street I called in to ask if there would be any live music there and was advised that there would be jazz on Sunday evening.

Ye Cracke

By 8.45pm, Mark and friends had decamped to Ye Cracke, 13 Rice Street. An old illuminated sign topped by a red triangle bears the wording Bass in ornate red lettering with Ye Cracke in smaller black letters at the base. An unlit old Boddington sign is high above a doorway approached by steps.

Once inside, I ordered a pint of Billabong by Big Bog Brewing a Liverpool microbrewery.

Portraits of the individual Beatles are positioned high above the back of the bar.

Our group had a table in the main room where a large frame includes John Lennon memorabilia.

The pub was frequented by Liverpool College of Art students - John Lennon, his first girlfriend Thelma Pickles and The Dissenters (Bill Harry, John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe & Rod Murray) whose association is commemorated with a plaque.

Looking back towards the bar and side entrance a colourful panel depicting a battle in pop art style caught my eye. Research reveals the subject is Wellington greeting Marshal Blücher at the Battle of Waterloo.

There is a jukebox at Ye Cracke and during the evening some good tunes were played including Spanish Caravan (The Doors), Lola (The Kinks) and I'm Going Home (Ten Years After).

Around 10pm we called it a night and walked along Duke Street back to our hotel passing near the gateway to Chinatown on the way.