BRAPA in ..... PEDRO CROSS THE MERSEY (MASCOT WOES IN THE 'POOL) PT 2/2

Cross-ticking complete! Outcome revealed in 12 hrs time, but for now, let us return to Merseyside.

With Bebington and New Ferry safely tucked under the BRAPA belt, it was time for one more Wirral tick before we headed back to the 'Pool for the final two ticks of the day.

Part two gets off to a bad start because I'm so busy laughing at some exasperated locals on the train because Liverpool have gone 0-1 down within three minutes, that I totally miss my Bromborough stop and have to 'alight' at Bromborough Rake, which is a 20 minute walk instead of a 3 minute walk. I guess that's what you call bad karma!

Can't say for certain, but I get the feeling that the folk of Bromborough love their ale, but are starved of outlets, because this mediocre micropub, Bow-Legged Beagle, Bromborough (2626 / 4521) just didn't seem suitable for the demand on this Saturday afternoon. The staff were sprightly, the clientele perky, the Gunpowder Mild went down like the Houses of Parliament nearly went up, and yet, we found the 27 minutes spent here quite the struggle. Seating was generally restricted to those tiny side ledges, where you balance your pint precariously whilst balancing yourself precariously on a posing stool, legs dangling miles from solid ground. We have to ask a poor bloke with green specs who may've been the ghost of John Lennon to shuffle up, I hate being a 'space invader' though he didn't react to our presence at all, and even then, I'm still facing a mop and bucket. And to top it off, a bloke comes over and plugs an electronic device into the wall centimetres from my ear'ole! No, this wasn't enjoyable or relaxing pubbing. And BLB are obviously a mini-chain, cos I've got a couple more to do across the Wirral in the 2023/24 season. Can only get better eh? Watch this space.

Now that's what you call putting on a brave face!

Back on the train to the 'Pool, and the news is filtering through that Hull City have equalised at Blackburn who now have ten men, we couldn't snatch the win could we?

I don't have a lot of pubs left to do in Liverpool proper due to several epic visits in our Premier League days, but out near Moorfields where the Lion Tavern charmed me years earlier, and I straddled the pub gardens of Lady of Mann & Thomas Rigby for an exciting double tick, here was a newbie, and Dad needed a wee so the pose didn't really happen...

Daddy Daddy, go for a wee

A boisterous, clanky, boozery, bare-boarded type of 'football scores are coming in' type of pub, I'd find it impossible to imagine being in the Denbigh Castle, Liverpool (2627 / 4522) at any time other than 4:55pm on a Saturday, a bit like every pub in Watford, although there were even more horse racing fans in. An absolute screamer of a pub, that high-pitched Stevie G-esque whine tailing off like a jet stream in the summer's sky above Heathrow. Service wasn't the quickest, and when Dad returns from his wee, it is my turn as I've still not been served. One final check on the Hull City score mid-piss. Oh my word, we've won it right at the death! Nearly sprayed everywhere in the excitement! Zip up, wash hands, compose, go back and deadpan break the news to Dad. We do a little jig at the bar before sitting down. My ale tastes like bitter hoppy chemicals but in the circs, I 'happily' force it down.

Surely not just one bloke?

One pub to go then, and it made the Denbigh Castle feel just like a library! So busy.

The old prison that everyone wants to get into, Bridewell, Liverpool (2628 / 4523) was, I could tell by a fleeting visit to the loos late on, a very nice pub - the booths are former prison cells, so visit on a quiet day (hard to believe there is such thing!) and I bet it has atmosphere by the bucket-load. Early Saturday evening though, it seemed to be the meeting point for those Liverpudlians who were determined to make a night of it, as a slew of limos and taxis drop off tottery tanned women in stilettos. Dad sends me to the bar which is only fair, and having fought my way through a crowd, I realise I'm still in the courtyard and haven't even made it inside the pub! I fight my way through another crowd and end up with an ok pint of Salopian Lemon Dream (overrated beer in my opinion, no Oracle, Darwin Origin or Shropshire Gold) and a J20 for Daddy B and Pedro who were being responsible, Pedro's Plum Porter dream was over for another day. Poor lad. My abiding memory is what a perfect gentleman the bouncer was - how often can you say that? We had strayed from the allowed outdoor drinking area, and had to be reigned back in, he seems to take pity on us more than any other customers (must recognise us as #PubMen) and goes to great lengths to find us two spare chairs to sit on, despite being totally overwhelmed by the swarm. It's those details BRAPA remembers and judges pubs kindly on.

"Oi, gizza sip mate!" .... Before we got moved back 'behind the line'

And all that remained was to fight our way back to York via Lime Street, and in the absence of a late ESB or similar due to the rush, I was on good form for a bit of barbecue murk the following day .....

Nice one Merseyside, looking forward to seeing more of you in the 2023/24 season.

Keep it pub. Si