BRAPA in ..... PEDRO CROSS THE MERSEY (MASCOT WOES ON THE WIRRAL) PT 1/2
A rare mascot outing for Pedro the Plum, as we took the train from Liverpool to Birkenhead on Saturday 19th August, a first BRAPA outing in this part of the world since October 2018, but Merseyside is a county I'm determined to crack once the 2024 Guide is with me (yes still nothing in York!) Being North West, Pedro hoped a pint of his favourite Titanic Plum Porter may well be on the cards.
Truth was dear reader, we had a mascot injury crisis!
Star cauli Colin was laid low with a stomach bug ......
New signing Ozan Toucan had a ruptured bill in training and failed a fitness test ......
And Oscar the Owl, soon to depart for France on a season long loan, had a damaged wing but some said he was skiving to 'engineer' a move away from BRAPA F.C.
Brekkie the Sheep seemed the logical choice, as I have heard people from this side of the Mersey and outside Liverpool described as 'Wools' or 'Woolybacks' and he certainly has one of those! But he made so little impact on a recent trip to East Sussex/South Kent, he's languishing in the reserves.
Our first stop was New Ferry (Bebington station to be precise). 11:30am seemed a rather specific opening time to be incorrect, but it was, as a group of blokes stalking it across the road from Charlie's Bar confirmed. It didn't look the aleiest of places, the whole area felt a bit edgy in a 'ain't it great to be alive' kinda way, so we wandered in a circle, eventually resting on a bench opposite to admire a Bob Marley mural and waiting for 12 noon to tick around.
The pub had such a nice frontage, I wondered if this too was just a painted on mural!
But the Cleveland Arms, New Ferry (2623 / 4518) was incredibly 3D, and we weren't even first in because a bloke on a mobility scooter parks himself at the entrance at 11:55am. Not the most mobile looking bloke obviously, but as soon as the pub door was unlocked, he was up and off inside, Usain Bolt wouldn't have beaten him to the chase for that first pint pulled of the day. A cheerful old fashioned sort of boozer, with a big heart, the landlady is one of those naturals. She sees us admiring the interesting pub art, created by a now 90 year old local, using scraps of material, and points us to the beer garden (patio?) where there is another and encourages to explore. The one ale on is Brimstage Trappers Hat, so no Plum Porter for Pedro, but a cracker nonetheless. When I ask Daddy BRAPA to do the highlighting, he refers to the Stabilo as 'Stabby'. Maybe not around here, thanks DB!
Time to take a bus to a pub that was actually listed under Bebington, but unlike the Cleveland, not really near Bebington the station (sorry, it was all very confusing). In fact, it was probably closer to Port Sunlight (!), a place that interested Daddy B. as it had a Titus Salt / Saltaire thing going on, being a model village built for the soapy Lever Brothers workers and has some wondrous buildings.
A bloke at the bus stop is listening to our pub chat, and although he takes his time building up to talk to us, rare for a man from this part of the country, it seems he is a former local CAMRA man so full of info / help on which bus stop to 'alight' from.
We walk up a hilly road, and finally pub two appears on the corner .......
Traveller's Rest, Bebington (2624 / 4519) should have been a lot better than it was, judging it on first impressions. Rustic and countryside in feel, it had a welcoming carpet, and enough worried beams and brassy bits n bobs to have me purring with approval. But the barman was an identikit serious sod, efficient and professional (how dare he?), not interested in our staged 'Welsh pronunciation' chat for the benefit of getting him involved. What followed was the most uneventful pint of Purple Moose I've ever tasted, tunes like 'Final Countdown' vying with Plymouth v Southampton for attention, and another father & son duo, these ones silently judge Pedro the Plum and eat gloomy looking sandwiches on gloomier grey bread.
'Daddy, Daddy, give us a wave'
The bus took us back towards the centre of Bebington, although again it was closer to Port Sunlight station, told you it was extremely hard to get my bearings today. Pub three appeared on the horizon looking all majestic and Thwaites's ......
Simey, Simey give us a song
Well, I had no idea Thwaites's were still a 'thing' in their own right, but it seems they are giving it a good go, maybe they are re-born like Neighbours? Could've sworn Marston's (the Channel 5 of breweries) swallowed them up. Rose & Crown, Bebington (2625 / 4520) was a surprise contender for pub of the day, for both of us. Surprising because the beer plasma and general outlook on first entering were decidedly less pubby than what we'd witnessed so far today. We end up in a raised vaulted area in the eyeline of several ancient photos of Tranmere Rovers, these lads had a steely determination in their eyes which maybe the current lads could do with judging by the league table at the time. Cheerful outgoing staff, and a hard-working unpretentious pub that just let you 'be', simple things that go along way in the world of BRAPA, as did the quality on my IPA. A trip to the loo found a sunkissed low-slung back lounge which may've been even more preferable but we were settled by then.
Proof you don't need to sit inside a 16th century lavishly tiled haunted stone-flagged wood-smoked stain-glassed snob-screened art-deco off-sales bar counter grade II listed ACV settle dispensing 19 varieties of craft sours and Draught Bass to have a good time.
"You wot mate, no Plum Porter?"
Three more pubs coming up in part two. Not sure when that will be, if this new GBG arrives, I'll drop everything to get the cross-ticking done, I'm out tomorrow anyway, I'm debating L**ds home Wednesday night, work do Friday, so all I can say is 'watch this space'.
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