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  • Liverpool – Brewdog Deskdog

    I heard last week about a new scheme that Brewdog have introduced to allow people to get work done in their pubs (their own work, not work for the pub chain) which gives them a table, a free pint and unlimited coffee. The cost is £7, so I thought I’d give this marvellous concept a go.

    All rather excellent, they were expecting me. I don’t think a prior reservation is required though, so customers can just turn up. There’s a theoretical time limit of two and a half hours which the on-line reservation gives in the pub, but they do mention that it’s possible to extend this just by asking a staff member. I doubt that in practice there are any time restrictions (within reason).

    The first of several coffees. There’s a bell at the table which the very friendly staff member said that I could press to get another coffee, but, like the call button on aircraft, I rarely feel that comfortable pressing it. And since I was six feet from the bar, I was happy to make that commitment to walking over.

    The Punk IPA that was included in the price, the usual clean and refreshing flavours.

    The beer list with some tempting options, although I managed to restrain myself.

    Every Brewdog has a beer fridge where takeouts, or indeed drink-ins, can be obtained.

    The pinball machine area for those customers who might want a distraction.

    Decorative toilets with kegs on top of the cubicles, and they were also around the walls.

    Anyway, back to the concept. This is part of a sweeping move being made by pubs, restaurants and hotels to get remote workers, digital nomads, home workers, or whatever the exact term used, into using their facilities. Some do this better than others, with JD Wetherspoon leading the charge with their unlimited coffee for somewhere between £1.15 and £1.50 (or more at airports), but companies such as Accor are getting good at this as well.

    I like how Brewdog have made their plans very clear, as it means that people know that they are welcome within the pub for the day. The staff in this Brewdog were engaging and friendly, although the chain seems to be really good at this. The coffees kept flowing without any issue and the staff were knowledgeable about the whole process.

    I like pub and hotel environments with their ambient noise and ability to listen in to what are often ridiculous complaints made to staff. The noise in this Brewdog wasn’t disturbing at all, although the music did get a bit louder towards the end of my visit. I do prefer the policy that JD Wetherspoons have on dogs (they’re banned), but given the name of Brewdog and their open acceptance of dogs, at least their policy is clear and consistent.

    All in all, I really like this concept and Brewdog have implemented it with some professionalism. I can imagine that this will become more common over the next few years and it’s an excellent way of filling up what might otherwise be a nearly empty venue during the day.

  • Flixbus – Opole to Berlin

    So, after a lovely few days in Opole, it was necessary to get back to Berlin and I went back the same way that I went, via Flixbus. I don’t like Flixbus, based on many previous journeys, but my dislike of them is diminishing (since they’re actually generally turning up at the right place now), so this is positive for everyone…..

    On the morning of the bus journey, there was a notification from Flixbus that there would be a white bus instead of their usual green and orange effort. Unfortunately, there was no message within the app, but at least it alerted me as to what to expect, which was useful.

    I arrived at the bus stop early (as usual) and the departure time of the bus came and went. Thirty minutes later I message Flixbus and ask politely where the bus is, as the on-line tracking had stopped about 150 miles away. Two minutes after sending that message, a replacement coach branded with Euro Lines (another company that Flixbus have now bought out) turned up. Flixbus replied about ten minutes later, so I appreciated their efforts in replying quickly.

    I was able to get my preferred seat at the top of the stairs, so there was no-one in front of me. The bus was pretty quiet and not many customers boarded at any stage of the journey. The price of the journey was cheap and I can’t really complain about the value offered. There was very intermittent Internet and no power, although I’ve yet to be on a Flixbus that has delivered everything that they’ve promised, so I was hardly surprised.

    We eventually got into Berlin an hour late, but in the scale of things, that’s not unreasonable. The driving also felt safe throughout the journey, with no real delays along the route other than the wait for the bus to arrive, and then depart, in Opole. Judging solely by my experiences, Flixbus are definitely getting better.

  • National Express – Norwich to Liverpool

    After I had obtained some low priced accommodation in Liverpool, I just had to work out how to get there from Norwich. The trains weren’t priced at a particularly attractive level, which was especially irritating as there’s a direct service from Norwich to Liverpool (although I think that’s going as part of the franchise changes).

    So, I decided to abandon my favourite form of ground transportation and instead of using the rail network, I looked at the bus options. National Express had a return fare from Norwich to Liverpool for £28, which was much cheaper than any other option.

    The only little problem with this plan is that the journey was eight hours each way. Just what I wanted…..

    Anyway, I boarded in Norwich and the driver mentioned that I was going on a long journey. Much as I appreciated his enthusiasm, I did privately think that I was already well aware of this situation. On this point, the boarding process was all very efficient and I was able to get an emergency exit row seat (they’re not really called that on buses, but it cheered me up to compare it to an aircraft).

    I boarded the bus twenty minutes before departure, and like some child on a school trip, I managed to eat my Tesco meal deal lunch before we had even started. Marvellous.

    At Birmingham, we were allowed off the bus. I’m not sure if disembarking was compulsory, but I got off to explore the facilities. And the city’s coach station is pretty bland, full of expensive outlets, chargeable toilets and nothing much of interest. So, I waited in line to get back on the bus. Fortunately, the driver called us existing customers back on first, so we didn’t have to show tickets and the like again. Other than for one customer who the driver had clearly forgotten and he had to show his ticket again.

    Driving through Birmingham….. The bus was pretty much always on time, although it missed out several stops such as Dereham and Wisbech if no passengers wanted to get off there.

    As for comfort, the bus wasn’t too bad at all, particularly with the extra space of the emergency exit seat towards the back. One woman, who shall we say wasn’t exactly a millennial, decided she wanted to watch some television soap on a tablet with the sound on, which irritated me. So I stared at her angrily, to which she was oblivious, and I thought it might be best for me just to put earphones on instead.

    The driving, which was completed by three drivers, was all professional and it felt a safe environment. The power on board worked well, although the Internet was a bit hopeless and I gave up with that very early on during the journey. The bus wasn’t spotless, but it was sufficiently clean to not cause me any concerns.

    The highlights, other than arriving, were seeing my accommodation at Keele University (B Block, Lindsay Hall) from the M6 and also watching Jonathan travelling in the other direction on a Megabus service from Liverpool. I can’t say that I exactly enjoyed the whole journey, but it was easy, comfortable and fairly priced.

  • Liverpool – Mr Seel’s Garden

    What is now Seel Street takes its name from Thomas Seel, who was a city merchant and former slave traders. Just to show how Liverpool has moved on over the centuries to share its wealth around equitably, note the tent to the left-hand side of the road with what I’m assuming is a homeless person trying to survive the cold months.

    An information board giving more details about the area.

    This is really nicely done, with a white asterisk marking the spot (towards the right-hand side) where I was standing. Unfortunately, all of these gardens are now under roads now, but it’s nice that a reminder of history has been made available.

  • Liverpool – Head of Steam

    I, rather ignorantly, hadn’t heard of this small chain of pubs before, but I shall look out for them now in the future. As with other pubs I visited tonight, I went to them all because they’re listed in the Good Beer Guide. As with the others, this one also seemed to be deserving of its place in the guide.

    There was a quirky design in what was a substantial pub in terms of its size, with plenty of different seating types. I didn’t order food, but the menu looked interesting and on-trend, with plenty of dining type tables available for those who wanted that.

    I understand, from the head of pub planning for our Sheffield trip in a few weeks, that a visit is already planned to the Head of Steam bar there. The chain is owned by Camerons Brewery, once a much larger concern than it is today. Many of the pubs which they used to own have ended up with the Brent Walker group, which then became part of Pubmaster, and then in due course, Punch Taverns.

    It’s not very original perhaps, but I usually go for a Plum Porter from Titanic Brewery when I see it. It didn’t disappoint here, lots of flavour and nicely refreshing.

    Although later on, unable to force myself to leave the pub, I also went for Tiny Rebel’s Cask IPA. The two staff members who served me had a vibrancy about them, so the whole environment felt friendly. It wasn’t quite as busy as I’d expected, but it was a rainy Tuesday evening in October, so they were probably not expecting a full house.

    More photos of the pub’s interior.

    They had nine pages of this….

    I’ve never seen this before on a screen, it’s the pub’s live Untappd feed. Given that I’m easily pleased, I decided to log-in and make my presence known to everyone who was looking at the screen. Which, realistically, was probably only me and I already knew that I was there. But, it kept me amused.

    This is one of my contenders for favourite pub of the year, because the environment was welcoming, some thought had gone into the decor and the beer choice was marvellous. The service was friendly, it was a comfortable environment and there was a sense of excitement about the proceedings. All  very lovely.

  • Liverpool – Sanctuary

    I’m not sure that I’d have come across this pub if I hadn’t seen it listed in the Good Beer Guide, but it’s a relatively new opening for the city. It’s good to see that the signage promotes the pub as a “dive bar”, which seems to be a common attribution in the US, but can be seen as a negative one in the UK. The phrase should definitely be reclaimed as a force for good.

    The cask and keg list.

    The bottles and cans lists.

    The Good Beer Guide book notes about this pub suggest that it’s designed to look like a “run-down 1920s hotel”, although I’m not sure that I’d have guessed this. The internal decor does give it character though.

    The back bar. There were no staff visible when I entered, but the staff member who did come and serve when available was personable and seemed to know most of the customers. The whole pub vibe was welcoming and comfortable.

    The pub regularly has the Plum Porter from Titanic Brewery on, which is one of my favourite beers, but I’d already had this at an earlier pub. So, I opted for the Stour Valley Old Growler, meaning I’d come all the way from Norfolk to have a Suffolk beer. But, all was well with it, at the appropriate temperature although the taste was perhaps unexceptional, but very drinkable.

    All in all, a rather lovely little pub, and it has a micropub feel making it all on trend and contemporary, without it being formulaic or forced. Another pub which in my, rather irrelevant, view is quite rightly in the Good Beer Guide.

  • Liverpool – Richard John Blackler

    I’ve been to this pub a few times before, but it’s in the Good Beer Guide and I haven’t posted about it, so I thought I’d better come and have a fresh look. It’s JD Wetherspoon operated, so I was expecting a decent choice of real ales.

    It’s an intriguing pub name, it’s named after the Blackler’s department store that opened here in 1908, owned by Richard John Blackler. The building was badly damaged during the Second World War, so the current pub is of a later date, but incorporates a little of the original that could be salvaged. One other claim to fame for the site is that George Harrison worked at Blacker’s as an apprentice electrician.

    And the pub didn’t disappoint, there are some interesting selections along here, including one of my perennial favourites, the Mauldon’s Cherry Porter, which I don’t see often enough. I’m not entirely sure that I’d call the Banks & Taylor SOD as a porter in the way the pub has, but, any which way, it’s another decent option. Incidentally, I’m not sure what price the pub was trying to display for the Mauldon’s, I assume £2.49 rather than £2.99.

    The downside was that the service in the pub wasn’t what I’d call ideal. I did hear another customer complain they’d been waiting twenty minutes, which I’m sure they thought was accurate, but it wasn’t. It was around seven minutes and I only know that as they arrived after me. The manager was flapping around serving customers randomly along the long bar, seemingly confused that people were telling her that she was serving out of turn.

    But, I was in no rush, so I waited by the Mauldon’s Cherry Porter, and I would have asked for a sample of Banks & Taylor SOD, but the staff looked so harassed that I thought I’d better not add to their burden. I never did quite work out how four bar staff could take so long to serve the grand total of around ten customers, but life’s too short to worry about that. Although, admittedly, not so short that I won’t write about it the day after.

    The beer was marvellous, the Cherry Porter had a depth of flavour, was light, had lingering flavours and it was at the appropriate temperature. Clean flavours, which is, to be fair, more than could be said for the state of the pub. But, for the price, it’d be hard to complain and the pub’s place in the Good Beer Guide seems entirely reasonable.

  • Berlin – Berlin Tegel Airport BA Lounge

    The BA lounge at Berlin Tegel is, as required by the airport’s layout, landside and this gives the usual limitations of having to leave in plenty of time to board. There are also no toilets in the lounge, they’re on a different floor and require a trip through Starbucks. The lounge also has a policy that visitors can’t leave items whilst visiting the toilets, although I doubt that this is particularly well enforced.

    The welcome at the lounge was better than I’d usually expect, with the staff member checking if I had visited before and then offering a quick explanation of the facilities. The lounge was also clean and the staff walked around frequently checking that everything was kept well stocked.

    There’s little point in BA investing in this lounge, since the entire building will be demolished in the next couple of years, so although it’s a little tired, it’s still holding up well.

    Not the best of photos, but this area usually had customers in and I was trying to avoid including them which meant quickly taking a photo when I had chance.

    The food and drinks bar.

    An extensive selection of teas. The coffee machine also produced some decent quality coffee.

    The biscuits and cakes selection.

    The ice cream freezer and I did enjoy the mini tub of vanilla, latte and macchiato.

    Crisps and other snacks, with olives, cold meats, cheeses, yoghurts and jams also being available. For those who preferred, there were also chocolate bars such as Twix and Bounty, as well as mini individually wrapped chocolates.

    All told, this was a perfectly acceptable lounge, and it was kept clean and well presented. The food options were unexceptional, but sufficient, although the pre-packaged sandwiches which used to be stocked here seem to have been cut (cut in the no longer available sense, not cut up in smaller portions).

    The staff announce to passengers when they need to leave to catch their flight, although I left earlier to try to avoid being at the end of a long queue for security. And as a little final bonus, the reception desk had small packs of Haribo available. What more could anyone want….

  • British Airways (Berlin to Heathrow T5)

    Every time I fly back from Berlin Tegel I wonder whether it’ll be the last time I visit the airport, with its replacement seemingly having been nearly ready for nearly ten years. Tegel has long since been unable to comfortably cope with the volume of passengers and it feels crowded and uncomfortable.

    The boarding process is unusual as the BA lounge is landside, so then there’s a long queue for the security and border checks. Above is a photo of the queue for the flight at the next gate, it’s one of the few airports I can think of where the queues to board are within a five second walk of the terminal entrance.

    The British Airways check-in desks. It took over 40 minutes of queueing to board the aircraft, with no seating for those who needed it. Interestingly, or at least I was interested, my battery pack was examined by the security personnel for compliance, which has never happened before. It is a large battery pack at 20000mAh and I was quite impressed that it was checked, since it is only just under the allowable level.

    The aircraft was G-EUPE, an Airbus A319 that British Airways have operated since it came into service in 2000. I had a window exit row seat, which was sufficiently spacious and clean. It was also a busy flight and was at near capacity, although fortunately there didn’t seem as much pressure on the overhead lockers as usual. Then flight left around ten minutes late, but the captain gave updates and it seemed to be because there was a slight delay with getting everyone through the security process.

    The crew were professional and the buy-on-board (BOB) seemed to be popular, with a new menu having come out at the beginning of October. I still don’t think it’s a very innovative on-board menu, although my views on this are a bit irrelevant since I never buy anything on board British Airways flights anyway.

    The DHL truck had appropriate branding for where I had just flown from.

    The flight arrived into London Heathrow T5 at the expected time and the disembarkation process was efficient and timely. It took around twelve minutes from the airport doors opening to my leaving the terminal, allowing me to leave Heathrow in good time.

  • Berlin – Thomas Cook

    I hadn’t realised that there were retail outlets of Thomas Cook in Germany, but these too are sadly shut. Such a devastating situation for the staff.