Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: West Yorkshire

  • Huddersfield – The Sportsman

    Huddersfield – The Sportsman

    Going back a few weeks (my backlog shows no signs of going away, but I shall persist….) to when Tony and I had a little expedition around the pubs of Huddersfield. This is the Sportsman, a Good Beer Guide listed pub which is noted for its historic pub interior and its selection of beer.

    There’s one main bar in the pub and there are numerous rooms leading off from it. The beer options are on the chalkboard at the end of the bar, neatly divided between keg and cask. There was also a printed menu of Belgian beers, which isn’t something that I really have much knowledge of, but Tony commented that it was a very decent selection.

    I liked the little touches from the 1950s refurbishment, such as the bell for drinks service. Some pubs put systems like this back in over the last couple of years when table service had to be reintroduced.

    We were seated in one of the side rooms and that’s half a pint of Plum Porter from Nailmaker Brewing Company who are from the rather lovely town of Barnsley. It was a very acceptable pint, one of the better porters that I’ve had.

    Having visited Saltaire, I’m happy to try some of the brewery’s beers and this red ale had some interesting notes of fruit, but was otherwise perhaps a little unexceptional. Well kept and at the appropriate temperature though, so no issues there.

    I don’t normally feel the need to take photos in toilets, but I like their heritage in this pub. In terms of the main part of the building, it would have been easy for a pub company to entirely knock out the internal walls of the pub, but enough has survived here to give it that historic feel, with some old plans of the building on the wall as well.

    Reviews of the pub are nearly all positive, just with the occasional one like:

    “Need to get this OTT OCD covid attitude rectified or it’ll go the way of the Corner. Soulless and sterile as things stand.”

    It’s disappointing that customers don’t perhaps recognise just how difficult it is for pubs to try and please their wider customer base, but I thought they were doing a really good job with a combination of serving at the bar but also with the team member coming over to offer table service for our second drink. The pub responded politely to the review as well, all nicely done.

    Anyway, this was a friendly and welcoming pub, with something of a community feel in all of the positive meanings of the word and I can see why it has won numerous CAMRA awards. Other customers were conversational and welcoming and the staff member was engaging and knowledgeable about the beer options. I liked the choice of beers as well, there was a range of styles on the extensive beer list. I’m glad that it’s in the Good Beer Guide….

  • Huddersfield – The Cherry Tree

    Huddersfield – The Cherry Tree

    More working through my little backlog of photos (there are several thousand, so my three readers will be in for a real treat over the next few weeks). This is from my visit to Huddersfield a few weeks ago and this is the pub that I went to after arriving in the town, the JD Wetherspoon operated Cherry Tree. It’s listed in the Good Beer Guide and is located near to the station, although I managed to get lost and took about ten minutes to make the one minute walk. It allowed me to see Huddersfield at least….

    I’ve never seen a Wetherspoons pub with a screen listing their real ales. My first impressions of the pub weren’t ideal as a very drunk woman was starting a fight outside and smashing up parts of the pub. The staff seemed to know her and went out to get rid of her and to repair their pub. A customer ran to the bar shouting help was needed and panicking about where the staff were, perhaps not realising that they were already at the scene of the incident. She did think about phoning 999, but she decided against it, but she had to order herself a vodka to calm down. Clever strategy that….

    There’s the screen for anyone who is interested in what JD Wetherspoon had available in this pub several weeks ago. I suspect that this is a limited audience.

    I got half a pint of the Wobbly Bob from Phoenix Brewery, which I can’t really remember several weeks on, but I gave it 3.75 on Untappd, so it must have been perfectly acceptable.

    And a chicken jalfrezi whilst I was there, alongside a pint of Brewdog Punk IPA. This is my go to food order for meals at JD Wetherspoons now, since I can’t order the pastrami bagel as it was ditched a few years ago (which still annoys me as is evident that I keep whingeing on about it). I go for the Punk IPA as it’s a bit like the Tesco meal deal, getting the most expensive drink as it comes free with the meal…..

    The pub isn’t brilliantly reviewed on-line, although that just makes for more exciting reading. Someone managed to order to the wrong pub (hopefully Richard won’t read this, as I won’t mention his little debacle in this regard):

    “Very poor, came from the Lord Wilson wetherspoons pub and didn’t realise I was still logged into L W and ordered drink to wrong pub, did not want to know do [so] went back to Lord Wilson, they to [too] didn’t want to know quoted terms and conditions blah blah, won’t go to any wetherspoons again.”

    But it’s important not to exaggerate in reviews:

    “Ruined by not enough staff!! with new table service 10 mins wait time on 2 occasions a man could die of dehydration”

    Ten minute wait, it’s hard to imagine how brave this customer was….

    “Terrible experience, sat down at the front outside, paid for our drinks. Then told that we couldn’t sit anywhere near weatherspoon pub, due us having a dog, due to company policy. Its the only weatherspoons i have been to that have done this to us, and wouldnt even give us some water for the dog. They seriously need to re-think their policy.”

    Wetherspoons have a national policy of no dogs on the premises (other than assistance dogs) and having seen some recent real problems in decent pubs which allow dogs, I suspect it’s by far the safest policy to have, including in gardens.

    This is my favourite review though:

    “Never ever going to Cherry Tree again, we ordered via the app, I had to go fetch our drinks after 20mins of waiting, then I had to fill the coffee machine up for them as the kids running the place were so unorganised, by the time I got back to the table food had arrived, my partner had half eaten his and mine was cold…”

    I’m not sure customers filling the coffee machine is at all ideal, but I was amused by the “my partner had half eaten his”. He sounds awesome  🙂

    Anyway, as a pub, this was all fine despite the drama going on outside, which wasn’t really the ideal introduction to Huddersfield. The staff were engaging, the customers not fighting were friendly and the environment was sort of clean. The range of beers justifies this pub being in the Good Beer Guide and I did pop back later in the week to have a rather delicious Amarillo golden ale from Saltaire Brewery.

  • Huddersfield – Plumbers Arms

    Huddersfield – Plumbers Arms

    Going back a few weeks (the advantage in being back in Norwich is that I can work through my little backlog of photos) to when Tony and I had a little meander around the pubs in Huddersfield. This pub wasn’t in the Good Beer Guide list of locations to visit, but we were walking by and it does have a reputation for having a few real ales available.

    I’m not normally tempted by the artwork on a pump clip, but I liked the brightness of the Comella pale ale decoration from the local brewery Mallinsons, which was a perfectly reasonable beer. Nothing exceptional maybe, but something a little different. The serving arrangement here is a central bar which serves from both sides, although I think that they had different real ales on each side (unless I got muddled up).

    And there it is, perhaps looking like a pint in the photo, but it’s just a half. Responsible drinking and all that…..

    The service in the pub was friendly and it was also quite busy, there was a feeling of the location being a bit like a Wetherspoons. The pricing was reasonable and apparently this venue gets very busy on weekend evenings, with a recent licence extension allowing them to open even later into the night. There’s nothing wrong with the pub, but I didn’t feel that there was anything exceptional of note either. There’s a large beer garden at the front and rear of the pub through, and it’s fairly large inside as well, so there’s no shortage of space.

  • Bradford – Bradford Cathedral (Children of Samuel Hailstone)

    Bradford – Bradford Cathedral (Children of Samuel Hailstone)

    The vault in Bradford Cathedral which contains the remains of the three children of Samuel Hailstone (1768-1851) and his wife Ann Hailstone. The slightly unusual surname is likely to derive from someone in the family having once lived at a location called Hailstone, such as Hailstone Hill in Wiltshire or Hailstone Farm in Gloucestershire. It’s quite eye-catching due to how the cathedral has placed the little choir children.

    The children are:

    (i) Thomas Hailstone, born 1 March 1814, died 9 April 1816

    (ii) William Hailstone, born 23rd September 1815, died 4 April 1816

    (iii) Frances Hailstone, born 7 February 1820, died 16 February 1824.

    Samuel and Ann also had four children who survived to an older age (or at least into adulthood):

    (i) John Hailstone (1810-1871)

    (ii) Edward Ripley Hailstone (1818-1890)

    (iii) Anne Hailstone (1811-1834)

    (iv) Elisabeth (1809-1832)

    Which means that of Samuel’s seven children, he outlived five of them. The death of Thomas and William in the same week was noted in the local newspaper, which mentioned that the family lived at Croft House, but I can save time by linking to more information about this at https://bradfordlocalstudies.com/2016/08/30/map-of-the-week-a-century-of-bradford-hailstones/.

  • Bradford – Bradford Cathedral

    Bradford – Bradford Cathedral

    This is from my visit to Bradford Cathedral a couple of weeks ago, and I managed to take around 80 photos, which is rather more than I had anticipated. This means that I now feel the need to post some individual posts featuring some of the photos to justify my efforts in taking them. It is though a beautiful building, mixing heritage and a modern feel.

    This was St. Peter’s Church until it was elevated to cathedral status in 1919, with a religious building on this site since the Anglo-Saxon period although it was likely derelict at the time of the Norman occupation. The current building is at its heart from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with some modern bits added on. It has had to cater for a growing population, but it wasn’t knocked about too much by the Victorians, although was extended in the 1950s following the designs of the architect Edward Maufe. The changes in population in this area are evident as this building was once in the Diocese of York, then the Diocese of Ripon before becoming its own diocese when it became a cathedral.

    The cathedral’s exterior, with many locals enjoying the sunny weather and sitting in the churchyard (I didn’t include them in the photo).

    I’ll have to write separate posts about some of the elements that interested me at the cathedral, but this is the interior which was peaceful and quiet. The cathedral had the foresight to create a museum of religion here at the turn of the century, but unfortunately it wasn’t a financial success, perhaps just too niche. Anyway, the environment in the building felt welcoming and one of the staff made brief conversation as they walked by, and I think that engagement is really useful as someone might have gone in needing assistance.

  • Shipley – Ibis Bradford Shipley

    Shipley – Ibis Bradford Shipley

    This is from my stay in Shipley a few weeks ago and I chose this Accor hotel as it was the cheapest in the area. I thought at the time that seemed odd, as it’s in a tourist area and there was a festival going on at nearby Saltaire. Just in case there had been a mistake, I decided to check-in early (and all was well), and I heard them answering the phone to numerous people saying that they were full. As an aside, although the hotel is called Bradford Shipley, it is very firmly in Shipley and requires a rail journey (or some other form of transportation) to get to Bradford.

    The hotel was dispensing with the usual practice of giving guests the room of their preference (it’s located in the Accor app settings) and just handing out room keys randomly. That probably wasn’t the ideal situation, as there are some people who would prefer to be on the ground floor and I prefer not to be, but I was given a room near reception. It was adequate, although I wouldn’t say that it was spotlessly clean. They forgot my welcome drink, but provided it after I requested it. The staff were though friendly and helpful throughout my stay, but the whole process felt automated rather than personalised.

    I got a biscuit though, so I was happy.

    This is unusual, an Accor hotel which is actually sourcing local beers. Saltaire is down the road and it’s a good call to stock this beer, which I had as my welcome drink.

    The hotel is located near to a Wetherspoons, and it was evident that numerous guests were going there for breakfast and other meals. This is another of the falling number of hotels that is trying to avoid cleaning rooms due to Covid, a situation that probably needs to come to an end sooner rather than later. The hotel is really also on the edge of needing a comprehensive refurbishment as well, it’s creaking a little bit in terms of the maintenance. However, I was grateful for a reasonably priced room for the weekend and I didn’t have any noise disturbances either internally or externally, so all was well.

  • Shipley – Norman Rae

    Shipley – Norman Rae

    From a couple of weeks ago, this was my visit to the Good Beer Guide listed Norman Rae pub in Shipley, operated by JD Wetherspoons. It’s a relatively large and modern pub building, although a little unexceptional perhaps in terms of the design.

    That’s the Baltic Rum Porter from Bridgehouse Brewery, a really decent 6% ABV beer with a richness of flavour that only cost £1 for a half pint. I also had the 1872 Porter from Elland Brewery and the Raspberry Blonde from Little Critters Brewing Company, also excellent beers at the same very reasonable price. All three of those beers are way above average and there was certainly nothing generic about any of them. I’m unsure how much money is being made here  by the brewer or the pub at those prices, but I can see why this JD Wetherspoon outlet has found itself in the Good Beer Guide.

    I had the chicken jalfrezi at the same time, all as expected. The pub is relatively well reviewed and the staff members were friendly and helpful. The pub was sufficiently clean and the service was efficient and prompt. JD Wetherspoon pubs might have their faults, but they’re still operating to a decent standard and the real ale options and prices were really quite lovely. I did pop back here for breakfast one morning, which was also fine, and was realistically much better value than the Ibis hotel that I was staying in.

  • Huddersfield – Harold Wilson Statue

    Huddersfield – Harold Wilson Statue

    This photo is from when I visited Huddersfield a couple of weeks ago and this statue of former Harold Wilson (1916-1995) was easily identifiable and he’s got himself a decent spot here. Wilson was born and lived in the town, maintaining links to Huddersfield throughout his life.

    The statue omits Wilson’s famous pipe, apparently at the request of his wife Mary (1916-2018) and it was unveiled by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1999. It was designed by Ian Walters and cost £70,000, being based on photos of how Wilson looked in 1964.

    If anyone wondered about how bloody useless TripAdvisor is, this review was left of the statue in July 2019.

    “Ok, it’s cheap and you get what you pay for. However why do you have to send out rubbish for people to eat. Describing an Item on the menu as a Gourmet ultimate burger and then serving the whole fat soaked lukewarm crap meal that must have been kept for ages, is an insult.”

    I imagine that this review was meant for the Lord Wilson pub……

  • Huddersfield – Head of Steam

    Huddersfield – Head of Steam

    Another belated write-up from my visit to Huddersfield a couple of weeks ago. This is the Head of Steam, located at the other end of the railway station from the King’s Head. This pub isn’t in the Good Beer Guide, which is rather a shame I think, as there are plenty of cask and keg options.

    The neatly laid out bar. The whole pub had a feeling that this was a nice place to linger and wait, which is ideal as it has become almost an extension to the railway station’s waiting areas.

    There are four different rooms in this pub, all with varying feels and designs, with a central bar area.

    I visited on a Sunday evening and it’s fair to say that it wasn’t packed inside the pub. The food option are pies from Pieminister, which I’ve had before in other locations and they’re fine, but I’ve never been hugely impressed with them. However, there are limited options for the pub and it’s a sensible choice to have something which is easy to prepare.

    The pub uses Untappd for its menu which makes things much easier and, as I’m easily pleased, I like my photo appearing on the bottom of the screen after rating a beer (I accept that I probably need to get out more….). I went for half a pint of Ghost Porter from Yorkshire Heart brewery and half a pint of Wishbone from Abyss brewery, both decent dark options.

    I’m finding Head of Steam really quite reliable for their beer options, more so than Brewdog who are also more expensive (and they’re opening a venue in Huddersfield in the next few weeks). There were a range of beer styles offered here, with the back-up of bottles and cans for anyone who wasn’t pleased with the extensive choice. The staff members were friendly and polite, with the whole arrangement being what I’d say is one of the better railway station bars. It must also be on the very edge of being listed in the Good Beer Guide and I hope it gets over that line in future years.

  • National Express : Bradford to London Victoria Coach Station

    National Express : Bradford to London Victoria Coach Station

    Time to return to London and although I would have preferred to get the train, the National Express fare was only £5 from Bradford into the centre of London, so I went with that for a journey that was estimated to take 5 hours 20 minutes. Above is the bus section of Bradford Interchange and the signage is, if I’m being honest, organised by an idiot. The data sent to Google Maps is wrong on where National Express coaches depart from and the signage is terrible. However, National Express have put on their web-site that their coaches depart from Stands T, U and V, although not on the tickets themselves.

    For those who didn’t search the National Express web-site, here’s the ultra clear signage stuck on a window. Anyway, my muttering about the lack of signage aside, the coach turned up ten minutes early and at Stand T, so I was ready and waiting for it. Until 2019, there was a National Express ticket office at the bus station, but that and the National Express customer service staff have now gone.

    The coach did get much busier, although not until Leeds which is when more customers got on.

    I had the emergency exit seat, with the luxury of having both seats to myself for the entire journey.

    The only real excitement during the journey was when the driver said on the tannoy that the National Express control room had contacted him and said that the company had accidentally left someone at a service station on the M1. There must be a very interesting back story to that which unfortunately we weren’t told, but it meant that we had to stop off Tibshelf Services to pick her up and drop her off in Milton Keynes. It delay the coach, but not badly.

    The driver also said that he intended to miss out the stops of Golders Green and Marble Arch in London so that the coach could arrive on time. He urged anyone who needed to get off at those stops to go and talk to him. There was then a little procession of customers tripping down the aisle of a fast moving coach going to tell the driver that they had planned to get off at those stops. The conclusion of that was that we stopped at Golders Green and Marble Arch…..

    This is really nicely written signage, I liked it.

    As for the coach, it was easy to make my seat area nice and cold, with the seats being clean and well presented. The cleaners hadn’t cleaned the seat trays, so I decided against using those, but the toilet was clean. There were USB connections which worked well, so my phone remained fully charged.

    And safely into Victoria Coach Station in London, only twenty minutes late.

    For the fare charged, this really was excellent value for money, a clean and comfortable coach which arrived sort of on time and with a friendly and engaging driver. All very nice, even though it’s not a train.