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Stockport Gets A Cracking New Pub And Dungarees
We’ll be seeing a lot of Rupert Hill on stage in September. The ex-Corrie star is in the touring version of The Full Monty at The Opera House. ‘Chuffing brilliant’ said The Daily Mail; ‘Full frontal feelgood show', said The Metro.
Menu stand at Baker VaultsOur roving beer correspondent Neil Sowerby was similarly enthusiastic, priapic almost, about Rupert’s latest pub side-project, The Bakers Vaults.
He wrote, 'Rupert and pals Jonny Booth and Jamie Langrish have followed their success in other boozer ‘rescues’, notably The Castle, The Eagle and Chorlton’s The Parlour, by taking over this pub in Stockport Market Place.
'Robinsons Brewery, just up the road, have spent big bucks doing it up handsomely. It's a cosy conversion generally, but the menu rack could be described as 'post-industrial'. There was no sighting of Rupert there the other day, with or without clothes, but the fashion accessory of this long hot summer was on display – dungaree shorts.'
Style statement at the Bakers Vaults
The Scandal Of The Jazz £5 Pint
"£10 please."
"For two pints?"
"Yes, please."
"They're a fiver each?"
"Yes."
"What's the strength?"
"Er...3.8%."
Sleuth fainted.
The ale at Manchester Jazz Festival in the Albert Square hub is the most expensive in the city, especially at 3.8%. BrewDog Bar on Peter Street is more expensive on some price points but their beers are so strong a whole jazz combo could perform on the surface. No wonder people, despite the gorgeous weather in Albert Square, aren't staying beyond the second pint. Shame. Then it got worse. The slightly stronger ale at the Jazz Festival turned out to be a disgraceful £5.50.
The offending item
Saxophopissed
The £5 pint was called Hop Sax and is a Thwaites' brew produced in association with John Helliwell, the saxophonist of the big 70s/80s hit factory Supertramp - he also likes ale and jazz. As Sleuth and the aforementioned Neil Sowerby sat looking through their empty wallets in Albert Square, Helliwell strolled by. "Maybe he's off to count the money," quipped Sleuth. "He's from Todmorden," said Sowerby, "used to meet on the train into Manchester. Nice fella." "With this profiteering he'll be able to afford a few Breakfasts in America," quipped Sleuth, trying harder. Nobody laughed but the nearby statue of the long dead John Bright turned its head and said, "I'm very old, but even I reckon that joke's out-of-date."
That man walking away from the camera in between the trees comprises the worst picture of James Helliwell ever taken
Sleuth's New Favourite Terrace
Bill's afternoon teaThis is the terrace behind Bill's Restaurant off John Dalton Street. It's largely traffic free with one of the tallest trees in the city centre - a London Plane since you're asking.
It's a quiet spot too, good for loafing through an afternoon and chewing the fat.
Sleuth had afternoon tea there with Dig the City's Jennifer Middleton. The afternoon was priced reasonably at £9.95 a person as well (or just under two pints in Albert Square's Jazz Festival). Good event Dig the City and Sleuth is pleased to see that it appears to have forced the council's hand in relation to the city centre gardens.
Bill's nice terrace
Dig The City Concentrates The Mind
St John's Gardens and Parsonage Gardens had been getting Sleuth in a strop. Two of the very few formal gardens in the city centre have been unloved, tatty, weedy, unmown and embarrassing this year. Then it changed. Suddenly gardeners were tending the beds and planting flowers in St John's. Even Parsonage Gardens was mown, which was a shame as Sleuth had alerted local farmers and they were about to come down and make hay while the sun shone. Then it clicked what had happened.
We were a couple of weeks out from Dig the City. 'The UK's largest urban gardening festival' runs from 2-10 August. This year it takes place mainly in St Ann's Square and along New Cathedral Street. With that area about to blossom the council no doubt felt motivated to tidy up the permanent 'gardens' in the city centre. It's the only reason Sleuth can see for the sudden improvement, he just wishes it didn't need an event to get something which should be performed as standard up and going.
St John's is suddenly much nicer
Colourful in Kerridge
The Lord ClydeSleuth went to Cheshire on Thursday to visit the excellent Colourfield Gallery in Poynton, review to follow. He also scooted down to the Lord Clyde in a sweet rural area called Kerridge. This pub is run by the entertaining Ernst Van Zyl, a South African chef and his partner Sarah Richmond.
The food was surprising in its aspiration - there'll be a full review next week. The meal started with a stunning selection of amuse including the beautiful beetroot macaroon pictured below. "This is lovely, although not sure every chef would have the kerridge to pull it off," said Sleuth. "I think it will definitely enkerridge other people to come here," said his dining companion.
Exotic in Kerridge
Sleuth's Woman With Bags For Feet Picture Of The Week
Bags for feet
Mo Blow, No Show, Oh No, Who He Then?
Sleuth was sad this week to learn that double-Olympic and World Champion, Mo Farah, had pulled out of the Commonwealth Games in Glagow with a dicky tummy or something. Shame, thought Sleuth, two great chances of gold gone for England. So imagine Sleuth’s surprise when, rolling back with a belly full from Albert Square’s jazz ‘hub’ and still raging at paying £5.50 for a pint of ale, he bumped into Mo on The Avenue in Spinningfields. “Mo”, said Sleuth, “Sorry to hear about the Commonwealth Games, but what are you doing here?” “I heard the Oast House had started doing Quorn Hanging Kebabs,” said Mo, waxing lyrical. “And Tania wanted a new Mulberry Alexa. Tania wants, Tania gets.” “Good”, replied Sleuth. “Now do that thing you do…”
Thanks Mo, you're a clever man who can point at his head with both hands simultaneously
