Leeds

A great city with many splendid pubs

13th March 2017 and the irrepressible Steve Barfly is well prepared for an afternoon session.

The Scarborough is ideally located for Leeds railway station. The building, which pre-dates the railway, was built in 1765. It became a pub in 1826 and, according to the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, was originally called the Kings Arms, but took the name of the first owner of the pub, Henry Scarborough.

Yozza, Bean, Jones the Beer and Barfly about to enjoy the first, but not the last, pint of the day in The Scarborough.

Pub decor inside The Scarborough

In 1969 this lot thought they were Born to be Wild. Now they are just Born to Drink Mild

The Victoria, situated on Great George Street, just behind Leeds town hall, was built by the Victoria Hotel Company in 1865. The interior is a wonderful display of polished wood, brass and ornate mirrors and the beer was in splendid condition.

One of the many ornate mirrors in The Victoria

Beer drinking, like football, is a game of two halves

York

Seconds of Pleasure

There is a little-known record album inner sleeve showing 4 blokes standing outside a pub waiting, in great anticipation, for opening time. The band was Rockpile and the album ‘Seconds of Pleasure’. This image and the caption records one of the many near-forgotten attractions of British pub culture. Waiting for the pub to open. In these times of all-day opening, the ritual of standing outside the pub waiting for the landlord to unbolt the door is far less common, but is still a fleeting pleasure that can be enjoyed on occasion.

In July I took the train to York to meet up with a few friends for a quiet pint. York is full of delights and they start even before you leave the railway station. Turn left on Platform 1 and you will find yourself in the York Tap. I did and on this occasion was met by Barfly who had already bought me a pint in anticipation of my arrival. What a gentleman! We then proceeded to The Maltings where we met Yozza, Jones the Beer, Degga and Bean, who had made the arduous trip from Kent just so he could enjoy a few jars of northern ale.

The next stop was The Ackhorne Inn. Apparently it was once known simply as The Acorn, but some marketing bod probably thought that Ackhorne sounded more rustic and might attract more customers. Nevertheless this is a splendid pub.

Young lads emerged from The Ackhorne on St Martin’s Lane, with Jones the Beer about to set the pace to the next pub. July 2017 

Too early for opening time. Sad faces of Degga, Yozza, Barfly, Bean and Jones the Beer outside
The Golden Ball

Happy faces enjoying a pint at the rear of The Ackhorne Inn. More of a beer yard than a beer garden.