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www.hmpubguide.com - Hereford's Premier Pub Guide: October 2010

Saturday 30 October 2010

Remember to put your clocks back this weekend

This year the end of British Summer Time shares the day with Halloween. At 2.00 am on Sunday 31 October, the official time across the UK will move back to 1.00 am, as British Summer Time ends for another year. Winter is on the way, but everyone can at least enjoy an extra hour in bed- or an extra hours drinking time- just remember to put your clocks back an hour or you'll be very confused in the morning. For more info click here.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Away Day Pubs - Stockport County v Hereford

We've asked the Stockport fans over at their Vital Football forum for their tips on the best pubs for Bulls fans to visit before Saturday's match at Edgeley Park...

Forum member Cropped was very helpful giving a whole list of pubs to visit. He drinks in The Armoury (top left) which is just 5 minutes walk from Edgeley Park on Shaw Heath - they serve the locally brewed Robinsons beer and well-behaved away fans are welcome.

Another minute away is The Florist which Cropped also recommends - again Robinson's beers of the highest standard are sold here.

On Castle Street which is just North of the ground is a selection of pubs. The Pineapple is probably best avoided but The Robert Peel on Castle Street is one where away fans sometimes go but the beer there isn't for the purists. Likewise the Prince Albert is popular but the choice of ales is limited.

The Grapes on Castle St is OK but isn't as welcoming as some other pubs. At the bottom of Castle St is the Royal Oak which is a decent pub with good beer.

Cropped's favourite pubs is The Crown (bottom right) under the viaduct on Heaton Lane which has 14 real ales. This is a good 10-15 minute walk from the ground but worth checking out. The Magnet (bottom left) on the A6 usually has at least 10 real ales on and is just up the road from the Crown.

Kid Charlemagne suggests The Blossoms on the A6 with the previously mentioned Florist and Armoury making up a pub crawl to Edgeley Park. The post match atmosphere in these pubs is usually pretty good and with the last train back being at 20.39 why not spend some time either celebrating another great away win or drowning your sorrows depending on the result!

Monday 25 October 2010

Fire in Hereford- Booth Hall closed

Last week saw a large fire spread through several premises in High Town; although no one was hurt, many buildings (including The Booth Hall) were damaged or destroyed. To read more about the blaze click on the following links:
If we hear anymore news regarding The Booth Hall pub then we'll post it here, and if anyone has an further information (or photos) then let us know.

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Time Machine Pubs

On our recent travels we've visited a fair few pubs that have been left almost untouched by the modern age. Pubs with an almost timeless quality about them.

Imagine if you will a time traveller from the future were to visit one of these pubs. How would they know what year they were in? What clues would there be to indicate exactly 'when' they were? After a few drinks one night a new game evolved based around this concept - The Time Machine Pub Game (TM)

You too can play along...All you have to do is sit in a pub and look for clues around you that would indicate to that theoretical time traveller what year it was. It may surprise you just how difficult this might be in some pubs.

For a tougher challenge don't allow yourselves to use the anachronism of the nice shiny LCD screen on the wall as a clue - pretend its not there and keep looking for something else to date the pub by.

Oh yeah, and judging the year by the price of a round of drinks is frowned upon by connoisseurs of the art of the Time Machine Pub too.

So far, the earliest dated Time Machine Pub locally was stuck in space year 1977 - If you find any earlier ones yourselves be sure to let us know!

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Long Bar, Nell Gwynne, Wye Inn & Gilbies re-reviewed

Last week saw 4 more Hereford pubs re-reviewed. First up is The Long Bar on Commercial Road (pictured top left)- this is a long, thin bar (hence it's name) in the centre of town, there always seems to be a friendly welcome here but there now seems to be a very sticky floor and certain pool shots are hampered by the thin nature of the building- but no-where's perfect.
Secondly is The Nell Gwynne (pictured top right)- this is a old-style local pub and as such has it's own, unique charm. This is a type of pub we classify as a "time machine pub" as you can't tell from the interior what year you are in (watch out for a future blog post on this topic).
Next up is The Wye Inn (pictured bottom left)- this pub has slipped down the rankings recently and we have had several comments about poor service; however, it's not a bad pub and is worth a visit if you're in the area.
Lastly is Gilbies in High Town (pictured bottom right)- this is more of a bistro than a drinking pub, but there is a lovely courtyard beer garden which takes you away from the hustle and bussle of town life. On our previous visit Frank Carson was drinking there, but on this occasion no celebrities were present (we weren't sure but after checking we are pleased to announce that Frank is still alive and well).

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Away Day Pubs - Northampton v Hereford

Hereford United travel to Northampton this Saturday hoping to build on the excellent home display against Port Vale. We asked the forum members at the Hotel End Northampton Town forum what their recommended pubs for away fans visiting Sixfields are...

Coolcat suggests The Malt Shovel (pictured left). This is handy for those getting the train at just a 5 minute walk from the station. Its located opposite the Carlsbery brewery but is an oasis for real ales including local Great Oakley ales as well as an array of guest ales. The food is good there too. Its a couple of miles from the stadium but is definitely worth checking out - the bus service is pretty handy both for here and the stadium. There's also a decent Wetherspoons in the city centre called The Cordwainer which has a pretty good beer garden.

As you follow the route from the station towards Sixfields you'll travel along St James Road and Weedon Road and past a selection of pubs. Of these Coolcat says the Thomas a Becket (centre) is a decent shout with Sky TV, a pool table and the usual selection of lagers and bitters. Along the same road is The Foundry Tavern which might also be worth a look but Coolcat suggests The Rover is probably one to avoid.

On the Sixfields complex itself is the Sixfields Tavern (right) which Abington Cobbler says has recently been admitting away fans with the Old Orleans or the Megabowl as a backup if not.

Lets hope it'll be another improved performance following the thankfully short Davey days. It might be Jamie Pitman's last match in charge and it'd be great for him to go out on a winning note. The last couple of weeks have shown that Jamie may well have a future as a manager - he certainly gets the players motivated and playing in the same energetic way as he used to play himself.

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