Winter's on it's way

Well it's Halloween, the clocks have gone back- so it can truly be said that winter is nearly upon us. With this in mind I would like to throw open this forum for nominations for our annual "Hereford Pub of the Year Poll".

The poll itself will be open for voting on 1st December; just add in the comments section below any local pubs that you feel should be included in the poll. If (as usual) no comments are added then we will choose the pubs to be nominated [but no moaning about our choice, this is your chance to make a difference].

Check back in December to register your vote.

Send a Pub Review from your mobile...

Now its even easier to send us your pub review thanks to the brand new HM Pub Guide Mobile Review Form.

The form has been specially optimised for Mobile phones so if you're in a pub and feel like sharing your thoughts on it with the world you know what to do.

Also look out for the brand new QR code which will take you straight to the Mobile Review Form.

The Broadleys Reviewed by A Jones

We've received a reader review from A Jones for The Broadleys on the Ross Road. They confirm that the all important Mansfield beers are still available (Hurrah!). The Karaoke night there sounds pretty lively too. The review in generally very favourable - click here for the full details.

Also, as an addendum to our own review a few weeks back, we had a comment on the original blog post regarding the TVs in the Lounge. They are mainly used for sporting events and are usually left off as a default unless requested otherwise. This sounds good to me - many a time I've been in pubs with the TVs blaring away and nobody watching them!

Manhattans closes

Last weekend saw the closure of Manhattans. After 18 years the pub/nightclub has finally closed due to dwindling customers brought about by changes in the licensing laws. A decade or so ago this was the place to go for a late drink when the pubs called "last orders" at 11pm; but now with pubs opening 'till later the allure of this late bar was lost. I remember having many a good time here- although it must be said, I had to be drunk to enter the premises! But the fond memories remain, and we wish the owners success with their new business in the building.
To read more about this story click on the following links:

• Last dance for Manhattans, nightclub set for new life as market- Hereford Times article

• Hereford Manhattans to be craft market- BBC website

The Former Pubs of Hereford: The Sawyers Rest

If you've been down Burcott Road lately you've no doubt noticed that the scary low bridge has now gone but have you noticed something else that's missing? The Sawyers Rest has also been demolished.

Pictured below before the demolition thanks to Google Maps, The Sawyers Rest dated back to 1872 when it was originally known as Burcott Row before becoming known as The Rest in the 1880s. In the early part of the 20th century the pub was well known for brewing its own beer.
In the 1950s the pub became known as The Sawyers Rest and its remote location meant it soon gained a reputation for out of hours lock-ins.

Later on it became a Whitbread pub, and its fair to say it went downhill a bit, but retained its reputation for an all night lock-in. Indeed one poster on the Bulls Banter forum recalls one particular all-nighter there which ended with a fry-up supplied by the friendly landlord Nigel!

Bowling Green, Queen's Arms, Manhattans & Exchange reviews

Last week we re-reviewed four pubs in town; to read the reviews click on the pub names below:

• The Bowling Green (pictured top left)- this is your typical local, town pub; it's a bit rough around the edges and as such only scores 48%.
• The Queen's Arms (pictured bottom right)- another town pub but this one is a bit smarter and nicer, and therefore scores 52%.
• Manhattans (pictured bottom left)- what can you say about this place, it's way past it's best [we used to frequent it regularly 10yrs ago, but times have changed although Manhattans has not!], and rumours of it's closure are abundant. It only scored 44%.
• The Exchange (pictured top right)- this is a great pub and definitely worthy of it's top 4 placing with 72%, if you're passing pop in- we recommend it!

We also travelled to Monmouth recently and whilst there had lunch in the local Wetherspoons- The King's Head (pictured below): although it's your typical Wetherspoons it has some unique features- there's lots of different seating areas, a nice beer garden, a slightly varied, local menu and the service was faultless; worthy of it's 62% score, I'd go there again!