The more things change.......

Greetings! For my recent trip, I once again took advantage of a bonus day off from work and also elected to stay much closer to home than I have for a while. It had been quite some time since I had properly evaluated the drinking scene of this fair city of Nottingham that I now call home. In the years since my last survey, things have changed. New venues have opened, many have changed hands, some have been refurbished and some, unfortunately, no longer exist. With things feeling as close to normality as they have done for quite a while, what better time to head out and explore the newer and more recently revamped locations amongst Nottingham's hundreds of pubs? Some of the locations will have featured in the blog before, in one form or another, but there are a few that make their debuts by virtue of having sprung up over the last few years. It's a tough job.

The day of my trip was an unseasonably warm and sunny Thursday. I had planned a route that would see me circumnavigate the city centre, both starting and ending at a bus stop adjacent to Nottingham station. I arrived in the centre just before 12.30pm, getting off the bus on Carrington Street, and immediately made my way to the day's first stop. In the shadow of Nottingham Station is one of the city's newer micropubs. The day's adventures began at BeerheadZ.

 

This Good Beer Guide 2022 listed venue is a conversion of an old Edwardian cabman's shelter and restroom that is part of the station buildings itself. Dating from the time of the station construction in 1904, the interior still retains some of the original features such as drivers' benches and coat hooks. The station is a Grade II* listed building meaning that the renovation has been minimalist and keeps with the overall architectural theme. BeerheadZ are a small Midlands-based chain with other premises in Grantham, Lincoln and, until fairly recently, Retford. The pub is a single ground floor room with an adjacent door that is the rest room. Painted wooden panelling and window frames have been retained from the original shelter. Seating is on wooden stools and beer barrels with wooden tops as well as low, tongue shaped tables. The majority of the seating is directly opposite the central bar but there is additional seating outside on both sides of the walkway to the station concourse. The colour scheme is two tone cream and lime and there are also power sockets for charging devices but no WiFi. BeerheadZ was awarded Nottingham CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year for 2018 due to its cider and perry range. The bar is well equipped with cask and craft beers as well as a range of bottles and cans. 5 chrome hand pumps sit pride of place on the bar. At the time of my visit, 4 of these were in use, offering a choice of Goff's Lancer, Magpie Coat Tails, Liverpool Syren's Call and Heritage X Porter. With fond memories of our recent trip to Liverpool, I was instantly drawn to the Syren's Call (4.1%). I decided it would be remiss not to make the most of the sunshine so took my beer outside and sat on a metal chair facing into the station. I must admit that this was my first ever trip to BeerheadZ. I have no idea why it's taken me so long! Syren's Call is described as a 'modern bitter'. It's golden in colour with less toffee flavour and more leafy, hoppy notes. It's very drinkable and certainly starts the day off on a good note! BeerheadZ is in the perfect spot for those requiring a beer before, or after, a train. Be aware when visiting though that the capacity is only 36!

I now retraced my steps, heading back down Carrington Street and turning left onto Canal Street. My next location is immediately next to a coffee shop and is a fairly imposing building right on the pavement. I was now at Fellows, Morton & Clayton.

This red brick pub is a Grade II listed building and was formerly a Victorian office building for the eponymous coal carrying company. Built in 1895, the building was converted into a pub in 1980/81. Designed by architect W. Dymock Pratt, who also designed nearby Via Fossa, the pub is also notable for being on the site of Nottingham's first successful balloon flight in 1813, commemorated by a green plaque on the exterior wall. Inside, the pub is split level. A ground level bar area leads through to a lower drinking and dining space and also to a spiral staircase that leads to the toilets. There is a rear, two-floored room that can be used for functions. To the front, a raised snug type space occupies room behind the front window. The bar is L-shaped and faces both the front door and the main seating area. A small outside seating area is accessible through glass doors to the rear. I've been in the Fellows on the odd occasion in the past but I cannot for the life of me remember whether or not it's ever featured in a blog entry. I do know that the available real ale choice has been reduced though. During previous visits, albeit years ago, 8 handpulls were present, in two banks of 4. This has been reduced to a single bank with the second set replaced by a T bar offering keg beers. The 4 available hand pumps were all occupied when I arrived. The choices here were Hollow Stone Oligo Nunk, Sharp's Doom Bar and Thornbridge Astryd with the fourth given over to Lily the Pink cider from Celtic Marches. I decided on the Oligo Nunk but this ran out as it was being poured so instead I swapped to Astryd, from the ever-reliable Thornbridge. At 3.8%, this is a juicy, hazy session IPA brewed with Mosaic hops. This gives big flavours of berry and stone fruit and also lends a nice cleanliness to the finish. It definitely has a kick for a low strength beer! I took a seat at a high table almost opposite the bar whilst I enjoyed this delicious beer. It gave me time to take in the decor, which is primarily themed around beer and brewing. There used to a be microbrewery upstairs on this site but it has been out of use for many years. The pub also shows live sport and there are a couple of TVs throughout the premises. The pub was relatively quiet during my time there but was just beginning to pick up for the lunch rush. 

It was time to move on again. Leaving the Fellows, I turned left and continued down Canal Street, crossing the road at the traffic lights and then turning left onto Wilford Street. Passing an Irish Centre on the right, my next location is just nearby, perched on the bank of the canal. Next stop, The Navigation. 

Not to be confused, as it often is, with the Trent Navigation on Meadow Lane, the Navigation has previously been both a Whitbread and Banks's tied house. Formerly known as the Lock & Lace, it was a fully licensed pub from at least 1879, when the landlord was T. Smith. Located on the canal side, the pub has been through a number of owners in recent years and is now under the ownership of Marston's. When the pub last featured in these pages, myself and Matt visited when it was home to Annie's Burger Shack before that business scaled up to its own premises. That was the day we learned that I didn't understand how canal locks work. Anyhow, following an extensive refurbishment in 2017, the pub appears to have been given a new lease of life. Internally, the bar sits along the right hand wall with some seating opposite, A larger room, with more tables, is to the side and this leads through to a canal side access with outside seating right on the canal side itself. There is also a small beer garden and smoking area to the rear of the pub, accessed through a door next to the bar. The decor is music themed with murals, framed photos of music legends, classic film posters and, my favourite, an entire drum kit repurposed as a light fitting. Cool or ridiculous? You decide! Beer-wise, there are 4 handpulls on the bar. One of these is a permanent outlet for Timothy Taylor Landlord but there are also 3 guest beers, on this occasion Ashover Indian Pacific, Dancing Duck Dark Drake and Oakham JHB. I was suitably impressed to find such a collection of guest beers in a pub that I had assumed would be steadfastly tied to the Marston's range. After some swift perusal, I selected the Ashover and made my way around to some sofa style seating in the larger room, next to the canal side entrance. Indian Pacific (3.9%), is a hoppy session IPA, originally brewed especially for Brownhills Beer Festival in Chesterfield, but clearly popular enough to be shipped further afield. It's a very nice beer indeed! All the expected IPA hoppiness and bitterness are there without the expected strong alcohol hit. Cracking stuff!

My day was going well so far. The weather was holding, the beers had been good and the first trio of pubs had exceeded expectations. Onwards and upwards! Leaving the Navigation, I turned left, made my way back up Wilford Street and crossed the road. I then turned left again and continued down Maid Marian Way before crossing over again. I had now intended to visit the Royal Children but, despite what it said online, they weren't opening until later in the day. I made a vow to swing back this way later. Unperturbed, I continued down Hounds Gate, emerging on Friar Lane, where I crossed over to my next destination. My next stop would be somewhere rather different in the context of the pubs I'd hit so far: Southbank Bar.

Starting life as a department store, the premises was previously known as The Approach until 2016 when it was refurbished into its current incarnation. Originally known as Southbank City until the rebranding of its Trent Bridge sister site, Southbank Bar is a large, open-plan sports bar that prides itself on excellent entertainment and ability to show live sport across a vast number of TV screens. The bar is on the right hand side as you enter with a raised stage area for live music to the left. Seating takes the form of booths to the sides and rear with more conventional seating in the central space, which becomes a dance floor at weekends. As well as a large projector style screen, there are numerous others throughout, both on the walls and in the booths. The pub has featured once in the blog before, back when it was the Approach. I tend to normally visit about once a year, usually in February, for the Superbowl but have popped in on other occasions and, as some of you may remember, I used to work for the company that owns it for a while a few years ago. Whilst definitely a sports bar first, Southbank does supply real ale and there are 6 handpulls present. On the day that I popped in, half of these were in use, with a choice between Fuller's London Pride, Navigation New Dawn Pale and Oakham Citra. Obviously I went for the Citra. It still remains one of my favourite beers and it's in great condition here. It's a rather surreal experience being in here in the daytime when I'm not willing anybody but the Patriots to win the Superbowl. 

Leaving Southbank, I turned left, continued to the end of Friar Lane and crossed Market Square. Reaching Market Street, I continued uphill with the Theatre Royal in front of me at the top. This would actually be my next destination, in a round about way. When I reached the top of the hill, I crossed over Parliament Street, walked past the entrance to the theatre on my left and began heading down South Sherwood Street. A few yards down, on the left, is the entrance to Yarn.

Previously known as the Green Room, Yarn is part of the Theatre Royal complex and reopened in its current state in November 2017, following a major refurbishment. Whilst still owned by the owners of the theatre, the bar is operated by Castle Rock and would be the first of 3 establishments of theirs that I would visit throughout the day. The bar is long and narrow with two entrances, one to the rear, through which I enter, and one inside the theatre foyer. There is bench seating outside whilst inside the seating is more functional tables and chairs and a wooden floor. 10 handpulls are on the bar are there are also 9 taps for keg beer which are mounted on a wall behind the bar. Of the 10 available pumps, 9 were in use on my visit. Unsurprisingly, some of these were Castle Rock beers, namely Elsie Mo, Harvest Pale and Preservation, with Elsie Mo and Harvest Pale doubled up. The guest beers were Mallinsons Waimea and Salopian Lemon Dream with the remaining two pumps reserved for real cider, in this case Broad Oak Moonshine and Cockeyed Bonobo Banana. There would be more Castle Rock beer later on so I avoided that for now and, instead, opted for the Lemon Dream (4.5%) from Shropshire's Salopian Brewery. I've had Lemon Dream more than once before so knew what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. This is a golden ale with zesty aromas and a citrusy finish. It's brewed using organic lemons but the lemon isn't overpowering with the sweetness rounding out the flavour of the hops and the delicate bitterness. It's a bit like a beer digestif! Yarn is a venue I've been in fairly regularly, normally with Amy prior to the cinema, and it's a welcome addition to the pub scene in this area of the city. It certainly gives a more interesting choice of pre-show drink to the casual and seasoned theatre goer!

It was time to continue on now but I didn't have far to go. Leaving Yarn the way I came in, I continued down South Sherwood Street until I reached the junction with Shakespeare Street, with my next location already in sight. Crossing over, I made my way directly into The Playwright.

Officially known as The Playwright at 38, this is a pub that has been through various incarnations throughout its history. Originally the Clinton Arms, it became Russells in 1983 and was most recently known as the Orange Tree before a refurbishment in and a change of name in May 2019. Whilst under the Clinton Arms moniker, is was fully licensed in 1868 under C. T. Baxter and was also the location where Nottingham Forest FC was officially founded in 1865 by a group of shinty players, who also settled on Garibaldi Red as the club's colour. Following Notts County's relegation from the football league, Forest are now the oldest football league club and, at the time of writing, are well in the running for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999. But enough about that. The Playwright's location on Shakespeare Street has given it it's current name. Internally, the layout is open plan, with plush sofa seating and retro decor. The atmosphere is generally relaxing throughout. A pleasant garden is to the rear and there is a room towards the back that can be reserved for functions. Photos of bygone Nottingham and local history decorate the walls. The pub is now under the ownership of Charles Wells as part of their 'Pizzas, Pots & Pints' brands and offers stonebaked pizzas alongside other morsels. I'm here for the beer though. The central, J-shaped bar has 4 handpulls, 3 of which were being utilised when I was there. All of the beers are from the Charles Wells stable, under the names DNA, Legacy and Origin. All the beers are brewed under the Brewpoint label. I decided on the Legacy (4.1%), a citrusy golden ale with notes of orange and peach, hopped with Admiral, Olicana and Citra. The body and bitterness are moderate and the whole thing is refreshing and easy drinking. I took my drink to a round table in the window that was catching the sun and watched the world go by for a few minutes. Prior to this visit, I'd only been here once since the refurbishment but had come here a few times when it was the Orange Tree, when it also featured in the blog. I have to say, I do like what they've done with the place.

It was further into the city centre now. Continuing down Shakespeare Stree, I turned right, walked past Victoria Centre, turned left down Parliament Street, right down Thurland Street and left again onto Pelham Street. Walking up the hill towards the Hockley area, I reached my next stop: Faradays.

Situated on the corner where Pelham Street and Victoria Street converge, Faradays was previously known as Cape and underwent a refurbishment and renaming in 2016. The current eponym is apparently to commemorate the location of the old Raleigh bicycle works on Faraday road. The site on which the pub stands was once known as Swine Green and was referenced in the first work of poetry written by Lord Byron, back in 1798, which is commemorated by a green plaque above the door. Faradays is operated by Stonegate and consists of a large downstairs area with the bar to the back, and seating throughout. An upstairs function can be hired and is accessed by a metal spiral staircase in the middle of the pub. A doorway to the right of the bar leads to a staircase that goes down to the toilets. A section of pavement to the front of the pub is cordoned off for outside drinking and dining. This is another pub that featured in the blog years ago under its previous incarnation. Real ale has recently been reintroduced after being temporarily discontinued during the coronavirus restrictions. A bank of 4 handpulls occupies the bar with 2 of them being in use when I arrived, giving me a choice between Doom Bar and Little Critters Malty Python. I went for Malty Python (4.3%), a best bitter from Little Critters, a brewery based in Sheffield. I decided that I'd like to sit outside this time and was lucky enough to find a spare table with just enough sun on it that it wouldn't be too hot or too cold. The beer was good. It's well balanced between bitterness and sweetness and carries hints of caramel and hedgerow fruits into a smooth finish. The outside space was fairly busy during my time here, unsurprising given the weather, and more than a few workers had taken the opportunity for a liquid lunch. Who can blame them?

My next destination was a literal stone's throw away and another new location to the blog, though it has now been open for a few years. Time to officially investigate Six Barrels Drafthouse.

One of two such venues in the city, Six Barrels Hockley opened in 2017 in a building that had been closed for many years after previously serving as the Lord Nelson and, more recently, Image Bar. The Lord Nelson was previously a John Smith's tied pub and, in 1874, was a fully licensed establishment under A. Richardson. It once had a viewing panel that allowed the old (very deep) well to be seen but this is no longer visible to the public. A meat cellar and barrel thrall are still extant in the cellars. Now operated by Pub People, the modern conversion has seen bare wood and comfy furniture installed, with a central bar and large windows overlooking the street. The decor is part pump clips and beer can labels, and part nerd chic with an abundance of Star Wars decoration and theming. I'm definitely not complaining! The pub is managed by a good friend of mine and I always enjoy a warm welcome when I visit. Six handpulls sit on the bar, alongside a great selection of craft beers in keg and a very well stocked can and bottle fridge. On the day of my visit, 5 of the 6 handpulls were in use, with an interesting array of choices. I had to choose between Pentrich Confetti Moment, Marble Export Mild, JW Lees Bitter, Bombardier and Old Sawley Little Jack. I don't see Old Sawley beers very much so the presence of Little Jack was a nice surprise that I couldn't pass up. Named after a horse, Little Jack is a 4.3% pale ale that is crisp and refreshing with big citrus flavours from the use of 4 American hops, specifically, Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Cascade. It's a cracking little session beer, made even better by the surroundings I'm in. I sat in a booth, drank my beer, charged my phone and said hello to Ginny, one of the two very cute and very sweet pub dogs. It's hard to find fault with this place and I really do need to visit more often. Great beer? Check. Great atmosphere? Check. Dogs? Double check. What's not to love?

As much as it pained me to leave Six Barrels, there was work to be done and beer to be drunk. I turned right upon leaving, making my way down into Hockley and approached Stoney Street, where I turned right. Next on the list was the Angel Microbrewery.

For many years known as the Old Angel, during which time it was one of Nottingham's premier alternative pubs, this pub has stood in the Lace Market since at least the 1600s and has a long and colourful history.  Grade II listed, it was the site of at least two murders in the 1700s, that of a prostitute and a policeman respectively, and served as both a brothel and a chapel. Caves lie deep underneath the beer cellar and were carved out in the shape of a crucifix. The cellar itself still contains a barrel thrall and was used as an air raid shelter. The old chapel, which has a double height ceiling, is a famous gig venue that witnessed early shows by bands such as Oasis, Kasabian and Arctic Monkeys. Equally famous,  under its old guise, was the ceiling covered in gig posters and the puddles in the gents toilets, all now sadly (at least in the former case) gone. The old church pews, from the days of the chapel are still preserved and lie upstairs. The pub underwent a major refurbishment in 2016 and is now in the vein of an organic gastro pub with an on-site microbrewery, which supplies beers to the pub and other local venues. The interior layout is largely unchanged with wooden floors, two rooms with the bar in the middle divided by a corridor and another, smaller room to the rear, where the toilets can now also be found. A small garden space to the back is an effective sun trap on nice days. The pub certainly didn't look like this when it last featured here! The 8 handpulls are divided up into smaller banks on both sides of the bar and 6 of them were in use when I arrived. Unsurprisingly, the pubs own beers take centre stage, but there are some other local guests. Available on the day are Angel Revelation, Angel Hung, Drawn & Portered, Navigation American IPA, Navigation Rebel and Brass Castle Elvis Impersonator, with another pump given over to Seacider Black Cherry. I am instantly drawn to the Elvis Impersonator, from Brass Castle brewery. At 6.7%, it is a peanut butter, facon (that's fake bacon to you and I), and banana stout. Erm, yes please! It was totally worth going for the stronger beer. It was delicious. Sweet, nutty and smooth but with an underlying smokiness, all wrapped up in big malty flavours. I would have had another if I'd had the time. This is absolutely an early candidate for beer of the day at this stage! It was nice being back in the Angel. I remember it from years ago when the aesthetics were certainly different and, whilst it's not the same, it has kept some of the character whilst generally improving the whole place. Even if the gig posters are gone. The character may not be the only thing remaining though. The ghost of the murdered prostitute has long been said to haunt the premises and there were many tales of a ghostly female singing at the end of the night and messing around with the fruit machine when it was still here. These accounts were from when the pub was in its previous form. Whether the tragic girl is still in situ since the revamp, nobody knows for sure.

The next stage of the afternoon would take me down into Sneinton Market, an area that, for some years, was a bit of a pub and real ale wasteland. However, over recent years, significant investment and rejuvenation has begun and continues to go on, improving the area and facilities for locals and visitors. A number of pubs have sprung up too, creating a very nice little circuit with the venues situated at the bottom end of Hockley. The next trio of pubs are new arrivals in these pages. After leaving the Angel, I made my way down Hockley, crossed Huntingdon Street and walked up into Sneinton Market, in the direction of the Victoria swimming baths. On the corner of Handel Street is a recently reopened pub that is the newest addition to this part of town, The Bath Inn. 

Don't let the Egyptian Art Deco exterior fool you. There's a much older building underneath. The Bath Inn was built around 1820 and refronted between 1920 and 1930 in an exotic style inspired by the national interest in Egyptian culture and styles, and also in keeping with the nearby Turkish baths. A Grade II listed building, the Bath Inn was a fully licensed establishment in 1871, under W. Harvey. Formerly a Shipstone's house, the Bath at one stage operated as both a pub and a chip shop before a lengthy period of closure which finally came to an end when it reopened in December 2021. The new owner is Piers Wheatcroft-Baker, local garden centre magnate and son of Doctor Who actor Tom Baker no less, who has continued the Egyptian Revival facade both inside and out. Internally, the chip shop counter has gone, replaced by sarcophagi and other Egyptian style artefacts. A mannequin of a diver in a bathing costume is suspended over the bar, which is tucked into the back of the room. There is a piano, branded candle holders and lots of seating throughout. To the left of the entrance is a snug with an enormous mirror and soft lighting. A smaller area with settles and small tables is to the right. A large open room sits between the two entrance doors which makes a perfect spot to observe the local area. Another smaller room with upholstered seating is located near the stairs, which lead down to the toilets, with a kitchen beyond, though this is currently not in use. I've heard mixed things from locals about what it's like in here so I'm glad to be able to check it out for myself. Luckily, unlike it's former self, real ale is available and there is a choice of beer from 4 hand pumps, with my options being Vocation Bread & Butter, Dancing Duck Ay Up, Doom Bar and St. Austell Proper Job. I was served by Mr. Wheatcroft-Baker himself (don't mention his dad) and selected the Proper Job, taking it with me to sit in the room with the large mirror, just as the Beatles came on over the sound system. So far, so good. The beer was well kept and reasonably priced for the area, contradicting some of the reports I'd heard. The decor is the star here though. Where else in Nottingham, nay the country, could you sup a beer and make eye contact with a slightly unnerving Egyptian sarcophagus at the same time? Exactly.

It was back into the market proper now, to the second Castle Rock venue on the itinerary and a place that, since September, I've been proud to call my place of work. Located on Southwell Road, on the very edge of the market, is the Fox & Grapes.

Regarded as a heritage pub, the Fox & Grapes is literally a pub in two halves. The front portion that faces the street dates from 1905-06 and was designed by Evans and Son, masking the remains of a much older 19th century building of the same name, located to the rear. The join between the buildings can be seen from the Avenue C beer garden side. The pub was renamed Peggers, from a local poacher's act of 'pegging' his catches to railings at the front of the pub, and owned by Banks's until a long period of closure. Ornate windows led to the local nickname 'Pretty Windows' although no trace exists of what led to this name, with research suggesting that now absent frame tracery from the Edwardian refit may have been responsible. The pub also has rather grisly claim to fame. On September 8th 1963, the then landlord, former miner George Wilson, was brutally stabbed to death just yards from the pub. Nobody was ever brought to justice and the case remains Nottinghamshire's oldest unsolved murder. Castle Rock reopened the pub in September 2017 spookily, and completely accidentally, on the anniversary of the murder. The previous two roomed layout has been opened up into a single L-shaped room with two raised areas on either side of the front door. A high ceiling and large windows give a light and airy feel. The bar occupies one side of the room, built partly around a load bearing pillar. The old Peggers sign from the time of Banks's ownership hangs above the bar. My workplace boasts a lot of choice for the connoisseur. 11 handpulls, 8 craft keg taps and an extensive choice of bottled and canned beers mean there is something for everyone and I'm not just saying that! Being a Castle Rock pub, there are a few of their cask beers on namely, Harvest Pale, Preservation, Elsie Mo and Screech Owl, alongside 4 guests, on this occasion Deya It's All Linked, Castle Rock Army of Me, Siren Jiggery Pokery and Thornbridge Market Porter. The remaining 3 handpulls serve real cider, currently Weston's Old Rosie, Lilley's Mango and Ampleforth Abbey Medium Dry. On this occasion, as I tend to do when I have a beer after work, I went for the Elsie Mo. It wasn't for brand loyalty reasons or anything. I just happen to really like it! If you're unfamiliar, Elsie Mo is a 4.7% golden ale which is both hoppy and bitter and, if I do say so myself, very well kept, reflected by the pub's inclusion in the Good Beer Guide 2022. I can also say that we are the proud recipients of a Pub of Excellence Award from Nottingham CAMRA. It is a joy working here and it was about time that it featured in the blog, especially as I had a reason to be in the area on my day off. It seems that everyone locally knows the story of the 'Pretty Windows Murder' that lends the pub a hint of notoriety. Has it left an impression on the pub? It's a strange one. I'm not saying the pub is haunted. I am saying that, more than once I've come in to work to find a window open that I know I closed the night before and that can only be opened from inside. Add to that, the occasional cold breeze, strange sound, knocks and the bizarre time that a tap behind the bar turned itself on and it's safe to say the jury is out. 

I was approaching the end of my day now but I still had a few venues to tick off. Next up was the third pub in what I've decided just this second to call the 'Sneinton triumvirate'. Virtually opposite the Fox & Grapes, all I had to do was cross the road to reach the Partizan Tavern.

Nottingham's newest micropub opened in July 2021 in a premises that was formally a betting shop. Run by a local CAMRA member, the pub is named after Partizan Belgrade, a Serbian football team that the landlord regularly visits. The interior is bright and airy, with an L-shaped bar and two large windows that look out onto Manvers Street. 4 handpulls are located on the long arm of the L and there are two fridges stocked with both soft drinks and craft beer. Real ciders are available direct from the box and the range and quality of these have led to the Partizan Tavern being awarded CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year for 2022. Wall decoration is primarily Partizan Belgrade football programs. I'd heard there was always an interesting choice of beers on here and that turned out to be pretty accurate. The 4 options available to me were Totally Brewed Into the Portal, Little Critters Malty Python, Lenton Lane Very Iggy and Lords Brewing Co. L.A. Speed Check Mountain IPA. The slightly long-winded and confusing name of the latter instantly attracted me so it was no contest really. I wasn't familiar with Lords Brewing Co., but it turns out they're from Golcar near Huddersfield and, if this beer is anything to go by, I'll be looking out for their stuff more often. At 4%, L.A. Speed Check Mountain IPA, is a hazy, session pale ale, brewed with American hops. It's very juicy, hoppy and citrusy and very refreshing. The landlord is a very nice bloke and I enjoyed a chat with him about the local area and how it's improved in leaps and bounds from a few years ago. The Partizan is definitely one to come back to. 

I headed back towards the other end of town now as I had two more destinations left before calling time. Firstly, I wanted to revisit to a place I'd bypassed earlier as it wasn't open. Heading in virtually a straight line from Sneinton back to Hounds Gate, it was time to reassess the Royal Children. 

The current building is believed to be a 1920s or 1930s rebuild of a pub that stood on the site, with the previous building being first referred to as an inn in 1799 when the landlord was John Clayton. The name stems from a popular legend that Princess Anne (later Queen Anne), the daughter of James II, took refuge in Nottingham in December 1688 when the king's reign was failing, and her children were given refuge at an inn that stood on this site. However, given the dates given for the building's construction and the fact that none of her children born before this visit were still alive, and her next son was born 8 months later, this very much seems to be based on legend and not fact. For whatever reason though, the story persists and the name of the pub has remained unchanged. Although, the presence of children on the site would certainly explain the childlike footsteps that have been heard on the upper floor of the building at night, most recently by the former manager, and the number of other reports of strange activity, although this could also be explained by the fact that the pub backs onto Ye Olde Salutation Inn, renowned as one of the most haunted pubs in the city and possibly the country. The Royal Children has had something of a reputation over the years that I've lived in Nottingham, usually an unfavourable one. It's never really been known for beer and has relied on a very specific clientele that don't tend to be particularly welcoming to strangers. Despite this, it did previously stock real ale

and featured in my very first blog entry, 9 (!) years ago. Amy and I also came here once, in the middle of the day, and witnessed a man try and start a fight with a complete stranger in the virtually empty pub. It was good news then when Pub People announced that they'd bought the lease and were taking the pub over, overseen by another good friend of mine. Gone was the jukebox, the TV and the fruit machine and in came a craft beer fridge and the return of real ale. My friend is no longer the manager there but I didn't think much would have changed in the couple of months since he'd left. How wrong I was. The TVs and fruit machine have returned, the latter in place of the aforementioned beer fridge, and a pool table has been put in what was previously a seating area. Worst of all, real ale has gone. Not one of the 5 handpulls had anything to offer. I've since discovered that Star have reacquired the lease from Pub People so at the moment, things have taken a backward step as far as this pub is concerned. I have to say, it's a bit of a disappointment. 

I had one destination left for scrutiny and that meant making my way back to where my day had started. Down Maid Marian Way, left onto Canal Street and right back onto Carrington Street. A few yards from where my bus would later be departing, is the Barley Twist.

The third and final Castle Rock property on my tour, the Barley Twist is located in a former sweet shop, from where it takes its name. Primarily a craft beer bar, it is spread over two floors with a ground floor that features original brickwork and high ceilings along with a small number of tables, as well toilets to the rear. Downstairs is a rustic cellar bar which is perfect for a quiet drink and can also easily cater for functions. Train departure times are displayed on a board to help quell any nagging anxiety about missing the last train back to wherever. The bar is primarily craft beer oriented with a number of products in key keg. There are also a couple of large, very well stocked, bottle and can fridges against one wall in case anyone is in need of train beers. Two cask ale pumps also feature on the bar, offering Castle Rock beers, in this case Harvest Pale and Preservation. The latter seems like the perfect way to round the day off. This is a 4.4% best bitter, that carries a strong malty character and is slightly sweet with hints of caramel. A pint of it, whilst perched at the bar chatting to the bar staff was certainly a good way to finish. 

What a day it had been. Nottingham had been long overdue a reappraisal of its drinking scene, especially in the wake of the pandemic. All in all, I found my adopted home city's beer scene to be in rude health, barring one glaring disappointment. I'd certainly been able to compare and contrast the current state of play with how things were a few years ago when I last explored it in depth. Have things improved? I would have to say yes. New and/or improved drinking venues that continue to offer delicious beer can only be celebrated. Nottingham is certainly growing its reputation as a beer destination and it has to be said that it is richly deserved with each new venue offering something different and a reason to keep returning. But things are still developing. More venues are on the way. Nottingham is in the midst of a development boom that promises to bring more good things our way. I'm already aware of more premises in development or opening imminently and that can only be promising. In time, it will certainly call for another survey. I'll try not to leave it as long next time.