One Step Beyond In Long Eaton

Having had a blogging hiatus recently due to a week’s break in Whitby and visiting arguably the best country pub in Britain, The Hayburn Wyke Inn, and drinking nectar pints of Black Sheep…

then it was back to earth  with a bang.

Some good old school Derbyshire no nonsense boozers bang to be precise.  I know how Dave in particular likes no nonsense British boozers and if you can find one in a town centre then it’s even better.

A pub calling itself AKA The Bass House with a mobility scooter parked out front and lots of posters advertising ska music – what’s not to like?

Having had a distinct lack of Madness songs in any blog post thus far then a ska picture was good enough reason for their classic skanking track.

Gentrification hasn’t quite reached Long Eaton town centre yet but not embracing the craft revolution does have its plus points.

(a pub and jewellery repair centre all in one!)

This town is on the Derby/Nottingham border so I reckon a 49/49 split between Rams and Forest fans with the rest possibly following Anna Soubry’s favourite team (soon to be gracing the Conference) Notts County.

Long Eaton United also has a team and I reckon they will have been on Duncan’s hit list and this is an area that won’t be tuning in avidly to the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.  A working class football stronghold I believe the phrase is.

There were a couple of boozers I passed by that looked infinitely less salubrious than 378 – The Blue Bell NG10 1JB, which is in the middle of the High Street and an eye catching place.

There was a decent street musician nearby who was banging out some tunes and a bloke who was preparing to join him for a warble looking like he’d had a liquid lunch despite his suit.

The barman was funny and having a laugh with the two old boys at the bar and one of whom looked like he’d been perched there for a while.

(Barman failing to hide behind J20 pump…)

He poured me half a Hobgoblin (Wychwood) which was fairly non-descript to be honest but this place is more about the boozer than the beer.

It’s a clean, well-kept L-shaped place with a pool table, dart board and jukebox along with plenty of characters. In particular, a woman in the back who was playing pool manically on her own and crashing balls around the table whilst banging out tunes on the jukebox.

There’s likely to be stewards’ enquiry from Martin, Ian and Mudgie over the Bass House title of the boozer as the likelihood of the red triangle appearing here is pretty slim I reckon.

(Getting ready for Baggy Trousers)

But it’s boisterous, in yer face and in the centre of town so I reckon it’s a different animal of an evening with free pool, live bands, karaoke and a sense of humour…

…it is definitely a venue to have a play up in as opposed to earnest beer sommelier style drinking.

Not packed on a Thursday afternoon when I visited but I reckon this has a pretty good passing trade throughout the day along with its barfly regulars.

This is the heavy heavy monster sound of Madness….