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….
Brilliant stuff.
Was almost tempted in last year when visited for the micro pub there. The “Don’t care if you’re Robbie or Kenneth” poster – is that supposed to be Bowie ?
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Great spot. Definitely Bowie in his post Queen Bitch era – my fave Bowie tune!
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First recorded reference about Kenneth Williams in a blog since 1978. Plenty of decent pubs in Long Eaton (and the ground’s not bad). As you say, dangerously close to Notts though.
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Yes, almost an annual pilgrimage to Long Eaton and Sawley for the GBG ticker.
Typically, BeerMat finds the one that hasn’t graced the Guide in my ticking lifetime!
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I do like GBG pubs…honest guv’nor!
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My pal’s son plays for their junior side and he says the set up is good. I am hoping to sneak Bernard Bresslaw into the next one.
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Quite a big cast to squeeze in but carry on..,,,
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Oh very good!!!!!
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Only ever stopped in Long Eaton once on our canal journeys, in 2009 – visited the Royal Oak, The Barge and the Tiger Inn one lunchtime. Only The Barge remains! Never made it to the town centre.
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Blimey two out of three gone in ten years! I like the Barge…is it next to the canal?
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Yes, there’s a bit of a clue in the name…lol! (It is over the road from the Erewash Canal)
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Good point!!!
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LOL!
Was going to say something similar to your reply. 🙂
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A good point made once again 😀😀
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Now then, the Hole in the Wall on Regent Street in Long Eaton is interesting. Two lamps bearing red triangles outside …
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….well worth a visit 🔺🔺🔺 I’ll check it out 👍🍻
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“was good enough reason for their classic skanking track”
I don’t know about over there, but over here ‘skank’ takes on a whole new meaning. 🙂
“looking like he’d had a liquid lunch despite his suit.”
(chuckle)
“but this place is more about the boozer than the beer.”
Nowt wrong with that.
“and crashing balls around the table whilst banging out tunes on the jukebox.”
That would be the skank then? 😉
“as the likelihood of the red triangle appearing here is pretty slim I reckon”
False advertising!
“but I reckon this has a pretty good passing trade throughout the day along with its barfly regulars”
Every good pub needs a core. 🙂
Cheers
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Skank has a dual meaning here as well Russ 😉
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