Any loose reference to the Sex Pistols only album of note (although it did miss off Friggin’ In The Riggin’) is always an attention grabber and it’s probably still on the Billboard Chart in the USA so Dave will know what I’m talking about…Dick just likes Bob Dylan.
I was hoping to save this blog title for the terrifically named Jorrocks bar in Derby but I’ve still not been there, so it’s going to have to wait.
In all honesty, there really isn’t a lot to write about some boozers and that doesn’t mean they are bad, just lacking in BRAPA style shenanigans when I pop in.
Case in point yesterday afternoon, or rather around 5pm when I visited 417 – The Kings Head DE65 5GG on the main street in Hilton, a suburb of Derbyshire.
(longest pub in Hilton!)
Hilton’s got at least 8,000 punters now and the new builds keep on coming. I reckon Duncan might well have watched Hilton Harriers on his groundhopping escapades as they have a Saturday afternoon team in the Central Midlands Football League (South Division), which isn’t bad for a club that was only formed in 1992.
Houses keep sprouting up everywhere and it loosely borders Willington, Tutbury and Etwall all of which seem to have a far better selection of boozers.
Don Amott Leisure Kingdom is based in Hilton. He’s the man who’s famous as the king of Caravans (you must remember the advert from seventies) and it’s become a commuter village for Derby or Nottingham nowadays.
For the size of Hilton it’s got a dearth of pubs although The Old Talbot is a classic of its kind and one of the oldest buildings in the village.
Your other traditional boozer option is further up the Main road on the opposite side and is a long narrow building that was ticking along nicely.
Groups of drinkers, diners and couples on the lash left the atmosphere suitably upbeat; with some nondescript background tunes.
I had a choice of Bombardier, which is brewed by Wells, now known as Eagle Brewery but, ostensibly, brewed in Burton or a pint of Pedigree.
I plumped for the former but, even with my untrained palate it tasted as though it was on the turn…
I know Martin has given up recently taking back any below par cask on his tour of Wales here and here.
In fact, he’s decided to join the rest of us and is now blogging about Carling only pubs in the Black County and has become a craft keg convert.
However, I approached the barmaid and once she assured me it shouldn’t be on the turn, she was more than happy to give me a fresh pint of Pedigree (Marston’s) and promptly tip the Bombardier down the sink.
So, a standard village/suburb boozer on a main road with a decent atmosphere and prepared (I won’t say ecstatic) to change cask on the turn, is always the sign of a decent boozer. Other punters were ordering Carling and Guinness whilst I was there so it’s a proper pub…
I’ll be intrigued to see how Hilton shapes up over the coming years with more houses proposed as I reckon the shopping precinct is bound to have a shop unit free soon and a small boozer will definitely be on the agenda as I reckon there is still an untapped market here.
The Kings Head, like The Old Talbot over the road are here to stay ad with a Generous George boozer in the shopping precinct it just needs one more I reckon to complete the set of 21st century big suburb pub options.
🎼 “…The price is right, and the choice is yours”. I wonder how Don is these days…
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Still banging out quality caravans apparently!!!
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Big rivalry with Camping Continental it seemed at the time. There’s probably a jolly good Ealing Comedy style film in it…
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Definitely! I’ll claim 20% of the royalties for a part of the idea 😄
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I’m sure you meant to write…Don Amott, the sponsor of the home stand at Burton Albion.
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That was my next line…!
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“Any loose reference to the Sex Pistols only album of note”
Even I know that one! 🙂
“just lacking in BRAPA style shenanigans when I pop in.”
Which will change when you chauffeur him around. 😉
“in the Central Midlands Football League (South Division)”
So, level 11 in the scheme of things.
“all of which seem to have a far better selection of boozers.”
If it was like sports teams over here, I’d say all three villages were keeping the competition at bay by refusing to allow pubs there. 🙂
“I had a choice of Bombardier, which is brewed by Wells, now known as Eagle Brewery ”
Hmm. I buy 500ml cans of that every so often over here. Will have to check what it says next time on the can.
“and has become a craft keg convert.”
(chuckle)
“and a small boozer will definitely be on the agenda as I reckon there is still an untapped market here.”
An astute observation.
“with a Generous George boozer in the shopping precinct”
Is that the Hilton Brook?
“to complete the set of 21st century big suburb pub options.”
Crikey. When you put it that way it sounds like the standard big hotel template in every major world city. (sigh)
Cheers
PS – “are here to stay ad with”
Never mind the ‘n’s, eh!
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Like the use of the ‘n’s’ at the end!!! Yes, it’s the Hilton Brook…and terrific knowledge of the English football pyramid!!!
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Ta. 🙂
I must confess, with regards to the English football pyramid, I fire up Wiki for that. 😉
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You can use titles like this twice. On a side note, what is your method of choosing the next pub to visit? Chance? Mapped out? Just curious.
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A bit of both…Often chance if I’m passing or on an ‘errand’ Sometimes they will be mapped out if it is a fay or evening out…..always pretty fluid though
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Probably a bit of a sweeping statement, but, from my observations locally, people in new builds don’t like cask ale, and round here they don’t really like traditional pubs neither, unless it’s for Sunday lunch. If you’re going to open up in one in of those units in the shopping centre then all you need is wine, Prosecco, several varieties of tea and styles of coffee and a ‘so called’ premium lager; many still think Erdinger is quite esoteric. Mind you, anywhere that didn’t sell Marston’s PLC brands would be a novelty where you hang out.
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It is a sweeping statement but….if I opened a new small pub I would definitely sell lager both premium and craft (probably standard too)
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You are right- seen Hilton Harriers on their own ground and on a 4G school pitch in bad weather. Very community minded club. The guy who does their programme is a Reading fan (now under a “soft transfer embargo” because of FFP). That’s Reading not Hulton Harriers.
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Small world! Oh no that’s how it started for us….we might both be playing Hilton in a decade 🙄🙄
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