Part One
The gang of four caught the 40 bus to Broughton. This was a gentle introduction, we just visited the Broughton & District Club to score. Nice club, bowls, tennis courts, social club, I’ve played bridge here in the past, and they have beer festival in September. Just two beers, we all tried the 3B’s Blonde. Back to the bus to Preston, we had decided to visit the two new micro pubs in Longridge, bus 1to the first pub, the Tap & Vent, nice welcome, four beers on, with two from the Blackedge Brewery in Horwich, US Ale and Dark Mild. We had a half of Bowland Hen Harrier in the new Billy’s Wine Bar. We continued to Derby Street and the Hoppy Days, a lovely micro, with a very warm welcome and great beers. Bus back to Preston and a quick half in the fairly new Guild Ale House and most of the party caught the train back to Lancaster.
Part Two
Tuesday 25th April. The gang of four was down to two, for the ‘Grand Tour of Lancashire’, seven trains and two buses, train from Lancaster to Preston and onto Ormskirk, to visit ‘The Cricketers’, the West Lancashire entry for the Lancashire POTY. Train back to Preston and onto to Chorley for the Malt’n’Hops, the Central Lancashire entry, I thought this the best pub of the day! Back to Blackpool, bus ride out to Stanley Park and Blackpool Cricket Club, this club often wins the county award, bus back to town and the Pump & Truncheon, at the back of the Golden Mile. Train back to Lancaster via Preston.
Part Three
Sunday 7th May. We had visited the New Inn at Cltheroe after the recent Bowland Brewery visit, so we added four more trains to finish our tour of Lancashire, with a visit to Accrington, mainly to score the Sydney Street WM Club, great beer. We decided on a pub crawl around Acrington, and it was a short walk uphill to Peel Park Hotel, next door to Accrington Stanley’s old ground. A longish walk down to Manchester Road and Grants Bar, a brewpub for the Big Clock Brewery. We walked back to the station, visiting the Commercial, the town’s Wetherspoons, and the last of the three entries in the Good Beer Guide.