AFTER GIG GATHERING - WARRINGTON

[LCG]

We've booked a place called The Lounge, less than 5 minutes walk from the gig venue, for our After Gig get-together. It's a really great looking place...an old converted post office, I believe....with a great bar upstairs and a cellar-type thing going on downstairs, which is perfect for what we want.

Yes, they have some cask ales too!

Straight after the gig until around 1am. Punk, alternative, goth, new wave, indie, reggae, ska...you know the score by now!

Free entry, as always.

Thanks to Tosh for putting in lots of time to make this happen.

[Master Ray]

Can't wait!  I put a message on TA about rock pubs in Warrington (when I'd had a few drinks) and meant to forward it onto you but... well, forgot! 

Really looking forward to it, mate.

[paul74]

I will put in a list of pubs for those going to the gig sometime this weekend - plenty of decent pubs to sample for those getting ther early - used to be home to 3 breweries (now sadly shut and gone) so we should know something about beer!:)

[Master Ray]

There still seem to be really cheap (£29) rooms at the Premier Inn, Warrington Central, if anyone wants a stopover... that's where I'm booked in...

[LCG]

Same here. And that's just around the corner.

[Master Ray]

Actually, that PI is quite a bugger to find, Googlemaps seems to indicate that it's very close, but I was there last year for the Fish gig at Warrington PH and I swear that the path that they say will lead right to it doesn't exist!

No matter.  Plenty of time to sort it out.  Again, can't wait.

[paul74]

Ok here's my pub guide to Warrington pubs in the town centre - most will serve real ale and are either old and historic and will give you a good welcome - obviously it is definitive and others in the area can either confirm or say I'm talking nonsense!

Pubs to visit

Barley Mow - one of the oldest
The Lower Angel - small, old and with micro brewery on premises i think last time I checked
Porters Ale House - plenty of real ales - trooper on draught amongst a host of others - supports the local music scene
white hart - old pub and has always supported the local music scene - near venue 5 mins
9 gallon - recently opened - holds about 50 - all real ale and some brewed by the owner - near venue 5 mins
the lounge - pop your heads in so you know where the after show is:) - near venue 1 min

there are also 2 wetherspoons in the town centre - the friar penketh and the looking glass

i would say you should be paying no more than 2.50 / 3 for most beers in all of the pubs - think the parr hall (the venue) will be a little dearer.

Geography of the bars and train stations - Central and Bank Quay

central is obviously more central to the town centre (10-15mins to the venue) and more pubs - bank quay is closer (5 mins from the venue) however the town centre is not that big and everywhere pub wise is in walking distance - depending on your time of arrival on a friday you will be better walking than getting a cab

for those making an afternoon of it i would suggest something like:

meet at porters - 5 mins from central, 10/ 15 mins from bank quay
then go into the looking glass wetherspoons
onto the lower angel

possible slight detour to the blue bell and the barley mow

or go to the white hart and then the 9 gallon bar .

maybe a quick one or two in the lounge to get a feel for the place

if early evening arrivals - 5ish

from central

maybe go to looking glass or barley mow before then going to the 9 gallon so your are near the venue

from bank quay

maybe go to the white hart then the 9 gallon

for this desperate for a drink after the train journey:)

central - kings head is 10 yards over the road or you have the hop pole or prince of wales opposit each other about 150m away as you walk into the town centre.

Bank quay - pattern arms hotel - 10 yards away decent atmosphere - maybe a little dearer than the other bars

hope that is ok for everyone - theres a couple of others that know warrington that may also wish to comment

disclaimer - I have no pecuniary interest in any of the bars mentioned.

for the hardened drinkers and late stayers the after show I think will kick us out about 130 - porters I think is open until maybe 2 or 3 so there's the last chance saloon to carry on the drinking.

Oh try and stay away from the bottom of bridge street - that's where the youngie pubs are;)

hope you all enjoy your visit.

tosh

if you need any hotel info then let me know

[Master Ray]

Bloody hell, Paul 74, damn fine post!

 

Whats your opinion on getting to the Premier Inn (Central) because, as I said, it was a bugger to find when I was last there...

[paul74]

i think this is relatively new mate its near the further educaion college and a beefeater style restaurant- if you come off the m62 (think its warrington north) winwick / newton from liverpool and follow the road to the town centre it will be on your left but it is easy to miss the turning off the main road - about 3/4 miles from mway turn off.

again depending on the time on the friday - you maybe as fast walking the 2/3 miles to town rather than paying for a cab  or just get a bus = maybe 1.50 bus stop on the main rd near the hotel

is that any use?

[Master Ray]

i think this is relatively new mate its near the further educaion college and a beefeater style restaurant- if you come off the m62 (think its warrington north) winwick / newton from liverpool and follow the road to the town centre it will be on your left but it is easy to miss the turning off the main road - about 3/4 miles from mway turn off.

again depending on the time on the friday - you maybe as fast walking the 2/3 miles to town rather than paying for a cab  or just get a bus = maybe 1.50 bus stop on the main rd near the hotel

is that any use?

Cheers, Paul... I'm staying at the Premier Inn known as Central North... I think this might be the one on the edge of an industrial park...

I'm coming via the train so the last time I was here, I took a right and followed the road right down until I came to that big club that used to be called MR SMITHS (yes, I am old enough to remember 'The Hitman And Her'...  ... )then the only way to get to the hotel was following the path a bit further, then going down a stinky overgrown path down by the river until I came out at, yes, the hotel I was looking for...

I've never had to work so hard to find a hotel.  Better advice would be much appreciated.

[paul74]

one bar I left out - algave rum bar - next door to 9 gallon for all you rum aficado's

the palmyra bar is decent little bar about 50m from parr hall but no real ales

just checking curry houses but think it is an area sadly lacking in recent years especially in the town centre - there are not many sit-downs places to eat late on at night - all takeaways im afraid

the next day - the cottage near sainsburys is or was decent bit pricey and again for the history lovers and to cap off a great nma weekend the cottage is an historical building where it is rumoured oliver cromwell stayed as he was passing through the town - there is also a statue of cromwell at the bottom of bridge street / academy way....

[Shush]

Paul mate, its great when the NMA play your town ?? , happy for you.

I, we, are now quite spoilt in Notts as its now a regular that they play in December at Rock City every year.

Remember in the "questions" session, Justin said they are spoilt for choice with venues, but for us Notts following, its great to have Rock City,

My gig bud Barty took his Dad last time, for the first time. Spoke to him afterwards, he said he loved it, and will be there this year.

[Master Ray]

ROCK CITY is far and away my fave gig venue in the UK...

[paul74]

Shush - it was a pleasant surprise when it was announced - strange venue really the parr hall - we miss out a lot because obviously we are in between Manchester and Liverpool and there are umpteen venues in both of these cities however sometimes the parr hall surprises you

we've had the manics in the early days, the artic monkeys did a secret gig and probably the most famous one was the stone roses comeback the other year - its a good venue and nma should be a good fit:)

[Master Ray]

Paul, were you at that Manics gig?  I was and it was of the best I ever went to... I came out with my ears ringing and both my T-shirt and denim jacket utterly soaked through with sweat...

Only been back three times since then (a Henry Rollins spoken word gig, The Levellers and Fish last year), but I can honestly say that I love the place... can't wait to see NMA there...