First visited : 10th July 2011
Just beyond where The Woolpack used to be is the junction with the A664, after which the A58 reverts back to a single carriageway and enters the district of Hamer. The next pub you come to on the left is a Sam Smith's pub called Flower Of The Valley. It's always been a distinctive grey colour.
Despite its lovely name this is another pub I'd never felt inclined to visit. In September 1993 I arranged to meet a blind date here because she lived nearby and it was the first unambiguous meeting place that came to mind. When she turned up we decided straightaway to move on to somewhere more gentil up Whitworth Road ( I was driving ) without calling in at this one. In hindsight we should have stayed put ; that would have ended the misery sooner. No, she was a nice enough lady ( not a girl ) but we were each a million miles away from what the other was seeking.
So not until around 5.15 pm today did I cross the threshold and after last week's horror I was braced for the worst. Fortunately it didn't deliver on that score. It's quite an old fashioned pub with seperate rooms going off from the main bar area which looked pretty basic. The rooms are quite acceptable. The main lounge is clean and tidy with a bad choice of wallpaper but some nice pictures while a smaller snug to the left of the bar looked invitingly cosy. The wood pannelled games room also looked attractive.
The clientele were harmless looking; it was nice to see some other children in there. It seems to be a locals pub having only 5 parking spaces at the side and I have doubts about its future as the council estate to the rear seems to be exclusively Asian now. Nevertheless it was slightly better than expected so good luck to the landlord.
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