115 The Old Grey Mare - Royton

First  visited  :  22  December  2015

Although  I've  recorded  this  one  as  being  in  Oldham , its  postal  address  indicates  that  it's  actually  in  Royton.

It  had  only  just  opened  when  Simon  and  I  visited  this  morning  so  it  was  understandably  deserted. It's  a  large  well-kept  pub  with  a  games  room, small  beer  garden  and  a  small  separate  dining  area. They  had  a  problem  with  the  freezer  so  we  couldn't  sample  the  food. There  were  some  interesting  old  photos  on  the  walls  and  posters  advertising  live  bands  on  a  Friday. The  barmaid  was  very  friendly.

Simon  liked  it  and  there's  no   reason  why  we  wouldn't  visit  again  if  we  were  in  the  area.

114 The Queen's Arms - Oldham

First  visited  : 1989

This  is  a  sad  one  for  me.

The  Queen's  used  to  be  on  the  corner  of   Rochdale  Road  and  Chadderton  Way. This  junction  is  controlled  by  traffic  lights  so  my  bus  home  from  work  ( 1987-93 )  would  usually  be  halted  there.  Some  time  in  1989  I  noticed  a  poster  in  the  window  for  "Uncle  Peter's  Pop  Quiz",  a  weekly  event  though  I  can't  now  remember   which  night  of  the  week  it  was. It  would  either  have  been  Wednesday  or  Thursday.

Eventually  I  interested  someone  else  - again  I  can't  remember  who  was  first  - into  going    along  with  me  to  check  it  out. This  was  during  my  first  year  of  driving  and  I  always  preferred  company  even  if  they  weren't  drivers  themselves.

Uncle  Peter's  Pop  Quiz   was  very  simple  in  format. He  played  ten  songs  on  a  theme, you  wrote  down  title  and  artist  and  then  swapped  papers  with  someone  else  in  the  pub. If  you  won  you  got  one  of  those  minature  whiskey  bottles ; if  there  was  a  tie  one  of  you  went  up  to  his  deck   and  he  asked  a  tie-breaker  question. And  then  it  would  all  start  again.

More  often  than  not  my  team  would  win  whoever  my  companions  were; the  competition  was  mainly  a  bloke  called  Colin  who  stood  at  the  bar  and  must  have  been  peeved  whenever  I  showed  up  but  he  never  let  on. It  was  actually  a  very  friendly  pub  and  I  remember  one  time  we  went , we  ended  up  playing  for  two  girls  on  the  adjacent  table  to  win  some  prizes. I  often  wish  I'd  made  a  bit  more  of  that  opportunity. I  can't  tell  you  how  often  I  went  now , perhaps  half  a  dozen  times  over  a  three  year  period  ?

Then  the  poster  disappeared  from  the  window. I  rang  the  pub  up  to  check  whether  it  was  still  on. They  told  me  Peter  didn't  do  it  there  anymore  but  generously  told  me  where  I  could  now  find  him. I  didn't  recognise  the  name  of  the  pub  and  never  followed  it  up.

There  has  been  a  lasting  significance  to  my  visits  there. One  of  my  companions  was  a  guy  called  Graham  Mather  who  started  work  in  our  office  at  the  tail  end  of  1989. He  noted  my  prowess  and  a  couple  of  years  later  invited  me  to  join  him  and  a  couple  of  other  guys  at  a  regional  pop  quiz  run  by  two  guys  calling  themselves  Northern  Pop  Quizzes. I'm  still  in  touch  with  them   - one  was  DJ  at  my  wedding  reception - and  met  my  current  quiz  partner  at  one  of  their  Christmas  quizzes. So  thanks  for  that  Uncle  Peter.  

I  don't  know  when  it  closed. It's  now  a  Shisha  bar.  

113 Trap Inn - Oldham

First  visited : 12  December  2015

This  was  a  strange  one.  The  Trap  Inn  is  further  down  Rochdale  Road  on  the  right  hand  side. Having  worked  out  where  to  park  which  took  a  bit  of  time  as  there's  nowhere  obvious, I  approached  with  some  trepidation. The  corner  window  let  you  see  into  a  completely  bare  games  room, there  was  no  signage  as  far  as  I  could  see  and  there  was  a  hole  - possibly  even  a  bullet  hole- in  the  front  window.

I  walked  into  the  lounge  and  it  was  lovely, practically  deserted  but  well  laid  out  and  spotless. I  had  obviously  visited  mid-refurbishment  with  all  the  seating  newly  upholstered  and  clean. The  bar  man  hadn't  much  to  serve, just  a  couple  of  fridges  full  of  cans  and  bottles  and  a  handful  of  packets  of  crisps  and  you  wonder  why  they've  bothered  to  open  up  at  all  before  the  work's  finished  but  hey  ho  it 's  another  one  off  the  list.

112 Spotted Cow- Oldham

Not  visited

We  must  have  been  sitting  upstairs  on  the  bus  to  spot  this  one  which  was  situated  on  a  side  street  some  way  off  Rochdale  Road  as  it  exits  the  town  centre.

111 The Roebuck - Oldham

Not  visited

This  one  was  also  on  King  St  Oldham. It  is  now  an  Indian  restaurant.

110 The Star Inn - Oldham

Not  visited

This  one  was  right  in  the  centre  of   Oldham  on  King  St. It   closed  in  2005  and  is  now  a  fast  food  outlet.

109 The Mare and Foal - Oldham

Not  visited

This  pub  was  right  at  the  top  of  Ashton  Road, on  the  left  just  before  the  big  roundabout  giving  access  to  Olham  town  centre. The  building's  still  there  but  the  pub  closed  down  in  2003.

108 Junction Hotel - Oldham

Not  visited

This  pub  was getting  into  Oldham  proper  on  the  left  hand  side  of  Ashton  Road. It  has  been  closed  at  least  since  2009.

107 The Greaves Arms - Hathershaw

Not  visited

I seem  to  have  just  missed  this  one  as  it  closed  down  earlier  this  year.

106 The Druid's Arms - Hathershaw

First  visited  :  6  December  2015

This  one  didn't  look  too  promising  either.  It's   a  little  further  towards  Oldham  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  road  , tucked  in  amongst  Asian-owned  fast  food  outlets  and  taxi  firms  with  a  Krishna  Community  Centre  behind  it.

I  was  quite  surprised  to  find  it  well  patronised  this  afternoon  with  only  Welling  v  Carlisle  on  the  TV.  It  has  the  one  large  lounge, over-lit  and  cheaply  decorated  but  clean  enough  and  advertises  live  entertainment  at  weekends. There  was  nothing  calling  for  a  return  visit  but  it  was  OK.

105 The Colliers Arms Cross Hotel - Hathershaw

Not  visited

This  one  was  further  up  the  road  from  The  Honeywell  Arms  towards  Oldham .Although  some  of  the  signs  for  it  are  still  in  place  it  is  now  a  white  goods  store.

104 The Honeywell Arms - Hathershaw

First  visited : 14  November  2015

I  certainly  wasn't  looking  forward  to  visiting  this  down-at-heel  Robinson's  pub  situated  just  outside  the  Park  Cakes  factory  which  is  presumably  the  reason  for  its  survival  ( although  many  of  the  employees  are  Muslims ). The  peeling  paintwork  and  rotting  window  frames   promised  absolutely  nothing  and  my  visit  was  as  brief  as  possible.

I  only saw  the  lounge  area. I've  been  in  dirtier  places  but  there  was  nothing  charming  about  it. A  few  tawdry  Christmas  decorations  had  gone up  or  possibly  were  left  over  from  last  year  and  somebody's  hand  drawings  of various  celebrities  had  been  framed  and  put  on  the  walls.

The  barman  was  a  grizzled  middle  aged  guy  wearing  an  anorak  and  bobble  hat  as  if  ready  to  vacate  the  premises  at a  moment's  notice. Some  guy  wearing  white  overalls  passed  through  but  none  of  the  seven  or  eight  guys  drinking  at  the  bar  looked  like  they  worked  at  the  factory,  or  anywhere  else  for  that  matter. Some  younger  people  were  playing  pool to  the  side  of  me,  all  of  them  swearing  away   like  troopers , particularly  the  females. The  best  thing  I  can  say  about  the  place  is  that  I  got  out  unharmed.    

103 Hathershaw Hotel - Hathershaw

First  visited : 25  October  2015

I  didn't  have  high  hopes  for  this  one  as  Hathershaw  isn't  the  nicest  area  in  Oldham  ( or  the  worst  to  be  fair ).

It's  a  large  red  brick  building  which  has  seen  better  days. It's  now  just  called  "The  Hathershaw"  which  seems  more  in  keeping  with  the  area. When  Simon  and  I  called  today  the  front  door  was  shut. A  lady  nearby  told  us  this  was  to  keep  the  numbers  manageable  with  the  Manchester  derby  being  shown. This  proved  to  be  comically  unnecessary  as  there  were  barely  a  dozen  people  there  - and  that's  including  Simon  and  I  - when  the  game  kicked   off. That's  the  biggest  impression  the  place  made  on  me, how  much  larger  it  is  than  it  now  needs  to  be. It's  cold , cavernous  and  sparsely  decorated  and  some  of  the  seating  is  appallingly  shabby  but  it's  not  unwelcoming  and  the  staff  were  friendly  enough.

It  hosts  live  bands  at  weekend. There  didn't  seem  to  be  a  stage  for  them  but  looking  at  the  picture  above  it  seems  like  there  might  be  a  function  room  on  the  upper  floor.

I'm  not  likely  to  call  again  but  it  could  have  been  much  worse.    

102 The Black Diamond - Bardsley

First  visited : 23  June  2000

I've  marked  this  one  in  the  book  as  Hathershaw  but  it's  really  in  Bardsley , just  across  the  borough  border  into  Oldham.

This  one  was  visited  much  earlier  than  the  others  nearby  because  it  was  the  venue  for  the  post -walk  drink  after  a  stroll  up  to  Hartshead  Pike  from  the  nearby  museum  complex  at  Bardsley  Bridge. It  was  the  last  in  a  series  of  evening  strolls  I  led  for   Manchester  Christian  Social  Group  which  were  always  as  closest  to  the  longest  day  as  I  could  get  partly  because  the  previous  group  co-ordinator  had  the  habit  of   keeping  everyone  waiting  for  someone  who'd  said  they  might  turn  up  so  previous  strolls  through  parks  had  ended  up  being  in  the  dark.

It  wasn't  a  great  night  weather-wise  but  I  was  still  disappointed  that  only  four  including  myself  and  Julie  turned  up, the  worst  turnout  I'd  had  for  a Friday  walk.  I  think  by  that  point  it  had  become  clear  that  there  was  a  bit  of  a  clique  at  the  heart  of  the  Group  who  were  supporting  each  other's  events  but  weren't  too  fussed  about  coming  to  those  organised  by  members  outside  the circle  particularly  if  there was  some  effort  involved  in  getting  to  the  start.  Less  than  six  months  later  we  were  out  of  the  Group  after  I  tried  to  break  this  up  by  advertising  the  Group  on  the  internet . I  hadn't  asked  their  permission  having  an  inkling  that   it  wouldn't  be  given  by  the  Calvinist-inclined  new  co-ordinator ; I  think  I  was  hoping for  an  influx  of  new  members  before  they  realised  where  these  people   were  coming  from  but  they  cottoned  on  quickly  and  stamped  on  me. My  initial  response  was  to  fight  my  corner  but  a  moment's  reflection   made  me  realise  the  position  was  hopeless  so  we  left  for  pastures  new  and  the  Group  dwindled  away  into  nothing  over  the  next  couple  of  years.

Anyway  it  was  a  reasonable  walk. Julie  was  still  a  law  student  at  the  time  and  enjoyed  chatting  to  George  who  was  a  magistrate. As  far  as  I  can  recall  the  pub  was  quite  nice  inside  ; the  only  discordant  notes  were   hit  by  the  fourth  person  present ,  Barry, first  by  doing  an  impromptu  dance demonstration   and  then  sticking  up  for  his  absent  friend  Annetta  when  George  and  Julie  started  bitching  about  her, which  made  the  latter  exceedingly  cross.

101 The Dog and Pheasant - Ashton-under- Lyne

First  visited  : 23  August  2015

This  one's  a  bit  further  up  Oldham  Road   on  the  right  hand  side. The  car  park  is  very  well  hidden  to  the  rear  of  the  building. It's  a  large  pub  with   four  separate  but  very  similar-looking  old-fashioned  lounges. Its  over-decorated  with  the  usual  pictures, tea-tins, books  etc  but  unpretentious.

I  went  there  for  lunch  with  Simon  and  Julie. The  pub  was  near-empty  when  we  got  there  though  one  or  two  more  came  in  afterwards. The  young  guy  behind  the  bar  was  very  friendly. The  food  was  OK; the  portions  were  generous , the  prices  reasonable  and  the  quality  average. I  wouldn't  recommend  it  but  wouldn't  put  anyone  off  either. Julie  thought  the  cutlery  could  have  been  a  bit  cleaner.

100 The Dog and Partridge - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited : 21  June  2015

The  Dog  and  Partridge  is  almost  opposite  the  Woodman  , just  beyond  the  lights  at  Wilshaw  Lane.

This  was  quite  lucky  as  the  pub  only  re-opened  about  six  weeks  ago.  I  say  pub  but  it's  pretty  much  a  restaurant  now  with  only  a  small  drinking  area  and  high  drinks  prices.
Inside  it's  fashionably  light  and  airy  with  tasteful  decorations. Simon  and  I  had  lunch  there  and  it  was  quite  good  with  friendly  service. The  food  prices  are  reasonable  rather  than  great  value  but  I  certainly  wouldn't  be   averse  to  going  back  there.  

99 The Woodman Inn - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited : 31 May  2015

The  Woodman  is  about  half  a  mile  outside  of  the  town  centre  where  Wilshaw  Lane  joins  Oldham  Road.

As  it's  in  or  near  to  the  nicer  end  of  Ashton   I  had  some  hopes  this  one  would  be  a  nice  call  but  was  rather  disappointed. The  pub  lives  up  to  its  name  by  having  a  lot  of  wood  panelling  but  it  looks  odd  rather  than  attractive. In  particular  it's  created  a  very  strange  little  lounge  with  just  one  table  in  the  centre  and  any  olde  worlde  charm  cancelled  out  by  a  giant  TV  screen  on  the  wall. Elsewhere  the  seating  looks  a  little  shabby  and  the  walls  are  overdecorated  with  football  and  film  star  posters  without  rhyme  or  reason.

Although  there's  a  handwritten  notice  on  the  wall  warning  that  local  residents  have  got  diary  sheets  ready  to  record  any  disturbance  at  closing  time, the  few  patrons  when  we  called  were  a  handful  of  old  men  checking  out  the  racing. One,  not  noticeably  Scottish,  guy  was  waiting  for  the  Scottish  Cup  Final   on  Sky  which  seemed  particularly  sad. It  was  friendly  enough  but  there  was  no  reason  to  call  again.

98 The Burlington - Ashton-under-Lyne

Not  visited

This  one  was  on  Oldham  Road. It  closed  in  2009  and  remains  boarded  up  and  empty.

97 The Ashton Hotel- Ashton-under- Lyne

Not  visited

This  one  has  me  stumped. I've  got  this  down  in  the  book  as  "Ashton  Hotel- where  do  you  think ?"  but  I've  got  no  idea  where  exactly it  was. It  must  have  been  somewhere  near  to  the  bus  station  but  I  can't  find  any  reference  to  it  anywhere. Any  Astonians  reading  this  please  help  me out  here.

96 Beau Geste - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited  :  1987 or  1988

I  used  to  wait  for  my  bus  home  just  the  other  side  of  a  road  into   the  bus  station  from  this  pub  and  occasionally  went   in  it  to  kill  time  if  I'd  just  missed  one  or  had  an  evening  meeting  to  attend. The  bus  station  has  since  been  re-located  and  now  the  shopping  centre  almost  abuts  onto  the  pub  as  seen  above.

I  recall  it  being  quite  pleasant  for  a  town  centre  pub  despite  an  unprepossessing  appearance  from  outside   and  it's  good  to  see  it  holding  out  against  redevelopment.

95 The Queen Inn - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited  : 17  May  2015

We  walked  past  this  one  on  the  way  to  the  Theatre  Tavern   a  few  weeks  back  and  I  was  rather  hoping  I'd  missed  it  out  of  the  book.  It  did  actually  close  for  a  period  around  2010  but  has  re-opened.

Actually  though,  our  visit  today  was  quite  enjoyable. The  pub  is  small, cheap  and  cheerful  with  minimal  decor  but  the  barmaid  or  perhaps  landlady  was  very  friendly,  particularly  towards  Simon. The  sandwich  I  purchased  was  quite  nice.

There  were  a  handful  of  other  punters  showing  not  much  interest  in  Swansea  v  Man  City  and  I'm  not  quite  sure  how  they  make  the  Sky  pay  given  the  limited  capacity.

I'm  not  sure  I'll  be  visiting  again  but  it  was  much  better  than  expected.

94 The Robin Hood - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited : 19  April  2015

At  some  point  the  Robin  Hood  changed  its  name  to  The  Theatre  Tavern, reflecting  its  position  next  to  the  town's  Hippodrome  Theatre. The  theatre  actually  closed in  2008  and  was at  one  point  threatened  with  demolition  before  being  granted  listed  building  status. A  charitable  trust  has  plans  to  reopen  it  in  the  near  future.  It  was  under   Tameside  MBC's  management  when  I  worked  for  them  and  many  of  my  colleagues  quietly  regarded  it  as  a  white  elephant. I  remember  one  guy  saying  the  only  people  who  made  it  any  money  were  "Chubby  ( ultra-blue  comic  Roy  Chubby  Brown ) and  Big  Daddy" ( i.e. professional  wrestling ). I don't  know  what  that  says  about  Ashton's  cultural  capital - not  much  I  guess.

Outwardly  this  is  Ashton's  most  distinctive  pub   with  its  magnificent  green  tiling  and  impressive  frontage. What  a  contrast  to  the  inside  which  looks  like  it's  been  gutted  and  is  bare  and  tatty. Don't  believe  the  promise  of  a  lounge  etched  on  the  windows, it's  just  one  large  room  with  a  mini-stage  at  the  far  end. The  seats  were  threadbare  and  dirty  which  may  be  why  the  other  half  dozen  customers  were  propping  up  the  bar.

What  makes  it  sadder  are  the  momentos   of  the  theatre  dotted  around  the  walls  and  autographed  posters  for  the  famous  and  not-so-famous  lined  up  on  the  beams. You  have  Billy  Connolly  and  Val  Doonican  rubbing  against  Susanne  Day  ( ? ), Johnny  Rich  (? ) and  Paul  Deane  Junior  ( apparently  a  Gene  Pitney  tribute  act ).  What's  perhaps  most  interesting  is  a  mounted  display  of  signed  publicity  shots  from  the  stars  of  Coronation  Street  including  the  long-deceased  Bernard  Youens.

I  won't  be  calling  again  but  should  add  that  Simon  enjoyed  it  because  they  were  showing  Mr  Bean  on  the  TV  screen.

93 The Oxford - Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited : 10  April  2015

I  wasn't  too  excited  about  going  to  this  one  which  is  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  A635  just  before  the  first  big  roundabout  at  St  Peter's  Church. It's  unpreposssing  on  the  outside  with  minimal  parking  and  warnings  about  drugs  as  you  go  inside.

It  actually  seemed  quite  a  friendly  place  inside  with  two  separate  lounges,  either  side  of  a  small-ish  bar. It's  quite  plain  with  some  incongruous   1930s  style   adverts  for  sophisticated  cocktails  comprising  most  of  the  wall  decorations.   The  furnishings  were  a  bit  eclectic  ;one  of  the  tables  in  the  lounge  we  sat  in  looked  like  it  had  been  converted  from  a  pool  table  with  the  baize  still  in  place. The  young  barmaid  was  friendly  and  quite  presentable.

It  didn't  advertise  any  food  but  there  was  a  tureen  and  hot  plate  on  the  bar  suggesting  it  provides  something  for  the  football  crowd  when  there's  a  match  on. It's  not  the  sort  of  place  you'd  go  out  of  your  way  for  but  it  rounded  off  our  day  out  pleasantly  enough.

92 The Corporation Arms-Ashton-under-Lyne

First  visited : 22  February  2015

The  Corporation  Arms  is  virtually  next  door  to  The  Boundary  and  looks  like  the  poor  relation  from  the  outside. It  doesn't  do  food  but  inside  it's  much  bigger  than  you're  expecting  and  well  kept. It  caters  well  for  the  football  crowd  with  what  must  be  nearly  a  dozen  screens  above  the  long  central  bar  although  today  with  Tottenham  v  West  Ham  on  show  there  were  only  a  couple  in  action. Away  from  the  bar  there  was  a  disco  booth  in  the  corner  which  I  guess  sees  some  action  at  weekends.

I'd  also  give  it  a  mark  for  having  an  attractive  well-endowed  young  barmaid  on  duty  today.

90 Junction Inn- Audenshaw

Not  visited.

I've  recorded  this  one  as  being  in  Ashton, obviously  not  aware  we  were  passing  through  Audenshaw  at  all. It  was  further  up   Guide  Lane  and  is  now  demolished.