148 Founders Arms - Bolton

First  visited  : September  2011

I  know  this  one . It  was  opposite  Little Bolton  Town  Hall  and  the  place  where  I  normally  park  when  I  go  into  Bolton.

I'm  pretty  sure  this  was   the  pub  where  myself  and  two  other  guys  decamped for  a  drink  after  a  meal  at  a  pizza  restaurant  nearby,  where  I  had   "my"  leaving  do  from  Bolton  MBC  in  September  2011. I put  "my"  in  inverted  commas  because  a  ( very  nice ) girl called  Lorraine   was  leaving  for  the  arms length  housing  company around  the same  time  and  let  me  piggyback  on  her  do.  Out  of  around  20  people  who  attended,  there  was  only  one  guy  that  I  don't  think  would  have  turned  out  for  Lorraine  alone  and  not  many  that  would  have  come  if  it  was  just  for  me. You  have  one  of the  reasons  I  left  right  there.  It  was  a  fairly  joyless  occasion  for  me, just   a  ritual  to  go  through   and  I  felt  very  little  emotion  on  my  way  back  to  the  car.

From  what  I  recall,  the pub  was  quite  nice  and  quiet, a  refuge  from  the  noisier bars  on  Deansgate  so  it's  sad  to  report  it  closed  since  2015. I  believe  it's  going  to  be  converted  into  flats.

This  was  the  last  pub  name  collected  on  that  trip  to  Smithills Hall. We  now  jump to  the  other  side  of  the  Pennines.

147 Globe Inn - Bolton

Not  visited

The  Globe  , a  little  further  down  Higher  Bridge  St  suffered  exactly  the  same  fate  as  The  Borough  Arms  though  it  survived  a  little  longer, closing  around  2002. The  building  was  bought  by  Gordon's  Motor  Dealers  and  demolished  for  extra  parking.

146 Borough Arms - Bolton

Not  visited

The  Borough  Arms  was  on  Higher  Bridge  St  and  survived  for  a  while  after  many  of  the  streets  around  it  were  cleared  away. It  finally  closed  in  1997  and  remained  derelict  for  a  number  of  years   before  its  final  demolition  in  2006, since  when  the  site  has  been  used  for  parking.

145 Black Dog Inn - Bolton

Not  visited

This   pub  was  down  near  the  bottom  of  Halliwell  Road. It  closed  in  1984  and  the  building  is  now  used  as  an  adjunct  to  the  mosque  behind  it.

144 The Derby - Bolton

Not  visited

The  Derby  was  renamed  The  Sharman  Arms  in  the  eighties. It  still  has  a  sign  at  the  side  but  the  building  has  been  derelict  since  the  pub  closed  in 2011.

143 The Belle Vue - Halliwell Road

Not  visited

The  Belle  Vue  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  Halliwell  Road. It  closed  around  2011  and  is  now  a  bedroom  showroom.

142 Lamb Hotel - Halliwell Road

First  visited : 10  August  2017

The  Lamb's  name  was  changed,  around  2010,  to  The  Claremont  Arms. possibly  due  to  confusion  with The  Lamb Inn  at  Astley  Bridge  which  is  barely  a  mile  away. It's  divided  into  two  rooms  Best  Room  to  the  right  and  Vault  to  the  left. "Vault"  is  a  bare  games  room  , "Best  Room" is a  large  open  room  with  a  stage  in  the  corner, nice  enough  and  clean  but  not  not  enough  to  warrant  a  recommendation. The  pub  proclaims  a "25  and  Over"  policy  ( perhaps  due  to  an  incident  with  an  imitation  shot  gun  a  few  years  ago )  but  I  can't  really  understand  why. The  pub's  not  in  a  nice  enough  area  to  attract  a  more  gentil  clientele  and,  judging  from  my  visit  today,  they  can  ill  afford  to  shut  anyone  out.