A DAY TRIP TO BEDALE- OLD PECULIER, FISH AND CHIPS AND A KARAOKE

A group of us go to a quiz every week and pool any winnings we get and save up for a boozy trip away somewhere. We can usually manage 4 trips a year and just recently we decided on Bedale. 

This is a small market town in North Yorkshire. I have been through the place several times, on the way to Masham and the Black Sheep and Theakstons Breweries , but never stopped.

On a gloomy and cloudy day ( first weekend in June) we caught the train south to Northallerton then hopped on a bus for the 30 minute ride through the countryside to our destination. The plan was to make a day of it so arrived early for leisurely breakfast in  The Whistle Stop Cafe in Bedale Station, on the Wensleydale Railway. I confess  I am a train buff so there was some bias in choosing this place. The breakfast was excellent and set us up for most of the day.

 
Before we left I had already sussed out which pubs to try from Whatpub.com. As The Old Black Swan opened at 11am , this was our first choice and I was ecstatic as that they had on my favourite UK beer, Theakstons Old Peculier -  at 11 o clock in the morning. Some pubs fall into the trap of serving the first pint of the day without pulling a least a pint through first to clear any warm beer from the lines, but this was the perfect temperature. Best beer of the day ( but not the best pub !). 

To continue the quiz theme, one of the guys had compiled one which we started in the Black Swan, and continued throughout the day. It kept us out of mischief , till we got to the last pub that is !

Next was a Jennings pub ( ie Marstons) , the Three Coopers. The place was devoid of punters when we entered, only several fish tanks full of oversized tropical fish.. Just as well because they looked friendlier than the landlord, who needs a serious crash course in customer service. Barely said a word and didnt smile once. Still, had a nice pint of Hobgoblin.

Underwhelmed by Mr Charisma we left after one, leaving him to his fish and no more customers.

The spilt half of Razorback

Crossing the Market Place we tried The Green Dragon. This pub is in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Another Marstons pub, this time I tried to have a pint of Ringwood Razorback, a bit on the weak side. When I say, "tried to have"  I didnt manage to drink all of it as our quiz-master knocked my half full glass over ; with some justification most of it went over him !

   

Two doors down was The Waggon and Horses, which did a nice pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord. By now the overcast skies were clearing so into the beer garden at the back we headed. Then someone mentioned the words "Fish and Chips". 

So I pointed out we still had one more pub to try, in my opinion the most interesting -  Tullulahs Cocktail Bar. Ordinarily we wouldn't have bothered but they sold real ale and it looked different to any typical market town pub. 

Tullulahs

Hidden up any alley way behind some shops, it wasn't open when we arrived but the manager inside had the sense to see that 7 guys were going to buy a few drinks so he let us in. 

 
There was only one handpull, serving  Pennine Brewery Hair of the Dog. Brewed in the village of Well only 4 miles away, this was the only micro brewery drink of the day, and it did not disappoint. 

In the main bar we spotted a small stage with a karaoke machine. Up some stairs to a comfortable lounge was a white piano. Someone remarked it was just like the John Lennon video for Imagine, and he then proceeded to sit at the piano and murder the aforesaid song.

Soon, back downstairs Elvis Presley was booming out on the stage and eventually a full blown karaoke session with all 7 of us " performing"was on the go. It was just as well we had the place to ourselves and the least said about the quality of the singing the better. Mine host remarked " I see Showaddywaddy have let themselves go a bit"  Cheeky sod.

Exhausted and hungry from the pressures of performing,  two of us took off to find the chippy, so we could sit outside Tallulahs for the last pint of the day before our last bus back to Northallerton

It was a long day but a great trip out. Apart from the last one, all pubs stuck to "national brands" eg Theakstons, Marstons, Timothy Taylors.  Although the beer from the Theakstons pub was brewed just down the road there was no sign of any Black Sheep.

   

Bedale is worth a visit, if just to have the Old Peculier and experience Tullulahs ( except we wont be there !)