It was sad to learn that
the friendly pub at Ovenden has closed and is now boarded up. I remember drinking in there when the landlord was a dour Scot
named Jock Gaw and the beer was Ramsdens, which of course became part of the Tetley estate. In later years, local lad Alan
Hand took over the license and was there for many years.
The Friendly became a really busy community pub, and with with Alan and his wife Eileen at the helm went
from strength to strength. It featured an upstairs function room where pool was played, a popular lounge and a welcoming tap
room. Teams representing the pub included darts and dominoes, and a deep sea fishing club was also well patronised.
Unfortunately after Alan and Eileen’s departure there followed a series of licensees and sadly the
pub started to go downhill and like many others has closed its doors for the last time.
On a very windy Friday night recently, a few of us went on a pub crawl to Sowerby Bridge, eventually arriving
at the Stirk Bridge where some excellent beer called Doombar was sampled. Whilst there, a champ came in an removed his coat,
and I noticed that he had a Kraft cheese slice taped to his arm. Being curious I asked, ‘’Why have you got a cheese
slice on your arm’’? ‘’don’t be silly’’, he retorted, ‘’it’s a
patch, I’m trying to give up cheese.’’
Always on the look out for a bargain, I was in Leeds market when I saw a sign at the deli shop: ‘Ten
tins of alphabet spaghetti for £1’’ On arriving home I opened a tin A said tin of alphabet spaghetti which had
been imported from Romania. The contents were very nice but when I made words from the spaghetti I couldn’t understand
any of the words that I had made.
The old gits set off to Leeds recently to visit the Scarborough Hotel where landlord Toby was holding a
beer festival. It meant us travelling by bus to Huddersfield then train to Leeds, as there are no passenger trains going through
Brighouse for the foreseeable future.
It was a cold night but fortunately the Scarborough is situated across the road from Leeds City Station,
and was as usual busy with a good cross section of people both young and old.
The beers being showcases at the time were the present full range from Leeds Brewery and the ones we chose
were Leeds Best Bitter and one called Rade Bitter then changing on to Osset Brewery Excelsior before taking the Trans-Penine
Express back to Huddersfield and calling at The head Of Steam and The Station Tavern.
A new drinking and eating place will be open by the time this column appears in print. The Barracuda
opens its doors on February 7th after a long awaited transformation. The building closed as the Kingsway Bingo
on 27th June last year and was formally the Albert Cinema. I would like to wish Maxine and her staff every success
for the future.
Unfortunately there is no real beer at the moment but plans are in place to introduce something from the
Wells range of Ales.
Here’s a final thought. It’s a little known fact that the Lone Ranger’s horse, Silver,
hated the sight of spurs. Perhaps he was a Chelsea supporter.
