Garden Hermit Goes...North Pt 1 - Stop For A Bass

 

 While planning a journey north for a weekend with my son and daughter-in-law in Pontefract, (West) Yorkshire it occurred to me that I may be passing close to Bass country, as covered extensively in the adventures of Britain's Beermat in his blog 'Life After Football'.

After a bit of research on the internet it became clear that I could...

1)  Call in at one of two pubs selling Draught Bass, just off  J23 M1, or,

2)  Stop for my usual 'comfort break' at the Roadchef services at J15a.

It wasn't the most difficult decision I have ever made, and I arrived at The Horse, free house pub and restaurant, at about lunchtime on a Friday.  The pub is at the side of the busy A512, just a mile off the M1 on the outskirts of Shepshed, Leicestershire.  

The Horse pub

Ordering a pint of Draught Bass felt almost surreal, like I had come across some kind of oasis.  

"A pint of Bass please" said a voice that didn't to be mine, and I watched the pour and the mist of bubbles slowly rising to the top of the glass sporting its iconic gold edged red triangle...was it a mirage?...

 

Blurred - but not a mirage

 No...just another rubbish blurry photo - it was real.

Stop me if you think I'm getting a bit emotional here, but I can't remember when I last had a proper pint of Bass in my hand! *

Absolute nectar...

 

Bass and flat cap - what a pairing!

.. I thought I'd better have a quick bite to eat too...

Lunch

There was a steady stream of Friday lunchtime diners arriving while I was there, and a few regulars at the bar engaged in typical bar banter - whatever that is.

Locals grappling with the 'free pie' issue

At one point in the banter the landlord seemed to offer one of the regulars a free pie, and whilst the general consensus at the bar seemed to be 'you can't go wrong with a free pie', the offer is turned down with a mumbled 'my freezer is full'.  Mystifying...

 

When you wish lunch could have lasted longer.. Proper Bass lacings though.

The Horse is a really nice little pub and perfectly placed to break that journey north with a Bass.  

Just a fleeting glimpse of Britain's Beermat's world of Bass pubs - 

- but I won't miss the Roadchef services.

* I've remembered - it was at the Peg and Parrot, Totton (no longer serving Bass as far as I am aware) - see my old blog post on Wordpress - 'There Be Treasure'