The Olde Queen Anne, Heywood

Visited yesterday. This looks like a proper old fashioned pub from the outside and the partially frosted glass made it difficult to see in so I wasn't really sure what to expect. On entering you find yourself in a room that looks more like a coffee bar and there is a coffee machine on the counter, but there is a door to the right which takes you into the 'proper' bar with the more pub like fixtures and fittings, including four hand pulls for real ale, though only two of these were clipped, offering Wainwright or Navigation Rebel. I went for the Rebel at a very reasonable £1 for half a pint. It was quiet at lunch time and I was the only customer in. The service was friendly and my drink was topped up without me having to ask. It looks like the bar has original features with dark wood panelling with built in mirrors, bell pushes, banquette seating and an old fireplace. It's nice and clean and tidy and better than you would expect from the outside. There are two TV screens showing BBC News. One chap came in and asked if the TV could be changed over to the cricket. The barmaid asked if he would like a drink first while she sorted it but he said no, not until the cricket is on. The barmaid then had to faff about trying to find the right channel which involved various trips upstairs as that is where the equipment is housed that controls the TVs. She couldn't manage it in the end, what she could see upstairs was not being reflected downstairs, so the guy left but he at least had the decency to thank her for her time. It was mildly amusing but slightly strange to witness. It could do a bit better on the real ale front but I can't fault the service and the barmaid was pleasant and friendly. Not many pubs in the immediate area seem to do real ale so it is worth a look in my opinion.

Called in on Friday for a quick half whilst waiting for a bus. It's now all been ripped out and looks like a cafe in IKEA. Bare floorboards that clonk & echo when you walk on them and lots of high stools. It was dead as a post when I called in at about 7 and 2 out of the 4 other people who were in were ratted. No real ale of course, this is Heywood after all, so I had a half of fizz. Had a quick look round, found nothing of interest and decided to go and wait at the bus stop rather than in here. It's pretty poor despite the refurbishment although it's probably full of teenies later on.

Looked like several of the windows had been put through last Friday night as they were covered up with plastic. Has a bit of a rep locally as a woman was killed in here not very long ago by a numpty thug throwing a bottle which slashed her neck open. Bunch of nicotine bouncers outside all of which looked a bit dodgy. I couldn't think of any reason why I would want to visit this place now, so I walked on by. Many years ago this was our regular last pub of the night before going on to The Candy Peel club (which is now a Lidl). Shame it's been brought so low.