The Gundog, Halifax

Formerly the Sportsman now completely renovated and all trace of the former bikers pub has gone. It has become a nice multi room pub with fairly unspoiled art nouveau features, one front room is on CAMRA's National Inventory of pub interiors. The relocated counter has six pulls of local small brewers wares in very good nick. There are two front sitting rooms, a large drinking lobby with the counter and a smaller back room which used to house the stage. There is still live music occasionally.

The Sportsman, situated on the edge of the town centre, is the magnet for the local metal heads and rock fans. The pub looks quite grand from outside and inside still retains much of its original multi-roomed layout albeit it has been opened up a little over the years. The entrance passage contains some fine tiling and leads straight to the main bar with, to the left, 2 rooms that are taken up by pool tables. A raised area to the right of the bar doubled up as a stage for the regular live music sessions and as a band was in full swing when I was there, I didn’t get access to that area. At the front of the pub to the right of the entrance is a more enclosed room and probably the most traditional part of the pub left with banquette seating and an original fireplace that has sadly been tiled over. The pub proclaims itself as “Sport Free” and the live music is pretty much what attracts the punters although on my chosen night the crowd was, at best, sparse. There isn’t much to report on the beer side of things with just 2 hand pumps both dispensing Tetley Bitter albeit reasonably priced at £2.50 and decent enough quality for what it is. In short, unless you are here to see a live band, there isn’t much to be found beyond a curiosity glance and a quick pint.

Every town needs a rock pub and this is Halifax's. Three small rooms and a bar area, pool tables in two of the rooms and a band setting up in the third one. They didn't even have their amps plugged in but they were already loud when tuning up. They have music of some kind a couple of nights a week. Two handpumps both badged with Tetley Bitter, so that's what I had. It was a decent pint too. Friendly locals and barman to talk to almost as soon as I entered. It's a good looking pub from the outside as well. If you want it loud and rocking with a decent pint of Tetleys this is the place for you.