Black Bull Inn, Otley

I was keen to visit this pub because I remember it from my very first visit to Otley on my way to watch rugby league in Leeds for the first time; this was in 1984 (Leeds won 38-12). It's hard to say whether I was more impressed by the football (the speed and inventiveness were remarkable) or the Tetleys Bitter (served through autovacs to a Sunday lunchtime crowd of over a hundred in this smallish pub). I called in here in 2013 with a group of pub crawlers but how I felt about it on that occasion is not mentioned in my notebook, so another visit became necessary. The strange way the sole member of staff was speaking to the previous customer was already making me feel uncomfortable, and when he turned his attention to us I was feeling on the point of walking out. But we persevered and ordered our beers (see photos for available options). My Black Sheep Best was ok to start off with, but as it warmed up from an initial 11 celsius to maybe 14 degrees it revealed a slight hint of infection. Not bad enough for me to complain about, especially if it meant being subjected to the weird customer service persona being experimented with by our server. Just put it down to the folly of going back to places that hold a particular memory - I'll still have Sunday, 28th October 1984 and my first game at Headingley.

Only visited at lunchtime,food excellent and atmosphere friendly. Older end but thats me! Good start to a pub crawl.

A friendly and comfortable pub with a welcoming open fire situated in a small snug area on the right of the entrance. There were four handpumps in operation on our Saturday lunchtime visit, which were TT Landlord, TT Bolt Maker, Tetley and Leeds Pale. The TT Boltmaker was a good choice.