Sharks Mouth, Coatbridge

It’s difficult to think of a less welcoming name for a pub and entering The Shark’s Mouth, as a stranger, did feel suitably hazardous. The customers, most of whom were drunk, ranged from middle aged to elderly, but two old guys seemed to be on the verge of a stand up fight, which the barman studiously ignored. Fortunately, the dispute was cut short by the arrival of a taxi to take one of them home. Guinness, John Smith’s bitter, McEwan’s 60 Shilling, plus Carling and Foster’s lagers were all on draught and, among the whisky and vodka optics, one also dispensed the notorious Buckfast Tonic Wine. Both the bar room and the toilets were in a very dilapidated condition and it’s genuinely surprising to find a place like this still trading in the middle of a substantial town in the 21st century. On the other hand, it’s close to the Summerlee Industrial Heritage Museum, so it might be useful for giving history enthusiasts a taste of what pubs were like a century ago.