Ye Olde Vic, Stockport

A bit of a dump inside and out really. Bare plaster, carpet worn down to the quick, damp stains on the ceiling. The assortment of stuff lying around can be viewed either as a quirky charmer or a mess, depending on your view. Positives were the wood fire and the lovely carved wood panelling underneath the bar. Five pumps, with four ales on. My Red MacGregor was pretty pedestrian – though others seemed to like theirs. Maybe I got the one of the last out? Watch out for the no-swearing policy – it is strictly enforced which can make for a slightly uncomfortable visit but again, some people might find that a bonus. Overall, I’m struggling to see why my fellow crawlees raved about the place so much… it felt like drinking in a squat where you’re being observed continually.

This is a cracking local's pub on the fringes of the town centre which has a great interior filled with all kinds of interesting bric-a-brac. The bar is on the left hand wall upon entering and opposite is a very pleasant little seating area with some cosy looking benches and chairs. Further back, some great banquette seating supplemented with lots of low stools provides alternative seating around a marvellous old fireplace which was lit on a cold November evening, with a load of Adnams beer towels drying from a rack above. The window sills have some noteworthy old barrels filling them and the ceiling is has pretty much vanished beneath a vast collection of pump clips that sprawl across the whole room. Elsewhere, copper topped tables and etched glass mirrors provide nice traditional flourishes whilst a large TV screen listing all the available beers remained one of the few modern concessions. The whole pub is well stocked with all sorts of odd items, far too numerous to try and list here, but in such plentiful supply that multiple visits would be required to get a feel for the entire collection. There were five ales available on the bar - Crate Rye, Kelham Island Pale Rider, Mustang V8, Orkney Red McGregor and Ossett Big Red - representing a pretty good cross section of styles. I gave the Red McGregor a try and thought it was in very good shape. A chap sat at the bar, possibly the landlord, engaged our group in a bit of chat but enforced a very strict 'no swearing' policy that was so militant that I found it quite difficult to relax here and was pretty relieved to leave in the end. I really liked this pub and thought the beer was very nice and that the decor was really interesting and worthy of a longer visit to try and take it all in. I definitely liked the place but felt a bit on edge and were I to return, it would most certainly be nearer the start of any crawl than the end to avoid any potential for a slip of the tongue.

Final stop on a busy but very interesting day around Stockport, Heaton Norris and Edgeley; and this one was certainly up there with the best. Although it doesn't look much as you approach, the delightfully cluttered interior has all kinds of bits and pieces scattered around several compact seating spaces. Six handpumps on the counter, with a range of different ale styles available (including a decent, if far from local, Crate Stout). Didn't really have time to do the place justice, but certainly on the list for a return visit.

Small one room pub well described by previous reviewers. Every surface covered by eclectic collections of… well tat basically. And most walls and the ceiling disappearing behind overlapping Beer mats. Not many in when we rolled up which meant we could get the stalls next to the roaring fire, a great spot on this chilly evening. Honestly can’t recall what the six beer options were for our visit as my notes are illegible by this stage of the proceedings, but I do recall Orkney Brewery Red MacGregor and Kelham Island Pale Rider being on… I think !. And there was definitely one from Crate Brewery in Hackney Wick on because the characterful landlord checked it on his screen next to his permanent seat by the bar and confirmed it. I refused this one because I didn’t come all this way to drink something brewed so close to the West Ham ground. However I cant remember what I did have , just that it was another fine beer on a day of fine beers. It may be a bit of a slog up from the town centre but ideally placed for a last pint before catching the train home.