The Bradley, Widnes

This fine example of a Victorian town centre hotel has been reasonably well preserved, though it is not on Camra's regional inventory of historic interiors; probably just too many changes. There are still multiple rooms with some remnants of screens, baffles and fireplaces (with original mantelpieces), but the main bar room has been opened out possibly just that little bit too much. The clientele are the usual town centre mix of the slightly profane, the slightly too familiar, the slightly tipsy and the slightly rough, so you may imagine I felt right at home. It's a pity that the only beer was Greene King Scrum Down: maybe an appropriate drink as I was on my way to the rugby (league, of course), but if I was a brewer I think I would shoot myself rather than produce such a sweet, insipid beer and then expect the good people of Widnes to pay to drink it.

A large boisterous pub popular with horsey blokes of an afternoon.