The Upper George, Halifax

The Upper George can be approached from 2 angles, one easily missed and the other impossible to find. I came from the latter having walked past at least three times and dismissing the narrow alleyway as little more than a place for the local shops to leave their wheely bins. One can only imagine how hemmed in the pub would have been before the surrounding warehouses were demolished in the klate 60’s and even today, there is not a great deal of natural light that penetrates the pub leaving it quite dim and dingy in certain corners. The interior is essentially a single room with a central island bar ciontaining an attractive glazed patterned upper canopy. Around the bar there are 3 discernable sections as well as a separate pool room with drinking ledges, a TV and some fine old town centre pictures. TV screens seemed to cover most angles of the pub and as there was fiootball being screened to an appreciative audience, I didn’t get a chance to experience the somewhat legendary jukebox but then I always feel that the music on a juke box is only as good as the taste of the person putting in the money. At the rear (the easier to find end of the pub) is a decent sized if unspectacular courtyard patio with a few benches. There wasn’t a great choice on the beer side of things with just Black Sheep and Doom bar available on hand pump and a generic selection of kegs, lagers etc. At £2.10 for a pint of Black Sheep I was either lucky and found an unadvertised Happy Hour, the barman screwed up or the prices are more than a little reasonable. On the whole, in relation to the dozen or so pubs I tried in town, the Upper George was one of the more disappointing ones, above average but not somewhere that I would say is an essential visit.

Absolutely packed on a Friday evening just after work. It was so busy I could hardly see any of the internal features. Lots of nicotine bouncers to be negotiated before you can even get in the place. It looks like this could be quite a decent pub catering for the older end of the market. The ale selection was very limited, so I just had a half of Black Sheep Bitter which was OK. I then managed to find a quiet spot next to the quiz machine which sadly beat me. I wouldn't mind trying this place when it's a little less crowded, but you can't really complain when somewhere's as popular as this place is, as it's obviously doing something right, I just couldn't quite see what it was.

very much a hidden pub, it can be reached through a small alley off Crown Street or a slightly bigger one off Cheapside. Inside it's a big room with an island bar counter almost splitting it into two rooms, doors lead out into a yard which appears to be shared with the Brass Cat. The room is panelled and carpeted and there's a fair number of screens and machines. The usual old photos are complemented by some more arty ones. Black Sheep bitter and an excellent Harvistouns Bitter and Twisted as the ale choices, nothing unusual in the kegs. Very busy with older happy punters and the staff kept things bubbling along, a few younger patrons were sunning themselves in the yard.