The Greyhound Hotel, Penrith

From the road this looks like a traditional Westmorland pub, and it's only when turning off the road to find the car park that it becomes clear this is a large and indeed modern hotel. The furniture and decorations are all corporate business class, though why modern business man are on the A6 through Shap rather than the motorway or better still the train is a question that will remain unresolved. I was only here because my preferred lunchtime beer stop had decided not to open, so I felt quite lucky to find a real ale or two on the bar here. In fact one of them was from local Tirril Brewery, whose beers I have shuddered upon drinking too many times to ever drink again, so that left me with Bowness Bay Swan Blonde, also local being based just down the road in Kendal. This was not really to my taste but was in reasonable condition and I was able to recharge my batteries in two senses of the word, as my phone was also at a low ebb.