The Ship, Barrow-In-Furness

A typical suburban pub, open plan with most tables set for anticipated diners. Nothing to really distinguish this one from hundreds of its type. It was deserted when I arrived, having a few minutes to spare before catching a train from the nearby station. It was a Monday afternoon, to be fair, so probably the quietest time of the week. With only Unicorn and G'day APA to choose from on the real ale front (yes, it's a Robinsons pub) and the whole depressing interior to contemplate, I took my half of anonymous beer out to the seats at the front, drank up quickly and left. The trouble with the way pubs like this are set out is that there's really nowhere to mingle and engage other people in random conversation - people are expected to arrive with their families, eat their meals and go home in their cars. It's not much different to a McDonalds, a Harvester or a Frankie and Benny's, or whatever those retail park horrors are called. Date of visit: 18th July 2016