The Silver Fox, Bradford

A very small bar on the corner of North Parade and with limited opening hours even for hereabouts. Basically a square room with a rear counter, a couple of machines to one side, a pool table in a front corner. There’s a mix of generally matching furniture of mostly low persuasion. The counter has three pulls, only one in use with an unexpectedly decent White Rat, otherwise two T-Bars of the usuals, a solo Guinness and fridges of “ales of the expected”. Big mirror, big screen, big sound system and a photo of “The Joker” from Batman.

On entering, a smell greets you which I can only describe as a damp bathroom in a student flat. I persevered and headed to the bar where there are three hand pulls, one of which was unclipped, the other had a Saltaire Blonde clip but it was turned 90 degrees so I'm guessing probably wasn't on, and finally Oakham Bishops Fairwell. The Bishops Farewell was £1.90 for a half and was just drinkable, but it wasn't particularly enjoyable. It was bordering on being cloudy vinegar. It still has the sign outside saying it's opening on 6th December, so there doesn't appear to be any rush to change the external signage. Inside, the place is a lot smaller than you would expect from the outside, a pool table takes up most of the left hand side in front of the windows and there are other tables and chairs dotted around. There was a TV screen but this was not on. The bar was initially in an uncomfortable silence but once one of the customers had finished his mobile phone conversation the music was turned up, so perhaps he was somewhere he wasn't meant to be. Once the two lads that were in started playing pool it got a bit loud and echoey. The gents are upstairs and they are nice and clean and smell fine, so the smell is not coming from the toilets. For some reason there is a toilet toll dispenser next to the urinal and there is an electric hand dryer directly above the hand wash basin, which I'm sure is a bit suspect. Overall, I am sure this place will attract a certain crowd at weekends but there is nothing about this place that would draw me back unfortunately.

The Silver Fox recently opened in what was The Cooker Centre in Rawson Square on the corner with North Parade. See T&A article: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co .uk/news/18086049.silver-fox-pub-op ens-old-bradford-cooker-shop/