The newly re-opened Ship & Anchor and Leo’s bar over the road have signs proclaiming real ale for sale. Both have nothing of the sort despite local Camra members reporting them to the awful Sefton Council.

The Ship does have bottles of Copper Dragon at least. The comely barmaid at Leo’s can offer nothing except her youthful beauty.

Neither had any customers when the SD called. Lesson?

There is, however, good craic at the Windmill – and as fine a pint of Black Cat as you can get.

Meanwhile the Oast house looks very sad and closed.

Two more Southport pubs are shut, with the Herald and Blue Anchor going. There is also now a to-let sign outside the Oast House, which wasn’t open when an SD spy called earlier today.

At this rate will there be any pubs left?

Meanwhile, the beachcomber van pulled into Southport border pub The Plough today after one of our party spotted a sign advertising real ale.

The dreadlocked barman assured us that they didn’t, hadn’t and wouldn’t be selling any cask. What total fibbers. I took my anger out on the bar’s punchbag machine.

 The SDis very sad to report that the Arion in Ainsdale has closed. Likable licensees Denise Kern and her partner Roy Vicars made a great fist of the pub, doing their best to please the football-mad scally, real ale drinker and family diner alike.

However, they have been badly let down by their PubCo (Enterprise, I think) who reneged on a refurbishment deal and left them thousands of pounds out of pocket. Talk in the village of moonlight flits is wide of the mark. 

The couple is looking for a new pub. Meanwhile, there is talk (just talk) that the Arion might become a Spanish restaurant. Let’s hope it stays as a pub, first because I used to work there and secondly because it’s a gem of 60s modernist boozing that should be preserved.

Meanwhile, Southport survivor the Oast House looks like its luck is finally running out, with the throwback boozer getting three months to wind things up. Let’s hope it can be born again.

Finally the loathed Lord Lilford pub in Tarleton has reopened. This was a 80s nightmare of an ale house, a real ugly bug with a rotten attitude.

Let’s hope the new owner does something good with it.

It’s a topsy turvey time for pubs for sure.

I’m not sure what’s going on at the (little) Crown and the Victoria these days (especially as Jmensa’s news service has dried up) but if recent comments on this post and this post are anything to go by there is a lot of anger over recent changes.

As I’ve mentioned before, it amazes me that a resort town like Southport doesn’t have a more vibrant gay scene. Maybe that’s because everyone who’s tried to get something off the ground here has failed.

Why is that? Why does Southport fail where Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool succeed?

One more question, can anyone confirm a rumour I head that the Oast House has a Lesbian ladies night?

The Oast House pub on Stanley Street is struggling and may have to close up soon.

The German-themed community-style pub has tried every trick in the book to bring in new custom but has been hit particularly hard by the smoking ban.

The pub used to be run by a German called Klaus, who put it on the map with good Teutonic brews and cheap schnapps. Left over from those days is a fondness for Jaegermeister among the regulars, with ladyfriends of mine favouring Reservoir Dogs – 1 part  Jaeger, 1 part Bailey’s Irish cream.

Since then things have never been as good. The new owners recently advertised real ale but went for the worst of the usual suspects, Theakstons and Directors, and do not keep it well.

The pub has a cult following among certian types of ladies. The owners should try to exploit this before they call it a day and disappear.