Eastbourne Pier:
A pub on a pier, so it had to be visited.
It was a wet, cold, blowy day, which was a shame, but some hardy souls were still outside on the pier deck. We went in.
Friendly barman, discussing cost of beer with me and another customer (prices when we started drinking, were, respectively, £1/pint and £0.17/pint…, but prices now more like £5/pint IIRC).
Pleasant enough inside, music at a same volume when we were in. Standardish pub food menu, no ale.
Lowestoft:
From the outside, this didn’t look that inspiring, on Lowestoft’s South Pier (which is more of a jetty, really) but The Harbour Inn nearby was shut, and we needed lunch, so we dropped in.
Inside, it was pretty pleasant, with great views over the seafront. The food was decent, and prices were good too, especially after Southwold.
Aberystwyth Pier:
With The Inn on the Pier closed for refurbishment, this was the only place to get a drink on the pier. It’s a snooker/shuffleboard place primarily, but there’s a decent amount of seating and the “sun deck” out the back. Pleasant staff, no ale, but not bad.
Llandudno Pier:
I love pier bars. Hell, I love piers, and I like drinking, so it’s a good combination, and as they go (often fairly terrible, to be fair), this isn’t bad, in a smallish pavillion at the end of the pier. No ale, but bearable lager. No toilets either- or at least, they’re a short walk across the boards, which is a bit cold in November. Great views over the sea and the Orme, and it was handy to await the firework display.
Blackpool Central Pier:
Another family-aimed bar on a pier. The most striking thing here was the queue: there was a problem with the beer taps, and staff were struggling to cope. However, we got our drink (no ale, again) and sat soutside in the sun looking down towards the South Pier. Much the same, I’d say. Nothing to write home about, but not utterly dreadful either.
Blackpool:
The bar on the South Pier. It sells itself as a family bar, and that’s pretty much what it is. There’s mixed entertainment aimed at the audience. In short, it’s just the place I hate and detest…
…however, in context, it’s fine. It’s ordinary families having fun on holiday, and as it was a warm night we sat outside and enjoyed the view over night-time Blackpool. It won’t win any prizes for beer (no ale…) or for relaxed ambience, but it was OK.
Weston-super-Mare:
On the pier.
A tough one this, but it just about felt publike enough.
No real ale, but decent lager (Kronenbourg) and cider (Thatchers), so they were forgiven. Inside, outside, and semi-outside (sheltered with a cracking view) space. Friendly barman, prices OK, plus it’s a bar on a pier, which is always a good point. Music was present, but tolerable and not over-loud.