By
Andy
In a
bid to visit more pubs which weren't slap-bang in the city centre, we
took the tram out to Crystal Peaks, near the Halfway terminus.
As a
member of the generation which grew up with a cinema at Crystal
Peaks, this was a flashback to my early teenage years:
a (child) tram ticket, a (child) cinema ticket and an (adult!)
McDonald's meal, all with change from a tenner –
do Saturday afternoons get any better than that?
Unfortunately,
there comes a stage in life when the girls you are courting demand
more than a McChicken sandwich and a ticket to see The Tuxedo
(starring Jackie Chan). Presumably, this was the point where I began
spending my weekends in Centertainment –
where there's a Burger King as well.
As
an adult, and with the cinema long gone, I had not set foot in
Crystal Peaks for over a decade. But as a Pubquester, it was time to
return: The Milestone pub was located
in Crystal Peaks car park.
A
typical out-of-town pub with no locals to speak of, The Milestone was
soulless but inoffensive. To counteract this, many similar pubs
concentrate on food, although the fact that The Milestone was
offering carveries on a Thursday aroused suspicions that they may
still be using Sunday's meat.
Drinkwise,
we opted for xXXx Porter by Ringwood Brewery, a warming winter beer
for a cold winter night.
As
is tradition, we commandeered the pool table for the length of our
visit, sharing two frames.
If
it seems like I'm rushing the description of the pub, you'd be
right – for the real excitement took
place shortly after leaving.
En
route to pub number two, we spotted a sign: Jack P Shepherd from
Coronation Street (David Platt to you and I) was in Crystal
Peaks that very evening, switching on their Christmas lights.
Now
reader, you don't get many chances to meet Jack P Shepherd in your
lifetime, and we weren't about to pass one up. Rushing into the
shopping centre, we accosted the first member of staff we saw:
"Is
Jack P Shepherd still here??!"
"I'm
sorry lads, you've missed him."
You
can imagine our disappointment. Moments away from meeting the actor
who plays the second-most famous member of the Street's third-most
famous family (behind Gail; the Barlows and the Battersbys), we had
arrived after he had already departed.
But
then. BUT THEN! A group suddenly congregated by one of the exits. Of
course, when you're as famous as Jack P Shepherd, you can't just turn
on the lights and leave. The crowds will find you, and they will make
you pose for selfies.
A
queue formed, and all of a sudden we were looking at a lengthy wait,
all for a quick photo and a scruffy autograph. Our dreams of
recording a video with Jack for use as celebrity endorsement were in
tatters.
Of
course, as local celebrities ourselves we were concerned: no one had
spotted us yet, but as soon as our cover was blown we would be
mobbed, splitting the queue between those who would rather meet Jack
and those who would rather meet two world-famous bloggers.
We
couldn't do that to the lad, not during his five minutes of fame.
Reluctantly
we left, missing the opportunity for celebrity endorsement.
Just
think how thankful those Coronation Street bosses would be if we had endorsed them...
The
Milestone pool score: Andy 1-1 Rob
Pubquest pool score: Andy 47-33 Rob
Pub:
The Milestone
Rating:
4/10
Pint:
xXXx Porter
Brewery:
Ringwood Brewery
No comments:
Post a Comment