A PINT IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE TAP

BIRD IN HAND, MOBBERLY, CHESHIRE.   NO BIRDS IN THESE BUSHES UNFORTUNATELY.

Christ, where are we? Mobberly; a beautiful (if quaint) little leafy Cheshire village next door to Knutsford, which itself is situated somewhere in between larger Cheshire towns: Stockport and Crewe.

Although not on the hunt for a pint that day, no trip is complete without at least 8 foaming pints of deliciousness so we popped in for a snifter.  And what a good decision that was!

I must say that it's nice to find a pub you've never been to before.  Visiting your usual local favourites can become stale from time to time, regardless of how good the beer may be, so a trip out into the country (or into the city) can be a refreshing change for the jaded drinker.  Nothing wrong with some new faces, new beers and new experiences now and again.

BEER, IT'S DELICIOUS… SO SAID ARISTOTLE.

In the Bird In Hand the beer was a familiar sight: Sam Smiths, and needless to say I went straight for the bitter.  It was creamy, wholesome and bursting with flavour for having been served at the perfect temperature.  It's nice to see that here out in the sticks standards are just as high (if not higher) and the locals know what they're doing when it comes to Real Ale.

LAGER DAVE ENJOYING… WELL, LAGER

Having consumed the first pint in around 7 seconds I had to double check the percentage as the flavour was so good that I thought I was dreaming when I first ogled at the 3.8% ABV on the label.

ZIP ZIP SWIGGING… AS USUAL.

Nope I was right, 3.8%, blimey.  Just goes to show how good a pint it was, and perhaps how well deserved it was after an afternoon of shovelling pig shit into the back of a truck.  Then, there's the price…  £1.53 a pint.  Bargain.  Nothing more to say really

Venue?  An old stone pub probably built before the first world war.  It had charm, character and plenty of space, giving us a cosy feel with it's low ceilings and dark wood decor.  Could have done with an open fire to really round things off, but that's nitpicking in all honesty.

Widdled and after a couple more pints and we were off, back north into Lancashire for another pint in more familiar territory.

It's probably obvious but it's always worth saying: 'a fun day out was had by all'.