The other thing I would say about Southampton is that I am generally finding it a lot friendlier. True, I avoid where most of the younger kids are at, but even in my local near the Flower Roads, apart from that one time where someone threatened to deck me, is friendlier 
It very much used to be an introduction culture down South, and while I think that still exists to an extent, itās getting better down there for randomly turning up in a bar and having a laugh.
Not having lived in the city for 40 years I donāt really know the place , so was interested in Ants pub list . We have Brewhouse & Kitchen down here in Poole & thereās a decent one in Dorchester . Doesnt surprise me that real ale places are springing up all over the city because itās happening everywhere . Us old farts are finally trendy . We move between The Spitfire & Alex but will try a few on this thread , as Iām not that keen on either .
Weāre not trendy.
We can afford the going rate.
Thereās a difference.
The glorious Swaythling fag butt. Thatās the best view of it too.
Has he had hair transplant surgery then?
I have got to throw in the fact that the Stable, Rockhouse and a good smattering of others have a very decent selection of ciders on offer for us āotherā old farts, which personally helps me to detract attention from my lifelong obsession with lager. As with the real ale places mentioned, these ciders change regularly, include many from small independents and are a credit to the city.
Hmmmā¦ maybe Iām missing the point, but I thought Barry was really suggesting that thereās not much in Southampton that makes it a āgo toā city for tourists and people from other cities ā I doubt many regular folk, when booking a holiday in the UK, think about how many nice ale pubs there are in the city (although I probably would!).
You can do a decent pub crawl pretty much anywhere in the UKā¦ even for ale!
I think some people here are in danger of getting a bit defensive over their home town and not looking at the fact that there isnāt really much attraction to Southampton ā I thought that was Barryās point.
** ** Even when you come from the Waterside there is not much attraction to go into Southampton apart from
The Football
Necessary Clothes shopping
Somebodyās Stag do about 30 years ago
A pig party which happened whenever we did go to town
The odd court appearence.
and that is about it.
Yeah, but thatās a criticism that can be made of most cities. How many really good ones do we have? How much do they hold back cities like Southampton, especially with the relative ease of travel? People think nowt of travelling to London for theatre, going to Liverpool for a stag night. Thatās money not going to Southampton and places like it.
Donāt get me wrong. I do think that Southampton has been spectacularly poorly served for entertainment in years past, and as someone that also now lives in Liverpool, Iām someone that knows how good it could be. The place needs investment, inspiration and to start making proper use of untapped assets.
That is exactly my point, why go there when other places are better? Pap wants to turn it into a you can have fun anywhere scenario which is a fir point but not for tourists or people wanting to come into the City. And a pub crawl of real proper old pubs is difficult in town as the City Centre doesnāt really have a roadof boozers, its spread out.
Pap youāre saying what I am saying, the cruise money has been spunked and questions shuld be asked, I love Southampton I genuinely do but it is shite, its my shite though and I wonāt let outsiders take the piss, what is there?
Brighton, Plymouth, Oxford, York, Bath, Cheltenham, Shrewsbury, Chester are places I have done pub crawls and I could name a few more and they are the same size or smaller and are far far better for the ale. Ask the council what is beng done to keep the people who get off the ships to stay and spend their money other than going to Central and getting the first train to Waterloo or a Cross Country or what is being done to get people into the City?
Putting an ikea in the centre of a City says an awful lot of what Southampton planners think of prime land.
Now that it looks like the Hythe ferry may go out of business my planned Southampton pub crawl based on antās suggestions next time Iām back in the waterside will probably have to be put on holdā¦ .
Plymouth??? Are you fucking kidding me?
No way, really? Sad times if true.
Union Street, what do we have?
I grant you its not what it was but Plymouth is a good place to go on the piss.
Originally posted by @Barry-Sanchez
Originally posted by @Chertsey-Saint
Originally posted by @Barry-Sanchez
Originally posted by @pap
Yeah, but thatās a criticism that can be made of most cities. How many really good ones do we have? How much do they hold back cities like Southampton, especially with the relative ease of travel? People think nowt of travelling to London for theatre, going to Liverpool for a stag night. Thatās money not going to Southampton and places like it.
Donāt get me wrong. I do think that Southampton has been spectacularly poorly served for entertainment in years past, and as someone that also now lives in Liverpool, Iām someone that knows how good it could be. The place needs investment, inspiration and to start making proper use of untapped assets.
Brighton, Plymouth, Oxford, York, Bath, Cheltenham, Shrewsbury, Chester are places I have done pub crawls and I could name a few more and they are the same size or smaller and are far far better for the ale. Ask the council what is beng done to keep the people who get off the ships to stay and spend their money other than going to Central and getting the first train to Waterloo or a Cross Country or what is being done to get people into the City?
Putting an ikea in the centre of a City says an awful lot of what Southampton planners think of prime land.
Plymouth??? Are you fucking kidding me?
Union Street, what do we have?
So what you want is somewhere for you to go to either be beaten up by Janners or by Marines. Two Trees, Jesters (one of my best mates was stabbed in there in 2006), Union Rooms, proper nice bars themā¦
If this is what you class as a good place then I think this whole thread is null and void.
There is a bit of colour there, always had a blast myself, ah well.
A bit. Fucking hell Barry.
