SANJOYS INDIAN CUISINE, ST PETERSGATE, STOCKPORT SK1 1DH 27th April 2007

(0161 476 2077)

Click here for photos

Taking Stock were:

Yup, Mid week Tone, Keithee, JayCee, DCeen, McCeen, Jacko, Huge, Lionel Richee, Corky and Mo Who.

Beardee and Scottee failed to show.

The trains from Stoke were running late yet again so we caught an earlier one! and chuffed off down the track just 10 mins behind schedule to Stockport. Half an hour later we leaped off the train, looked around to make sure JayCee hadn’t gone missing, and belled Keithee and Huge, who was joining us for the very first time, to meet us outside the station.

Mid Week Tone led the way through the outskirts of the town to the first of the pubs, the Crown in Heaton Lane, sitting directly under one of the grand 23 arches of Stockport’s most famous landmark, and Western Europe’s largest railway viaduct! For the historians amongst us you may be able to confirm whether there are 23, 26 or 27 semi-circular arches within the viaduct and whether it was opened in either 1839, or 1840. Cus whatever I’ve read seems each seems to quote different figures, except for the 11 million bricks used to build it.

Check out http://www.andybarson.co.uk/Stockport2006.htm which best describes Stockport and includes Magic Moment quotes. One in particular stood out: ‘Entertainment includes avoiding being glassed in one of the town's many pubs, avoiding being stabbed on the infamous 192 bus and avoiding leaving your house as much as possible. Charming.

I don’t recall seeing either the Stockport Town Hall which apparently is known as the wedding cake, nor the Hatworks Museum but then it was a squarree night out.

The first pub had 13 real ales available, not the 14 boasted by the CAMRA beer guide, tut tut. Oh and 1 cider. Copper Dragons’ ‘Golden Pippin’, one of Mid Week Tone’s favourites was the first to be tried which was extremely palatable. Making the most of the spring sunshine we moved into the back yard under a framework of old gazebos. Some of us were brave enough to have left our jackets at home and enjoy the evening breeze achoo. Mid Week Tone, having researched the pubs, explained the reasoning behind the courtyard of the pub. Then realised it was the wrong pub. We were still impressed anyway.

The next ale to be sampled was the Brewers Gold but it ran out so Huge and Keithee made do with the Shropshire Gold which was also given the thumbs up. Jacko and Corky were found sitting in a corner of the pub, unaware that we’d been sitting in the back yard for the last half an hour.

JayCee was persuaded to try an organic LaGonda for his second drink, but the roof of his mouth had been affected by the taste of a tigers tail !! Don’t ask! Still, he managed to finish it off before we left for the second pub.

The confusion over the courtyard’s history (or was it the ale?) had obviously affected the balance of our evening guide Mid Week Tone, who now exhibited great difficulty in crossing a road. He needed Pedro badly to give him assistance. Jacko was divided about the construction of the arches, explaining how the arches had been widened and pointed out the joint in the brickwork. Now how many bricks were in the original arches?

We made our way towards the town passing a designer men’s wear shop for big men next to Outline, a figure and fitness club. A few yards further on we spotted a sign pointing to the entrance into Stockport Village, mysteriously disguised as an excavation in the footpath guarded by safety barriers. Through the town and onto the second of our pubs tonight, the Arden Arms at Millgate, we passed Sanjoys and took a moment to peek through the windows and check it out. There was no-one in at this early hour, but it looked promising. The second pub was a Robinsons house with a Unicorn which ran out! and only mad Hatters remaining. I missed the grandfather clocks and the cobbled courtyard but recall the real fires. Of course we already knew that the cobbled courtyard testified to the Arden’s past as a coaching inn as we were informed at the first pub.

DCeen’s small endowment was discussed, although he’d probably prefer it to be kept quiet. Is it right what they say about people who drive big cars like Jags or Saabs? JayCee kept stum about his 3mm.

Not too impressed (with the pub, not DCeens small endowment) we made our way to the third pub, the Queen's Head (Turner's Vaults) at Little Underbank. JayCee found the boggenhousen chair and immediately got his phone out. Strange, how he likes to get his ringer out whenever he’s on the toilet.

According to the research by Mid Week Tone, the pubs features included original spirit taps on the bar counter, a haunted upstairs room and the "Compacto", the world's smallest gents, unfortunately not in regular use nowadays because tubby modern men won't fit in and tend to flood the floor!

Lionel raised the prospect of a return to Munich again, prompted by talk of the Boggenhousen, also the name of the County Wounty Wollers hotel which they’d stopped in 5 years ago. So much choice… All the talk of places to visit and Huge said he didn’t know where he was. Well neither did we, but we didn’t let on.

Leaving JayCee in the boggenhousen, still working out how to send a text, we sampled a quick’un over the road in Winter's, the Joseph Holts pub, at a ridiculously low price of £1.38 a pint.

Formerly a jeweller's shop, it became a wine bar before being taken over by Holts when it was given an impressive refurbishment including the restoration of the magnificent clock with its mechanical animated figures. As we waited for JayCee to join us after finishing his text and his pint (quite a task), Huge confessed he was still struggling to reply to a message from home which he’d received last week.

Mike pointed out a twisted direction sign as we headed off to the Indian, back the way we came, hopefully. Mo rang to confirm he’d turned up as promised and was sitting in the Indian waiting for us. The restaurant had an open kitchen to one side with 3 cheeky looking chefs peering out from time to time. The waiters were most cheerful and obliged in taking a group photo. Pappodoms were ordered at the earliest opportunity and Keithee duly topped up the order with 5 lagers, 3 bottles of red wine, and a pint of Cobra for Yup!!

It was good to see Mo again who had avoided meeting up with us since the mystery dooo in December.

Keithee confused the waiter by asking for a mushroom nan bread and another 3 bottles of wine. Any more and he’d have probably fallen asleep, which prompted Jacko into confirming that he’d be happy to do the foreign correspondent duty again when we went to Krackoff. It helped him sleep at night when sharing a room with Keithee.

Stockport is one of Corky’s stomping grounds each month so it was agreed that we’d have to venture back again next year and sample one or two more of the pubs he recommended. Only if we’ve got to of course.

So here’s to next time.

Cheers

Yupmeister