Hogarths

 Affectionately known as Hogwarts by some locals the transformation from the previous pub on this site (the depressing Oliver’s) to a Victorian Styled Gin Palace is something that surely only a bespectacled schoolboy with wizardry powers is capable of. 

Keeping with the Harry Potter theme whilst the £1.95 a pint price appeared to be a veritable bargain there was definitely a similarity between my pint of Bombardier and one of the potions featured in the best selling books, yes it was absolutely a draught of living death. Pint number two was holiday beer as I opted for the Spanish safety of San Miguel. It seemed wholly appropriate as the sun shone in the impressive beer garden whilst I watched England’s middle order collapse on one of the outdoor screens. 

The claim on their website that it is the ‘biggest beer garden in the area’ stretches the truth somewhat as The Moat House (a ten minute walk away) incorporates the grounds that befit a stately home but I’m splitting hairs…

One of the downsides of the warm weather is that it brings out some questionable clothing and the sight of an overweight middle aged man in a figure hugging villa shirt made me feel a bit bilious. Bizarrely a group of Eastern Europeans sat adjacent to the villa massive appeared to have received an invitation instructing them to wear tennis whites !!

Now I’m a progressive, liberal thinking individual but I couldn’t help but smile at the 1970’s style picture in the beer garden. Arguably some latter day sentiments are still pertinent today…

I had the misfortune to visit Hogarths at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night recently and the music was of a similar quality to the beer however the tunes in the beer garden that accompanied Bairstow’s and Ali’s dismissals were surprisingly pleasing, The Clash, Joy Division and The Smiths amongst others back from a time when music in the hit parade incorporated guitars. Ask your Dad kids. 

Let’s not forget though that Hogarths prides itself on the quality and large selection of its gins including one called an Edinburgh Raspberry, I wonder if this is a modern day equivalent of a Glasgow Kiss if so I wouldn’t recommend that you ask for one if you’re north of the border !!

Take my word for it if you ever find yourself in this place I’d take the Hogwarts Express out of there. It’s not a pub I A-Dumbledore !!