Sat just off Quay Street, this pub is owned by Liz Dawn aka Vera Duckworth of Coronation Street fame and is adorned throughout with pictures of current and former cast members. These can regularly be spotted having a quick drink in here, due in no small part to its proximity to Granada Studios just across the road and the ownership by their former colleague. Sadly the pub itself doesn't live up to its casting. Despite there being an untold number of pumps, there is no real ale, just the keg rubbish and usual cider and Guinness accompaniments. When cask ale is just about the only segment of the on-trade that is growing, it's baffling that well-known city centre pubs like the Old Grapes can't be arsed to offer proper beer these days.
The Old Grapes is housed in a grey concrete monolith which was a hotel back in the day but seems empty these days. In the '80s the frontage was less impressive as well, as shown in these three 1987 photos. Inside it's a huge pub with an impressive outdoor drinking area, but inside it's nothing more than a number of identical looking opened-out rooms with little character other than the pictures hung, which also includes snaps of many B-list celebs (think Bob Hoskins) and some Man Utd stars (think John O'Shea). With its lack of real beer, sadly this pub is not one we would be likely to frequent, with little else to drag us in I'm afraid - we'll leave it to the celebs and Corrie tourists.
Another one that used to sell the real stuff and, just when real ale started to take off again, decided to drop it.
ReplyDeleteBoddies house wasn't it? Lives off reputation alone this place and still seems to get the trade. Yet other alehouses are making the effort to serve decent real ales but are struggling.
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ReplyDeleteThis pub closed its doors for the final time in August/September 2016 the area the pub occupied is to be used as the new entrance into Sunlight House and will incorporate a coffee shop.
ReplyDeletewas the pianist in the Old Grapes, Monday to Friday, from autumn 1982 into 1983. The pub manager's name was Steve Corrigan. The decor included huge pictures of old Manchester on the walls, and they (sadly for me) didn't consider spending much on the piano! I was 18 when I started, and had just turned professional, so to fill up the 'week nights' was a dream come true. It rocked when the Granada crowd came in! I was sometimes required to play in the main Herriot's nightclub as well. If things dragged on late, Mike Connett (the boss) would even drive out of his way to take me home in his Rolls!
ReplyDeleteI was the pianist in the Old Grapes, Monday to Friday, from autumn 1982 into 1983. The pub manager's name was Steve Corrigan. The decor included huge pictures of old Manchester on the walls, and they (sadly for me) didn't consider spending much on the piano! I was 18 when I started, and had just turned professional, so to fill up the 'week nights' was a dream come true. It rocked when the Granada crowd came in! I was sometimes required to play in the main Herriot's nightclub as well. If things dragged on late, Mike Connett (the boss) would even drive out of his way to take me home in his Rolls!
ReplyDelete