IT REALLY is surprising, come the weekend, that southern Wirral doesn’t sink. If people in their thousands are not busy sniffing out bargains at Cheshire Oaks, then they’re probably dining out in places like Parkgate.

Over the years, there’s been little to dent the overwhelming popularity of the string of restaurants along the front. But that popularity fast fades from the memory when you get turned away from place after place. True, we’d not booked but we were on the early side – 6pm on a Saturday – but it was no go. “Come back at 9.45, or not at all,” was the message.

Then the “good idea light bulb” started flashing. “Let’s try the Hinderton Arms,” I suggested. “There’s bound to be room there.”

After wandering forlornly round yet another packed restaurant – it’s one of these turn up, sit down, note the number and order at the bar places – we left to raid the fridge back home.

Lesson learnt. Book. And book early.

If we’d really thought about it, Hinderton Arms always was busy. A few years back, it closed for several weeks in order to undertake an exten-sive refurbishment – and for refurbish-ment do not read “replace with trendy kitsch which looks dreadful a year later”. Nothing of the old atmosphere of the venue has been lost.

We turned up one midweek evening and the place was, though not heaving, surprisingly busy. The great benefit, however, is being allowed to select your own table – and, if it’s a warm summer’s evening, stake your claim for an outside table. In addition, on the night we went, our orders were taken for us promptly and meals arrived within minutes.

The drinks list is comprehensive and reasonably priced with a lot of instantly recognisable wines, mainly because we see them – and buy them – from the local supermarket.

“That can be a good and a bad thing,” said Mark. “We can select something we know and like which means we’re not going to be particularly adventurous. But it also means we know what the price is at the checkout.”

Fair point and we did, indeed, go for something we knew – a Moondarra Reserve Shiraz from Australia at £10.95 a bottle. Slightly unusually, every wine – except dessert and sparkling wines – is available for purchase by the glass.

Whites start at £9.75 a bottle for a Riesling Kabinett and expect to pay up to £16.45 for a French Ropiteau Chablis or Bailly Reverdy Sancerre, while reds start at £10.95 for that Moondarra and range up to £16.45 for an Australian Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon or a French Ropiteau Fleury. Sparkling wines and Champagnes will set you back from £13.45 to £65.50 a bottle. There’s also a selection of premium spirits and real ales.

The first experience, let’s put it down to a misunderstanding, was not helpful. The Shiraz arrived as a Chardonnay and, when the real thing arrived, it was already open and no tasting was offered. Not a good start ...