The Belgrave, St Michael’s

Apr 21 2007 By Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

GRANTIE was still in a state of shock. The occasional Pub Column companion had just popped into the branch of Ethel Austin, in Aigburth Road, to buy an extra cheapo pair of disposable glasses (as you do) when a most disturbing sight greeted him.

There on the floor by the ladies underwear counter was a middle-aged matron wriggling around on her back, legs akimbo, trying to squeeze into a pair of tights after insisting on trying them on for size before buying them.

It was an experience to have turned anyone to drink, we reflected, supping our first pints in his local, The Belgrave, in St Michael’s in the Hamlet.

St Michael’s is an almost surreally tranquil, enchantingly timeless part of Liverpool, a mere five-minute train ride from the heart of the city centre.

And at its heart is this Victorian boozer which has just benefited from a much-needed and sensitive refurbishment costing a total of £425,000 upstairs and down.

"To be honest, before the money was spent, the place was a bit of a dump but it’s dead homely now," said the bubbly, attractive Vicky McMahon, who took over as licensee in September, 2005.

We knew what she was talking about.

Even though it has always been a favourite of Grantie and his family – especially his late Dad "Gunner" Grant – in its past incarnation it looked a bit shabby and careworn despite its popularity with the locals.

The subsequent transform- ation has been quietly incredible.

Two bar rooms have been melded into one with an open fireplace at its very centre, a novelty in itself.

There is also a specific toilet for disabled people and a superb state-of- the-art touch-sensitive digital juke box with selections covering almost every contemporary musical genre.

"I wish Gunner was still alive so I could have been able to see what it’s like now," said Grantie, as he sipped on his regular Extra Cold Guinness as Nine Inch Nails’ Dirt warbled from out of the speakers.

Gunner would have been less pleased, however, to discover that, since the refurb, the pub has instituted a complete smoking ban except for the beer garden which has been opened at the side.

Yet another city pub to have pre-empted the nationwide ban at the beginning of July – regular readers will recall that the recently-revamped boozer, The Old Fort, has done the same – it’s a decision that’s not been universally acclaimed.

"We’ve lost a lot of older male customers because of it, but instead we’ve been getting a lot more women and families coming in," said Vicky, of the pub which now not only plays host to a cheap, quality menu (Grantie swears by their onion ring dips) but also a couple of discreetly mounted plasma screens to satisfy the footie brigade.

Another bonus is that, from this Tuesday, The Belgrave will be the venue for what Vicky hopes will be a regular theme night featuring the best of our very own local comedians.

It kicks off with the comedienne that the pub’s advertising board labels the "famous and funny ha-ha", the brilliantly versatile Pauline Daniels.

It should be a great night, especially if Pauline does her masterpiece joke, the shaggy dog story set in Herbert the Hairdressers, which still gets Grantie and Yours Truly howling with laughter every time we hear it.

So be there or be square and you will discover, as we did, that happiness really is a pub in a place called Hamlet.