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bar at Preston station

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sprinterguy

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The bar formerly known as Heroes was renamed "The Beer House" following a refurbishment during 2017, but is still run by the same group, SSP.
 

stj

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I remember the Guild Bar with draught Boddingtons and Thwaites Bitter.
 

yorksrob

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I don't recall the current bar ever having had much worth drinking.
 

Bletchleyite

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If you're bored of that one there's a fairly nondescript chain pub of some kind on the side of the Fishergate Centre. Go out of the Fishergate exit and look to your left and it's there.
 

Iskra

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I don't recall the current bar ever having had much worth drinking.

Indeed, it's a pretty minimal effort at providing a bar. It's more like a canteen with a couple of beer pumps in the corner.

Preston station has a very poor offering for a station of its size.
 

yorksrob

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Indeed, it's a pretty minimal effort at providing a bar. It's more like a canteen with a couple of beer pumps in the corner.

Preston station has a very poor offering for a station of its size.

I agree. Preston would justify a far better bar. It remains to be seen whether SSP will provide anything adequate. The new Beer House at Norwich doesn't have anything on cask.
 

Bletchleyite

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I agree. Preston would justify a far better bar. It remains to be seen whether SSP will provide anything adequate. The new Beer House at Norwich doesn't have anything on cask.

Preston is seriously lacking in retail terms generally - the lack of a proper concourse, similar to Bristol Temple Meads, is the issue. However, at least during the day Preston city centre is very nearby to wander out to get something, it has all manner of fast food and a Sainsbury's Local (I think, might be Tesco Express). In the evening however there's not a lot. Bristol Temple Meads is more of an issue as it's nowhere near anything retail-wise.
 

yorksrob

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Preston is seriously lacking in retail terms generally - the lack of a proper concourse, similar to Bristol Temple Meads, is the issue. However, at least during the day Preston city centre is very nearby to wander out to get something, it has all manner of fast food and a Sainsbury's Local (I think, might be Tesco Express). In the evening however there's not a lot. Bristol Temple Meads is more of an issue as it's nowhere near anything retail-wise.

Regarding Preston, even without a concourse, I think they could do better with Preston, given the large amount building space.
 

Bletchleyite

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Regarding Preston, even without a concourse, I think they could do better with Preston, given the large amount building space.

Yes, true, the vast majority of the Platform 3-4 building is not used for anything much. They could also I suppose build something decent as a proper entrance, new ticket office and concourse on the Fishergate side pick up/drop off car park with a new entrance, new footbridge etc and deprecate the present "main" entrance that hardly anybody uses as such.
 

geoffk

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Three years in a row (2012-14) I had a trip on the Highland Sleeper from Preston (once to each destination). I got to Preston from Hebden Bridge and, with time to spare before the Sleeper was due, sought out the nearest pubs - the Old Vic in Fishergate and the Station Hotel, Butler Street. Both had reasonable beer, I seem to remember, although I didn't have long before they shut at 23.00. I don't recall anything on the station!
 

Mag_seven

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Back in the day I would always head for either "The Exchange" or "The Fox and Grapes" pubs in Fox St just a few mins walk from the station. It was in one of these pubs I first was introduced to draught "Old Peculiar".
 

tonysk14

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Back in the day I would always head for either "The Exchange" or "The Fox and Grapes" pubs in Fox St just a few mins walk from the station. It was in one of these pubs I first was introduced to draught "Old Peculiar".

Oh dear
 

DarloRich

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The bar formerly known as Heroes was renamed "The Beer House" following a refurbishment during 2017, but is still run by the same group, SSP.

if it is a "Beer House"/XXXXX Hero it will be horrible. Preston always seems a bit of a desert for a decent pint

And a nice place for a pint too IMHO

only if you like drinking over priced fizzy chav fighting liquid!

I don't recall the current bar ever having had much worth drinking.

Aye. Normal creamflow rubbish and fizzy over priced chav fighting liquid
 

Trackman

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I’ve not been on Preston’s platforms for over 20 years, but I did go into a grotty looking bar like something out of the 60s and I think a Burger King was next to it. Is this the same bar?
 

Bletchleyite

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I’ve not been on Preston’s platforms for over 20 years, but I did go into a grotty looking bar like something out of the 60s and I think a Burger King was next to it. Is this the same bar?

Sounds like, though the BK has long since closed. Half of the pub is now a fairly well-hidden Upper Crust.
 

Clip

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deprecate the present "main" entrance that hardly anybody uses as such.

Lots of people still use the main entrance - in the morning its heaving with people dropping off and the same in the evening for pick ups too.
given the large amount building space.

Of which a lot of it is taken up with the waiting room & toilets - virgins storage area as well as entrance to the crew area - and the building further down is ear marked for the first class lounge. So what other space do they have to provide other facilities?
 

route101

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When did the BK close?

Quite a few of these Beer houses , Glasgow and Edinburgh etc.

Yeah not a lot of eating options at Preston , in the evenings in particular.
 

CN12

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Go up the slope to Fishergate cross the road and 20 yards on the right is the Old Vic, plenty of local cask ales and they have live departures on a tv.
 

stj

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I am sure when it was the Guild Bar in the 70s it made the Good Beer Guide.It used to be full of Royal Mail staff .The other half was a standard Travellers Fare Cafe.
 

Trackman

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I am sure when it was the Guild Bar in the 70s it made the Good Beer Guide.It used to be full of Royal Mail staff .The other half was a standard Travellers Fare Cafe.
That's it! Travellers Fare became a Burger King.
I don't think 'Hero's' is in the same location of the Guild Bar, I'm sure it was further down on P3.
 

hawk1911

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Go up the slope to Fishergate cross the road and 20 yards on the right is the Old Vic, plenty of local cask ales and they have live departures on a tv.
That is my waiting room of choice when changing trains at Preston.
 

sprinterguy

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if it is a "Beer House"/XXXXX Hero it will be horrible. Preston always seems a bit of a desert for a decent pint
Agreed, the SSP places are always a poor offering and I avoid them like the plague.

As noted above I'm led to believe that the Old Vic near the station is good for a pint, but beyond that I agree that decent drinking options, particularly near the station, always seem limited in Preston.
 

yorksrob

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I see the station bar does have couple of decent bottled ales now. But £5.75 for a bottle of black sheep !

There should be laws against that sort of thing.
 

route101

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I see the station bar does have couple of decent bottled ales now. But £5.75 for a bottle of black sheep !

There should be laws against that sort of thing.

£5.75 , how does that compare to the price of pints at this bar?
 

Revaulx

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Plenty of decent pubs in downtown Preston. The Old Vic is much the nearest to the station. If you fancy a stroll down to the river, The Continental is 15 minutes away.
 
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