Red Lion, Chesterton, Newcastle under Lyme

The right-hand lounge bar was closed with lights out, so I remained in the public bar during a fleeting Tuesday evening visit. Three unused hand pumps can be found on the bar amongst a limited array of usual keg suspects. I didn’t note any food advertisements, but the woman on duty was eating dinner with a couple of other people. To the left of the bar is a front seating area with plasma screen that was airing muted rolling BBC News, live sport is advertised. Behind this seating area is a separate pool area and on the rear wall is a dartboard next to a display of Stoke City paraphernalia. Background music was being played by the jukebox. Out the back is a beer garden and car park. The doors do not open until 14:00 Monday to Thursday and there is a late license at the weekends. The aforementioned ‘woman on duty’, who I took to be the landlady, wasn’t massively impressed that I had interrupted her dinner and to be honest I felt like I had gate-crashed a family gathering. My bad for picking the wrong time, I’m sure the atmosphere is better in this backstreet local when sport is being aired or when there is a live music event on Saturday nights.