Oh Mr Porter !!

1:41pm Tuesday 13th March 2007

Oh, Mr. Porter! Is a classic 1937 British film as much in the same way as Porters Ale House (The Prince of Wales) is known as a classic home of beer of 2007. The pub is situated on Roe Street Macclesfield, just off Churchill Way and is less than a stone throw away from the Heritage Centre.

The Prince of Wales is best described as a three-course meal blessed with the touch of Gordon Ramsey; a hint of Worral-Thompson with a smidgen of Delia, such is the diversity of the pub.

On entering The Prince', you are left with a dilemma: do you turn left to find a pew or right to the ever-popular bar.

Just a step to the left and there is plenty of seating where you can rest your loins and a real fire to warm up your cold bones before purchasing your ale. If you decide to sit at the far left (under the wide screen television) you will be astounded by your surroundings. Placed on the shelves are ancient cylindrical containers that once held bottles of whiskey such as Glenfidditch, Glenmorangie, even Derek Acorah would feel at home with these spirits. But it must be advised to take a look at the second fireplace that whilst not in use, it is a wonder to be admired. A-top the fireplace are Jaegermiester bottles out of which grow miniature triffids that nearly obscure the three models of toucans that are shown in mid- flight, against a blood red sky', balancing two glasses of Guinness on their beaks, a certain Mrs Ogden would surely be proud of such decorative genius.

A little jump to the right, minding your head as you may hit the hops that hang like garlands from the ceiling, a visit to The VIP Lounge' is a must; but no guest list or quietly spoken passwords are needed to gain entry. This is an area where you sit and sup your ale whilst chewing the fat with the fabulous, incredible, and toptastic friendly locals (is that ok Boris?). For those who love to angle, there is a corner of the lounge dedicated to the Prince of Wales Fishing Club where photographs adorn the walls of old and present members holding beasties of the deep' in their hands. I once did consider joining the club but I knew my plaice!!!! If you are truly lucky you may catch a matinee' performance of the Revolving Beer Mat Magic Trick' by the one and only Bob Kvedarais who is Macclesfield's answer to The Great Suprendo'. It also needs to be pointed out that if you have forgotten the ingredients of a Bloody Mary', upon a blackboard there is displayed a colourful work of art disguised as a step-by-step guide to help jog your memory.

And talking of artistsI have known Cat Higginbotham for a long time and she never ceases to amaze me and other punters with her artistic talents. It is a little known fact that one of her ancestors was turned down for the commission to paint the Mona Lisa, but even Lah De Dah Vinci himself would be impressed with her versatile imagination. Behind the bar is a cavalcade of knickknacks and thingamajigs, beer mats from over the centuries cluster like a nightmare traffic jam on the ceiling where champagne bottle coolers dangle. There are plenty of optics that dispense your spirits from far off nations and a special mention should go to the varieties of Gin of which are subject to a Guess the Gin' competition between connoisseurs Bob Suprendo and Scotch Boris'.

The far right of the pub is dedicated to the noble sport of Rugby, with the framed shirts and socks of famous players dotted around on the walls, there is also a pool table in this area and even if you cannot play I would advise that you give it a TRY!!!

And now the beer Three ever-changing ales such as Bombardier (4.3%), Jouster (4%), Ruddle County (4.3%), Abbot Ale (5%) etc, etc. are served throughout the week and are all in the finest of condition. Above the bar is another larger blackboard and upon it is a list of beers that are on (ticked in orange), beers that have gone and beers that have yet to come, if beer were money all of us would be rich beyond the dreams of avarice. The bar also houses resident beers such as Tetley's (3.8%), Theakstons Best Bitter (3.8%) and Duchars IPA (3.8%). If you do need advise there is Scotch Boris (aka Cat's dad, David) who will give you a guiding hand in helping you make your final choice of ale.

As was stated at the beginning of this piece the Prince of Wales' is a three-course meal and the one vital ingredient of the feast is Cat. Cat whose vitality and drive has transformed the pub into the most popular in the Macclesfield area, even when the chips were down, when The Prince was threatened with extinction, Cat was at the forefront of the campaign to halt such a travesty of justice. The proof lies in the pudding and the many awards that are on the bookshelf in front of the bar such as; Pub of the Season (various years), Best Promotion, Best Fish Tank in a Gents LooIs testament to her sterling work. Bur sadly all great things come to an untimely end (in my opinion anyway). Cat is turning to pastures new for a new life in Canada (Boooo!!!) We all know she and her family will leave a hole the size of Russia in the Macclesfield community and they will be sadly missed but Ottawa to go.

The Vizier of Beer' Kenny