Mike Critchley
@mike-critchley.bsky.social
Sports writer St Helens Star and Leigh Journal. Rugby league fan, author of Happy Hours - Great British Pub Diary.
Historian, author, songwriter, poet, humourist, man-about-town, lexicologist, Society of Antiquaries stalwart, President of Newcastle upon Tyne's Lit & Phil and a canny bit besides, Oliver Heslop was the Toon’s Victorian culture vulture, now sadly all but forgotten. Or he was! New book out October 8
Line from the latest review of Happy Hours… “From St Helens to Birmingham to Hull and everywhere in between pubs have been, and hopefully will (continue to be) the backbone of life for the people of the uk. This labour of love stands as a monument to a glorious past and hopefully a secure future.”
Love this line in the review: “The writer sees pubs as a symbol of all that is good in life. family, friendship and merriment.”
A nice review of Happy Hours on Amazon. “All great non fiction books intertwine knowledge ,passion and empathy for the topic. This book has all 3 in bucket loads. It weaves social history in the changing landscape of Britain in the last 30 plus years with humour and joy.”
The Firkin in Newton le Willows is a cracking little pub.
A new kid on the block and first time visit The Angel, Bold Street, Liverpool 1974.
Have left my Twitter account dormant for two years, now finally going through the process of deleting it and sadly my 3,000 followers. But we move on.
Any excuse to take Happy Hours out for a bit of promotion
A quirky one in Liverpool that has made @europeanbarguide.bsky.social top 100. Hobo Kiosk
Likely to be Saints’ last away game of the season. Be a tough night with so many missing - 19th man here in Hope rather than expectation
The Bobbin Micropub, Leigh. One of the 175 pubs that has mini chapters in Happy Hours - A Great British Pub Diary.
Happy Hours - A Great British Pub Diary is currently on special offer www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Hours-...
Happy Hours: A Great British Pub Diary: Amazon.co.uk: Critchley, Mike: 9781068151859: Books
Buy Happy Hours: A Great British Pub Diary by Critchley, Mike (ISBN: 9781068151859) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
amazon.co.uk
Cask & Apple, Llandudno - first time visit and it’s excellent. Number 1,973
Nipped over to Llandudno- and a quick visit to TAPPS one of the pubs featured in Happy Hours
Thanks to St Helens CAMRA for allowing me to have a chat about my book Happy Hours in the Cornerhouse Inn- really enjoyed it
Nipping into the Cornerstone Inn tomorrow to talk about pubs and my book Happy Hours.
Moved to the St Helens Star more than 25 years ago. Four years in, we did a front page story on a 14yo rugby lad who needed surgery on a head injury…22 years on we’ve written countless back page stories on Jonny Lomax, ‘the bravest of the brave’ www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/264962...
A reflection of Jonny Lomax's career - 'bravest of brave in the bravest sport'
JONNY Lomax has enjoyed a quite an exceptional career in the red vee.
sthelensstar.co.uk
The book has been out for four months now but I’m still giving it a push - with a few reader comments. “There is far more in this 290 pages organised chronologically, with architecture, history, beer and breweries wrapped around a catalogue of characters, and a chunk of Mike’s own life and family..”
Fair play to St Helens & District CAMRA for putting on Festival of Pubs www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/2648787...
St Helens CAMRA's Festival of Pubs builds towards a big bank holiday weekend
ST HELENS & Districts CAMRA’s Festival of Pubs is building up to a special August Bank Holiday Weekend
sthelensstar.co.uk
Farewell to Frankie, a real larger than life character www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/2648762...
Hundreds say farewell to Frank Barrow - one of town's big characters
THEY don’t make them like Frankie Barrow anymore – one of St Helens’ big characters
sthelensstar.co.uk
Delighted to speaking at Festival of Pubs event organised by St Helens CAMRA
