Another treasured medieval survivor is the gorgeously imposing but at the same time surprisingly intimate Chester Cathedral, Norman in origin but the present building dating from the 13thCentury. It has a magnificent interior, gloriously massive stained-glass windows with three modern windows replacing WW2 damage, celebrating the 900thanniversary of the cathedral’s origins.
Just off the wall is a favourite pub of ours, The Albion, which is in essence a time capsule from 1914, the ‘Great War’. It really is like stepping back in time with just the ticking of an old clock on the wall, the deathly hush of the separated bars with worn patterned carpets and WW1 memorabilia and war-mongering posters covering every inch of the place, calling to you to arms. The Albion is well known in these parts for its ‘tell-it-like-it-is’ chalk blackboard on the street outside, where it declares that the pub is ‘family hostile’ and doesn’t serve meals with chips, has no gaming machines and outlaws pub crawls and hen parties – my kinda place!
Sadly, it’s lights out for The Albion, with the owner retiring in June and putting the lease up for grabs, with his prized memorabilia going to auction to fund his remaining years.
The best thing about the pub has always been the food and we had a fantastic sandwich there for lunch on Saturday without realising this sad news – delicious corned beef with homemade bread and piccalilli.
The Albion will be missed.
Travels With My Ant 