NOT many things are more rewarding than the first gulp of a crisp, cold pint on a sunny day.
And it’s even better when that pint only sets you back £1.69 – less than the price of the £1.80 bus ticket getting you there.
We all know Wetherspoons is home to some of the cheapest pints in the UK – but unless you want a Worthington’s Creamflow Ale or Ruddles, you’ll be paying more.
But I recently headed to one of the UK’s most famous seaside towns of Blackpool.
And lo and behold, not long after arriving, I had a pint in hand that claims to be the cheapest in the entire country.
The Ardwick sits a road back from the main promenade in Blackpool, not far from all the main sights including Blackpool Tower and the three piers.
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You can pick up a cold crisp pint of John Smith’s, Foster’s, Strongbow and Murphy’s all day long on Thursdays for the tiny price of £1.69.
That’s less than the price of a bus ticket from the train station to the pub which costs £1.80.
Even if you visit on a different day of the week, the pint will only set you back £1.90 – still a steal.
Sipping on my John Smith’s, I somewhat expected it to be lukewarm and not the nicest, but it was one of the coolest pints I had.
The average price of a pint in the UK today is around £5.50, soaring past £6.50 in the capital.
The Ardwick’s Thursday prices are actually more in line with what you’d spend on a pint three decades ago.
The average price of a pint of beer in the UK in 1996 cost between £1.68 and £1.73.
And it’s not just the prices that are a throwback to the 90s…
Classic pub betting machines and dartboards lined the walls of the drinking establishment and the carpet has a nostalgic paisley pattern straight out of your gran’s living room.
It even has the odd historic stain here and there.
The traditional wooden bar is stacked with spirits too.
You’ll also find a number of TV screens around the pub broadcasting live sports and a pool table for a bit of competitive fun.
And if you want to soak up the sunshine, you can head to the outdoor beer garden.
Though, you’ll have to head elsewhere for food as the boozer doesn’t serve any grub apart from behind-the-bar packets of crisps.
But with plenty of spots nearby serving chips for under a fiver, you could spend less than a tenner on your day out.
Overall, the watering hole has the classic pub vibe with chatty locals and football fans glued to the match being broadcast on the screens.
Though, if you prefer a bar vibe and happen to not be visiting on a Thursday and want to pay less than £1.90, head to Tommy Cutler’s just a one-minute walk away where you can grab a pint for £1.75.
After enjoying your pint, make sure to head to Blackpool Beach which stretches on for miles and features golden sand.
It is a great beach for the family to enjoy a day building sandcastles or even heading for a swim, and thanks to being so big, even when it is busy there is plenty of space.