Birkenhead has always been something of a Cinderella town, forever in Liverpool’s shadow and the butt of jokes by stand up comics.
Certainly during the 1980s when the ‘Pool was going through its own economic crisis the “one-eyed city� across the water was arguably going through an even worse time lending credence to that old cliche that it’s grim oop North.

But now in tandem with Liverpool’s rejuvination it’s becoming a place to be - and like Hoboken which faces across the Hudson to New York City its inhabitants are blessed with one of the most magnificent vistas on earth.
Call me a big softie but I still get a thrill looking over the river, seeing the Liver building languishing in the moonlight and thinking both comfortably and even a little proudly “This is my home�.
That feeling is always heightened with a little lubrication - which is what happened when accompanied by Grantie of the Echo then Pub Column made the short trip by train under the Mersey from Moorfields to Hamilton Square.
The destination was The Dispensary one of Cains brewery’s most excellent flagship pubs which is literally two minutes walk from the station and from whose doorway you can see the afotrementioned Liver Birds standing sentinel.
Like Birkenhead itself, however, a few years back the pub went through an uncomfortable period of its own and was faced with extinction after closing its doors. To the rescue came Andy Moorhead and his Mum Brenda Adams who stumped up the money to take over the place.
“Mum used to drink there and loved it so it seemed a shame to let it go to waste,� said 36-year-old Andy who took over the pub with his partner Emma a year ago last September.
It’s always difficult drumming up business after a closure but by word of mouth and the introduction of a few little innovations The Dizzy, as it’s affectionately known, now has a very healthy crew of regulars.
One of these nifty ideas is the facility to order the pub’s food by email. This is particularly popular during the week when workers in local offices who may only have a half an hour’s break can order in advance so that the nosh is ready and hot for them when they arrive.
Another was to replace the old pub’s uncomfortably bum-numbing wooden seating with comfy chairs. NOT THE COMFY CHAIRS!!! the more Pythonesque among you may now be bellowing. But yes indeed the comfy chairs proved to be very comfy indeed for Grantie and Yours Truly as we supped on perfect pints of Cains fruitily refreshing Raisin Ale and admired this old coaching inn’s many attributes. These include the wonderful stained glass skylight above the beautifully chunky wooden bar behind which nestled something we thought to have been extinct for eons - a big jar of pickled eggs.
This got Grantie - who was celebrating his penultimate night on the ale before a welcome detox and back rub at some ponsey health spa - recalling a drunken night in Oily Joe’s down the Dock Road when fellow hack the legendary Loobie Lew slurred his demand for two hot pickled eggs. However, the landlord who was obviously even more lashed than Loobie, had pickled his eggs with the shells ON so that when they were popped in the microwave the machine promptly exploded with a mighty bang.
My how we laughed.
The only dampener on the night was that the Cain’s seasonal brew the Creamy Stout had sold out.
Never mind. There’s always another time to sample it at The Dizzy.
And rest assured there will be. Very soon.

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