The Staff of Life

Just the three pubs in this post from a lunchtime visit to Stoke-on-Trent.

This is an area that I'm not at all familiar with and really need to explore much better.
I've set foot in Stoke three times before, either to watch live music or on my way to the Britannia Stadium.  And each time I've been in the Wheatsheaf, so I decided not to break that habit.

The Wheatsheaf (84-92 Church Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1BU)
Indeed, the live music I came to see, travelling down from Manchester in my student years, was in the Wheatsheaf, previously a cracking small venue which used to serve a decent pint of beer as well.
The likes of Radiohead, Oasis, Adam Ant, and PJ Harvey have graced the stage here, Noel Gallagher supporting a 'Save the 'sheaf' campaign when news came it was set to close.

Spoons took over and refurbished the pub in 1999, this becoming their first outlet in the Potteries. 

By JDW standards, this is a relatively small place set out in an L-shape.
I arrived early doors, although the pub was busy with predominantly old boys watching horse racing on the TV and hi-vis jackets.

Breakfast and a pint of 'Gower Power' for me...a beer that was much stronger than I realised for a pre-noon pint.  A foolhardy start to the day that I'd regret later.

Moving on, I made the short stroll to somewhere I'd spotted on the Heritage Pubs website.
Just look at the glorious Bass sign on the frontage...

I'm going in...

...and I'm not stopping to pick up the fallen circus poster, even though it would have made for a neater picture.

The Staff of Life (13 Hill Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1NL)
Given the choice of doors, I veered left into the Racing Bar.  Where - sure enough- there was more horse racing on the giant TV screens, with a handful of early regulars in place. 
Bass or Joules were the two real ales on offer.  No contest...

I briefly loitered in the side room with its Stoke City function room chairs before coming to the conclusion that the bits of the pub for the heritage ticker were on the other side.

I felt I'd made a good start to the day - a Spoons breakfast would keep me going for a while and I'd found the first of a fair few pints of Bass for the day.
Strolling through Stoke I snapped a picture of the elephant mural...

Before heading to my third lunchtime pub.  I wish I'd had a little more time in to do a few more Stoke-on-Trent pubs, but I was keen to move on and explore a bit more of the Potteries after this.

The Glebe (35 Glebe Street, ST4 1HG)
Situated next to the town hall, this is the first pub I'd passed on the short walk from Stoke station, just after crossing over the multi-lane Queensway.
It's an impressively refurbished place with some spectacular windows, a grand fireplace with a coat of arms above it, big old framed paintings on the wall, and the best cheese counter I've ever seen in a pub.

This is run by Joules Brewery of Market Drayton, with three of their ales on offer.

I picked the 'Slumbering Monk' and took it through to a giant empty table in the first room.
The custom seemed mostly food-based and I briefly regretted not eating here.

I'll finish the post with a picture of the cheese and pork pie counter at the Glebe...

Right.
Let's walk up the hill to Hanley on the hunt for more Bass!