Previous Message

...is that they are quite narrow properties, so it has limited them with the layout of their bars and where people can queue etc. - as an example we went into the Blue House next door, walked through to the back where the bar is, only to find that the bar was 6-10 deep with people queuing right across the full width of the building - it looked like it would be AGES before you got served and it was gone 2pm by then, so we left and went next door to the Terrace Bar.

As we went in, someone coming out recommended going upstairs to get served. The Terrace bar is 3 floors high with bars on 2 of them. There's a bar on the ground floor, at the back left corner facing to the right as you look in. You could maybe get about 10 people across it...then in the back right corner is a staircase to go up to the 2nd floor. On the 2nd floor they have another bar that is across the back wall, so you could probably fit about 15/20 people across it, however, the access to it is quite narrow as there are tables and chairs on each side, so it's like an inverted T with a queue of people down the middle before you can then spread out to the full width of the bar/building try to get served. The top floor (which is accessed by a staircase at the other end of the room, which looks out towards the stadium) is just a terrace with no bar up there, but we couldn't get up there as it was one in, one out with a queue of 5/10 people so we stayed on the 2nd floor.

Really nicely decorated and nice seating with big TVs everywhere and what seemed to be a wide range of drinks (I was able to get JD for me and Jameson's for Alex and they seemed to have lots on tap too) - we really liked it, and will go again, but as I said, I think all of them will have teething problems and will need to work out the best way for them to serve a LOT of people as quickly as possible, due to the narrowness and layout of these buildings.

It was really great to see loads of Blues in them though - and I wish all of the people who have taken a punt on buying and converting these properties the very best of luck (except for the Reform bloke that was trying to do the marquee of course - balls to him!) - all of the bars we visited (4/5 of them) were really well decorated and absolutely packed - I expect that to be the case for a while as people settle into their routines.

As an aside, I think the club needs to be more canny with their pricing to try to get people into the ground early and staying behind afterwards - I think they will struggle to do that once people have established a matchday routine and their pre-match boozers.