What is it with pubs and lacking originality when it comes to a name? The Railway, The Grapes and…read morenow, The Edinburgh. Most towns must have a least one of these in their local area, maybe even all three. This Edinburgh pub is on College Road in Crosby, and until recently I didn't really know much about it, or even that it existed. From the outside, it looks like a fairly large and traditional pub and inside, the setting is similarly habitual as it offers a comfortable, cosy atmosphere in which to enjoy a pint or two. The place is usually busy with drinkers, many of them regulars, and although it has a bit of an 'old man' feel about it, it's a nice place to drink anyway. Its location just down the road from the nearby AFC Marine football ground also means I'd imagine it'd be a good place to go for a pre or post match pint to deliberate over the day's events, although that may be a reason to avoid it for some people.

Very much a local pub with lots of regulars. A very well…read morepreserved traditional interior with a small front bar and two back lounges which are served through hatches from the back of the bar. I'm told the nickname (the bug and bite) is a reference to a clinic on the site which had poor hygiene standards!

Like 'The Railway', 'The Grapes' has got to be up there as one of the most popular names for a pub,…read morecertainly within the Liverpool area. 'The Railway' being a popular name, I can kind of understand as there are a lot of pubs located near railways. But 'The Grapes'? Maybe it's just something to do with wine fortification. This particular Grapes in Thornton however has been going since the nineteenth century, so I guess it could probably lay claim to having come up with the name, unlike its rivals. Like the Nag's Head next door, The Grapes is a traditional looking, cosy pub which although a bit smaller than its neighbour, is certainly no less comfortable. Inside, the pub is regularly filled with drinkers and diners and this is partly due to the excellent meal offers they have on during the week, including a steak and drink for a fiver. Pretty good value for money, I'm sure you'd agree. The food there is your standard pub classics but all are made to a high standard and the service is always friendly and attentive. The drinks there are what you'd expect from a normal country pub like this and are all available at fairly reasonable and competitive prices. Worth checking out if you're in the area and the Nag's Head is full.

For a while this mammoth pub had a huge bunch of metal grapes hanging outside it, I often wondered…read morehow that would work with other pub names - could you have a massive pair of royal appendages if it were the 'Kings Arms' for example. I, of course, digress. This pub has recently been refurbished, although honestly I can't really see where - the tables are a bit nicer and the carpet has a few less ground in chewing gum splotches (although it's still a hideous pattern) but the bar is where it always is and even the weird, unfathomable golf game near the stairs to the toilet is still there. I'm not complaining you understand, I actually really like The Grapes and were it not the other side of Formby, and not for the fact that I'm at least trying to pretend to be a real functioning member of society, I would happily spend all my days out here - in winter tucked into one of the booths and in summer lounging on the outside terrace. The service is friendly (this may be because I know quite a few of the bar staff) and the beer well poured and competitively priced. The food is the usual reheated something-with-chips-and-peas but it's cheap (£1.99 for scampi, chips and peas) and not especially bad. Definitely the best place in Formby to spend New Year's Eve when, come midnight, revellers roll out onto the street outside to hug and sing and watch the fireworks explode over local gardens.

This place has had more names than Zsa Zsa Gabor, and not one of them has brought success or…read moreacclaim to the venue, only notoriety and ill repute. I don't know what attracts the particularly unsavoury clientele that provoke such poor reputation; the bar itself is nice, when I have been the staff were really welcoming giving money to our group to use the juke box and taking photographs for us, and just generally warm sociable people, unlikely to encourage the behaviour that is so often reported. I myself have never witnessed any trouble here, to be honest the bar is usually empty..

Anotherplace has been the longest and so far most succesful reincarnation of this previously…read moretroubled venue. The bar no longer encourages trouble aiming in my opinion at other 25's with live music being the main focus rather than dance music as the previous bars have been. We tend to call in every weekend and the bar is usualy buzzing, recently theyve kicked off a band night on a thursday which seems to be going really well. Probably the most aesthetically pleasing bar on the road and there's always somesort of entertainment on, deffinately worth calling in.

The Old Bank is probably one of the nicer pubs in Crosby down South Road. Sat just down the road…read morefrom Waterloo train station, Old Bank is a nice place to go for a few drinks or a bite to eat if you prefer pubs to bars, but also like quite a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. From the outside, the Old Bank looks pretty special as the front is tall and has quite a traditional design. Inside, there is a variety of seating and the pub makes good use of the space available to provide a comfortable drinking environment. The function room upstairs is also pretty spacious and good for hosting live music events. The food available is nothing special - the usual pub grub and nothing more - but it's worth a go if you're peckish and in there already. The drinks are reasonably priced and they offer a fairly good selection of draught beers as well as various bottled beers and spirits. A lovely pub not far from the station that offers a nice environment to go for a few drinks with friends or a bite to eat.

The Old Bank as it's name suggests used to be a .wait for it. Bank. It's now a very nice pub with a…read morenice function room upstairs. Good Beer Good Clientelle and very often they have some very good bands playing.

The Crow's Nest in Crosby village is an interesting little pub. Located just over the road from…read morethe popular Birkey pub, The Crow's Nest could not be more different to its neighbour in terms of the clientele it attracts. From the outside, the pub looks quite traditionally designed, if a little dingy, and on entering the pub you will usually be met by several groups of middle-aged men who are no doubt regulars who have been drinking there since they were old enough to buy their own pints. The people in there are generally friendly enough, but if you're looking for a place full of young people then I'd advise you to go over the road to the Birkey. However, if traditional pubs with a bit of character and a range of guest ales on draught are what you look for in a pub rather than how busy it gets of a Friday night, The Crow's Nest could be the place for you.

A wonderful preserved interior with a tiny snug and a small bar at the front, and two lounge rooms…read moreserved from a hatch. There's waitress service in the lounge if you ask. Very nicely decorated with the usual pictures and plates, but not to excess. Grade 2 listed.

The Endbutt is a nice pub off the beaten track but well used by many people. Has great facilities…read morefor watching the match and also has two pool table's in a seperate games bar. Occasionally they have small two man acts on playing covers etc. and they also serve some nice food very reasonably priced pub fare. Thursdays are curry nights and are well worth a visit as they make a big pan of curry Mmmm Mmmm.

Great little local pub. Nice beer garden, disabled access and two bar/eating areas. Food is very…read moregood and they do a lovely Sunday roast. Great to go for lunch or just a nice quiet drink.

And so, onto my second consecutive blue-related review (no, not the adult variety)…read more As a youngster beginning my drinking career, Blues was very popular amongst people I knew who frequented the village of a Friday and Saturday. What with living in Formby and all, I generally didn't go to Crosby bars but eventually decided to try it out. We ventured to Blues quite a few times on my friends' recommendations but on each time I found it to be quite a disappointment. The bar itself is quite large, which was handy because it was always pretty busy, meaning that some form of standing space was always available at least. However, the drinks in there aren't particularly cheap and the noise levels are always seem too loud, either from people talking or from the music being too loud (which was usually the latest Kings of Leon or Killers album, whole album, no breaks). It was also filled with a lot of younger people who wouldn't know bar etiquette if it slapped them in the face, meaning a long wait at the bar was always inevitable. It looks pleasant enough to visit in the day and I wouldn't necessarily try to put anyone off experiencing it for themselves (I know many people who still like it to this day) but my past experiences have meant me avoiding it as much as possible.

Blues is our official local: a basic watering hole sufficient for a quiet night or a precursor to a…read morenight in town. It seems that way for most of the customers, the younger ones anyway. Of course there is quite a diverse clientele and it depends on the day or time that you go what atmosphere will greet you. Occassionally, it is mindnumbingly quiet, but, it can get so busy that you literally can't get in (especially around christmas and new year when all the locals turn out) Blues is not a glamorous bar and I don't think they've played Blues music in all the years I've been going. I wouldn't describe it as clean, or comfy, but, it's Blue; we've always come here and I'm sure always will.

Beautiful, from the outside. The Liver looks like a picture postcard country pub but for the fact…read morethat it's flanked on two sides by main roads. Inside it's not quite so beautiful: a little dark,and dingy, but comfortable. There is a distinct sense that this is a local pub, for local ppeople, in a League of Gentlemen kind of way and the staff can be less attentive to newcomers, though still friendly enough, Service at the bar is good but fthe ood is a little slow. The food is quite nice to be honest if a little basic.

The Liver Hotel is a pub I have passed many times but I have often been driving by so I have looked…read moreforward to the opportunity to go inside. Today was that day when I finally had the opportunity to cross the olde worlde threshold and sample the traditional pub atmosphere and real ales in this Hobbit style tavern. Oh, hmm. Well the beer was cold which was refreshing but the drinks were only limited the very standard high street brands of beers. As for the atmosphere, The Liver Hotel seems to be a real central hub of the community as the mother's meeting I walked in on seemed to suggest. It was just a pity that they felt they needed to have MTV blaring over the chatter.