Before going into Stumps for the very first time, I pretty much knew what to expect, what with the monotony of all the other bars in Partick. Yet again I was going to be a young man going into an old man's pubin, where you always get the feeling that you are something of an interloper. Especially so on this occasion, when I went through the doorway and an elderly man having a smoke outside muttered something under his breath at me, much like a big dog guarding its territory.
But you should never judge a book by its cover. Stumps does have the usual kind of crowd and traditional look to it, but I was taken by surprise to hear Metallica blasting from the jukebox as soon as I walked in the door. As they are one of my favourite bands I took an instant shine to this place. The jukebox was actually very much the same kind you see in a Scream pub, with a massive choice of songs - very unusual for a pub like this but certainly very welcome.
It felt great to be able to buy a pint, put on the Who on the jukebox and then kick back and relax. It felt quite warm inside too, even though it was a bitterly cold day in January. If only all pubs felt as warm inside - you get the feeling a lot of them just don't bother with the heating in order to save money.
There was two televisions on in the pub which were showing different channels - one was Sky Sports 1 and the other Sky Sports News. There is also some very interesting paintings on the wall, some of Glasgow-related subjects like the subway and some cricket-related. It is a cricket-themed place as attested to by its name and its proximity to the local cricket club.
Despite being one of the smallest local pubs, Stumps is definitely not as run of the mill as I expected it to be. The pints are quite cheap too, so I would definitely recommend it above most of the other pubs in the area. read more