Formerly known as the Crystal PalaceAddress:
http://www.sabrain.com/scholars
Pubs Galore page
Background: Mock-Welsh Victoriana slate-lined ground floor based around a square central bar (that allows for a multitude of places to wait for a drink and not get seen). Pub is located by the bottom of the hill, so it's a good place for meeting up with campus-based friends who are heading into town for a night out. Used to have an aquarium, back in its Crystal Palace
Student factor: Being near (well, at the far end of the same road) to the newly-constructed seafront halls has seen this turn into a proper student dorm in recent years. Often plays host to lecturers and PhD’s putting the world to rights on a weekday evening.
Student factor: Being near (well, at the far end of the same road) to the newly-constructed seafront halls has seen this turn into a proper student dorm in recent years. Often plays host to lecturers and PhD’s putting the world to rights on a weekday evening.
Atmosphere: Pleasant – the inside is filled with collectables/tat nailed to the walls, with some comfy chairs and sofas at the far end (if you are quick enough to nab them). Lots of nooks and crannies to sit in, the upstairs is particularly good, especially if you bag a window seat. Can get quite hot, as the ventilation is non-existent – useful if your heating has packed up during the January storms. Condensation on the upstairs windows can be siphoned off for drinking water during the colder weather.
Drinks range: The old Innkeeper Wales type home-brew has gone, so keg stuff is now fairly limited, samey and not particularly cheap. The ale range has started to get slightly more adventurous, I had a decent pint of Springhead in there in May 2012 with Brains as the other.
TV/Music: Occasional live music. A number of small TV’s dotted around, often turned to mute and (badly) tuned into a random programme on BBC1 without subtitles.
Other stuff: Student-friendly quiz night on Sundays with 24 bottles of cheap lager from the cash and carry as the prize - so really all you're playing for is the glory. Food served most of the day. Fiendishly difficult quiz machine. Active darts board downstairs and a pool table upstairs. Be sure to doff your cap to 'Eric's house', long-pointed out on the nearby road sign (for the A487 junction) as you leave. I have no idea who Eric is (or was), but he is up there with Julian Shelley, Midget on a Bike and Running Feral as Aber legends. Well done to the Council for not removing such a superb piece of graffiti.
Quinno’s verdict: A good place to meet up for a couple of beers before moving on into town, or a nice place to take a date for a quiet drink on a weekday. Seems to have become a lot busier over the last few years, older readers of this blog may be surprised.
5 comments:
Midget on a bike I suspect is also known as Dan Bach or The Kiss Midget because of his full back tattoo of that band. Apparently they know him. Kiss are also the only band I know of with TWO internationall renowned midget tribute acts. How about that?
Midget on a Bike is very much a legend, I used to live by him when I was a kid (roughly the same height). When I went to see Anthrax in Newport back in 2002, he got up on stage with them. He is known to have a foul temper though.
Also if you happen to live in 9 Queens Road, opposite, you can look through your living room window to see if the Pool table is free
I don't know when this place changed name from the Crystal Palace to Scholars. When I first visited Aber in Easter 1976 the Crystal Palace and the Coopers were the two premier real ale Bass/Welsh Brewers outlets. This was the only alternative to the ubiquitous but worthwhile Banks's pubs. All I remember about it was like all the Aber pubs we went to it was a solid local boozer that was also a seaside B&B.
Dan Bach was featured on a one hour program on S4C a few days ago, travelling to see KISS perform in Tokyo: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rock-loving-dwarf-dan-griffiths-spends-6467375
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