The Pubs of Hove part 3 : Nearly Brighton
Backstreet's back! In part 2 of my survey of Hove pubs I commented that the trend in central Hove was towards venues where the lines between pub, bar, restaurant and gastro pub were becoming increasingly blurred. The area did have some traditional pubs but they were few in number. The area between Palmeira Square and the postcode boundary with BN1 - Nearly Brighton as I call it - is different again. Along the Western Road there are several bars which either flirt with or have thrown their lot in with the craft beer scene. But away from the main road you can still find a surprising number of traditional pubs, several of them what I would call back street locals. The unassuming Farm Road actually has two. The Cooper's Cask is a plain, single bar pub which, when I visited, had a striking display of punk photographs. I was taken aback by the sight of John Lydon's doleful face staring at me as I walked in. There was one cask - you can probably guess that it