Messing About by the River Ribble has a whole new incentive - Welcome Back to the New Continental!

Welcome back to the New Continental - which opened its doors again on the banks of the River Ribble yesterday on a (rare!) sunny August afternoon!



We've been very busy this summer, and our time spent by the Ribble has been a much rarer treat than we would like - and of course the summer weather has been a re-run of last year's heavy rainfall so the Ribble has been well-worth visiting to see the fast-flowing rains hurrying by!


Yesterday, I was left at home busily working while the rest of the family enjoyed a ramble by the Ribble, walking upriver at high tide on the Penwortham bank...


...and stopping as ever on the old Tram Bridge connecting the South Ribble "Ribbleside" Country Park to Avenham and Miller Parks in Preston to enjoy the fantastic views towards Walton le Dale and Lostock Hall...


... then walking along the banks of the Ribble through that fantastic avenue of elms and horse chestnuts running the length of both parks...

...before making their way past the New Continental pub which has been undergoing a huge transformation in recent weeks as the new owners have been getting ready to launch...
...at which point the whole family and the dog dashed home to drag me away from my work as the New Continental has re-opened!!

In the interests of family harmony I managed to force myself away from my books, and we headed to the New Continental at a fast rate of knots!

The interior looks great, really fresh and spacious yet even more cosy than it ever was. Comfy seats and cosily arranged furniture making great little snugs all through. The atmosphere is really fantastic - and the pub and garden (with a great patio make-over!) were both nicely busy with groups of friends and families enjoying the evening sunshine.

The biggest change is the windows - after the first slight shock that the leaded windows have gone (well, they were repro and very damaged) was the fantastic realisation of the great view over the Ribble! From inside the pub!!



A peruse of the (original) bar discovers even more glories - a fantastic selection of local and continental beers!! Wow!! We had to try a few of course, in the interests of community relations, and they really were fantastic.

We had a really great evening tasting a grand selection of beers and watching the setting sun glinting on the Ribble and bathing the trees on the Penwortham side in glory...


Great view of the magnificent Victorian railway bridge too, with the sun shining through those vast but elegant arches...

Then we decided to check out the menu, and here the superlatives are in hot demand as the menu is great, offering a mix of locally-sourced ingredients in traditional and continental-style foods, but the reality is truly fabulous!!! Fantastically-cooked food and very generous portions!


Sea Bass on a bed of cous-cous...



Garstang Blue cheese and Walnut salad... and there was also a great selection of meats, plus a great children's menu - our group enjoyed the tomato and cheese flan with mashed potato and seasonal veg! Followed by a chocolate brownie with ice-cream and a bottle of real Dandelion & Burdock, while the older members of the party moved on to another delectable brew...

Great Beer, Great food, Great Atmosphere, Great Pub!!!

And a great walk home along the banks of the Ribble, hurrying by to the sea....

Check out what's happening in Broadgate on the Broadgate is Great Blog;

and what's happening at the New Continental pub
- and for more details, see their blog! . They have a few more things to do to finish off their fantastic re-fit but the beer, the food, the views, and the atmosphere are up and running!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

...now, back to the books, with body and spirit well-fed....