Escapades was the latest incarnation of Blackburn’s Ribblesdale pub on Blakey Moor.
Described as a ‘Pop Up’ bar, it opened during the run up to Christmas 2024, selling food, drink and hosting entertainment. This followed an initiative from our council to try and boost Blackburn’s town centre day and nightlife over the festive season.
I left it late to pay my first visit to this pub in donkey’s years – Christmas Eve and its last day open. There were a couple security staff on the door, both male and female. Not expecting door staff at 1.00pm, I thought they were customers like me, waiting for Escapades to open. Inside there were a couple of lads back and forth behind the bar, doing usual opening time jobs. Both were friendly enough, telling me it had been a busy start to when this place opened, probably people going in for a nosy, like me. It tapered off a bit towards the end.
It wasn’t a cheap job in here. No real ale, so a fiver pint of cider was my tipple. This had to be paid for by card, cash wasn’t an option. As well as not liking its drink prices, its deco didn’t impress me either. But other people might have thought different and liked it. At least an effort was made to get this place up and running during the month of December.
Now this pub’s future is in doubt once again. It’s chequered history looked to be taking a turn for the better when Shh Bar were on the brink of moving in a couple of years earlier. Sadly, it didn’t happen. But out of the blue we had this pub opening as the Ribblesdale Tap, when it was taken over and opened up by Blackedge Brewery. Unfortunately, the pub only stopped open for eight months.
After all the money spent on this place, it would be sad to see it all go to waste. But things are happening in this immediate area and hope springs eternal, as both King George’s Hall and the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project are receiving millions of pounds worth of investment.
On the bright side, this idea of a pop up pub may have been a good advert to bring people inside and consider its merits, maybe even encourage some individual or organisation to take it on in the future. It would be nice to see this pub at the crossroads of Northgate and Blakey Moor open up permanently.
