Entertainment in Southwest England
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Sloop Inn
Old Speckled Hen, Doom Bar and Bass ales make this beam-ceilinged boozer a favourite with St Ives' old boys. Settle into a booth seat for the night, or bag a spot on one of the wharfside tables.
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Pipe & Slippers
The Pipe is a solid bet for a solid pint and an equally solid meal - Bath Ales behind the bar and Pieminister pies make this ever popular with Bristol's boozer-cruisers.
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Guildhall
Hosts music and theatre, especially during the St Ives September Festival.
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Pig & Fiddle
Fave with the Bath Spa students, especially for big-screen sports and table footie.
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Landmarc
The preacher wouldn't recognise it. This vibrant bistro-cum-music venue is set in a massive former church - now the stained glass merges with red neon. Acts are a mix of acoustic and tribute bands, with comedy on Wednesdays. The menu's full of tasty café staples: Swiss burger and fries, grilled tuna steak and Thai chicken curry.
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Double Locks
A bit of a local legend, this atmospheric former lockhouse sits 2 miles south of the quay beside the Exeter Ship Canal. Scarred floorboards, creaking chairs, excellent ale and battered board games lend it a chilled vibe - helped by the real fires, waterside terrace and better than average bar food (available lunch and dinner).
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Moles
Bath's historic music club has hosted some big names down the years, and it's still the place to catch the hottest breaking acts.
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Poole Arms
Poole's harbour is lined with waterside watering holes. The green, tiled Poole Arms is the oldest pub on the quay and is thankfully unmessed-about-with - framed knot-samples and deeply worn wooden tables still rule. It also serves tasty bar food of the homemade fish soup and pie variety.
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Barcode
Quite simply the best bar in town, this is where Torbay's cool crowd hangs out. Raspberry red walls and twinkly lights surround huge, round cane chairs and a chimenea in the fireplace. The cocktails are works of art, and the snacks are tasty (try the homemade lamb and mint burgers).
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Theatre Royal
Exclusive theatre featuring major drama, opera and ballet in the main auditorium, experimental productions in the Ustinov Studio, and young people's theatre at 'the egg'.
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Old Ale House
The pick of Truro's pubs, and a welcome change if you're getting sick of minimalist décor and designer cocktails. Here it's all burnished wood and beer mats; a selection of daily ales are chalked up behind the bar, and there's often a jazz troupe at weekends.
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Elbow Room
Part dim-lit bar, part hustlers' pool hall, this is a favourite hang-out for Bristol's style-conscious frat. Rack up the balls and knock back the bourbons to a soundtrack of jazz, funk and hip-hop. For budding Fast Eddies, there's a pool competition every Monday.
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Turk's Head
Penzance isn't short of a boozer or two, but the old Turk's Head - purportedly the town's oldest pub - is a personal favourite. Tobacco-stained walls, patchy carpets and a battered bar just add to the atmosphere of a well-used (and much-loved) watering hole.
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Annabel's
The stage spots in this quirky venue are filled by an eclectic collection of acts (expect anything from burlesque to comedy). Crowd-pleasing tunes fill the dance floor while classy cocktails fill your glass.
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Goldbrick House
Uberposh drinking emporium that combines the ambience of a private gentleman's club (squeaky leather sofas, armchairs, chandeliers) with the champagne and cocktails of a Soho celeb bar. A new fave among Bristol's moneyed-up 30-somethings and media crowd.
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Delfter Krug
A sprawling cafe-pub that covers practically every eventuality, with a large outside terrace, a mix-and-match interior bar and busy club nights. You can start with a late breakfast at noon and never leave the premises until you've danced your legs away.
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Dartmouth Arms
As an antidote to Dartmouth's sailing chic, join the locals for an unpretentious pint at the atmospheric Dartmouth Arms. There's polished wood everywhere, even on the ceilings, and navigational lights and cross-sections of ships dot the walls.
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Plymouth Arts Centre
This cultural hot-spot combines an independent cinema, modern-art exhibitions, and a licensed, vegetarian-friendly cafe.
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On the Waterfront
In 1835 this was a warehouse; now its red-brick, barrel ceilings stretch back from a minimalist bar. There's typical pub-grub on offer for lunch and dinner and its tables stretch along the quayside - perfect for a riverside pint or a pizza.
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View 2
Tucked just round from the heart of the Barbican, this cool venue has its own waterside terrace, and is perfect for a lunchtime pizza or drink. In the evening, enjoy comedy, Latin and salsa, easy listening, soul, funk and R&B.
reviewed
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Queenshilling
This is the grand old dame of Bristol's gay scene. Q/S (as it is affectionately known among the locals) is a lively club-bar that specialises in burlesque nights and big cheesy dancefloor anthems. You can't ask for much more.
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Ship Inn
Wood coats the ceiling, floors and even the walls at this city-centre, heavily beamed boozer. It claims to have been Sir Francis Drake's favourite pub - bet he wouldn't have recognised the tunes pulsing from the jukebox.
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Escoba
Orange walls, Dali-esque paintings and a hot and sultry atmosphere make this Spanish-style bar a popular drinking den. Cool Sol beers and jugs of margarita are the tipple of choice, accompanied by plates of fresh tapas.
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Mojo
This buzzing café-bar has a terrace overlooking Tor Bay. Inside it's all huge leather sofas and photos of jazz stars on the walls. Music is a mix of live bands, R&B and Latino with cheesy disco at the weekends.
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Belvedere Wine Vaults
Built by a celebrated 18th-century oenophile, this 30-somethings' hangout is carrying on the gourmet grape tradition with a 50-strong wine list, plus frozen vodka, Becks beer and a welcome absence of fruit machines.
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