Where?

Occupies a corner on Bradshawgate ideally placed for the passing nightlife trade on a weekend

What?

On entry Cottons appears to be your typical pub with the usual wooden dcor and the fragrant smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke. However, Cottons does have a friendly, family feel to the place and during footy season it's an ideal place to watch the match and soak up the atmosphere. Tip for single girls: When there's a match on get yourselves down there, it's packed with men!

Handbag or Heavy Metal

Not brave enough to venture into the realms of independency in the music stakes, Cottons plays the same music as you'd hear in Yates, Crompton's Mule, The Swan and many more. It's commercial, it's cheesy, it's chart music!

In Crowd?

During the day expect to find a mix of people doing lunch, however since the arrival of the big boys (Life, 2-10), daytime trade is suffering slightly. By night the lights are dimmed and the music is turned up to create your typical Bolton town centre drinking hole - attracting your typical Bolton town centre party people. Cottons does, however, have a cheery regular crowd who I don't think have moved from their seats since the World Cup.

What's the Damage?

All the bottles and beers are reasonably priced and a round of drinks might actually produce some change from a tenner - actually no forget that, I slipped back to 1995 there for a second!

Verdict?

A typical pub with a friendly atmosphere slightly dwarfed by the new bars opening around Bolton. But no matter how many bars open, Cottons will always rule when it comes to watching the football and sinking a pint with your pals.

Lucy Young