June 2026. Somewhere near Tonbridge, Kent. In truth, I’d been looking forward to the usual “Meal for Three” from Southborough’s Meows for Michael’s birthday, Mrs Meow is my second favourite lady in the whole world and it’s not even close. But arriving at the door of the in-laws at half-eleven we’re greeted with “Michael needs… Continue reading A DESTINATION KENTISH PUB FOR MICHAEL’S 88th
TAKING YOUR PINT BACK IN A SPOONS
June 2026. Royal Tunbridge Wells. I’d left Mrs RM in the cheap Tunbridge Wells Travelodge on Mount Ephraim at 3pm for my dash into West London, and as expected the call about tea came at 17:59 just as I was finishing that pint of Shere Drop in Teddington (yes, I took the call outside). “I… Continue reading TAKING YOUR PINT BACK IN A SPOONS
A SHERE DROP IN TEDDINGTON
June 2026. Teddington. London. Two cracking London pubs; one edging the beer, the other the “pub”. Back on the train that does the loop from Waterloo and back via Wimbledon, failing to take the killer shot of the Thames due to being on the wrong side of the train. And 20 minutes later off at… Continue reading A SHERE DROP IN TEDDINGTON
AN OTTER IN RICHMOND (LONDON)
June 2026. London. Another long drive last Wednesday; Sheffield to Waterbeach to see Dad (firmly asleep), then down to Tunbridge Wells ahead of Father-in-Law’s 88th birthday (firmly awake and raring to go). There’s some longevity genes in our families. I dropped Mrs RM off at T’Wells Travelodge to blog, and ran for the South-eastern departure… Continue reading AN OTTER IN RICHMOND (LONDON)
“BORDERLINE”
June 2026. Sheffield. Let the record show that I spent last Tuesday afternoon with Mrs RM at Meadowhall Shopping Centre, and spent nothing. There is nothing I want to buy now I’ve bought my annual pair of Riekes, though I’ll happily received Mrs RM’s discarded phone when she upgrades. I like the surveying part of… Continue reading “BORDERLINE”
NEW SPOONS ON MONDAY ? NOT IN WETHERBY
June (finally !) 2026. Wetherby. Monday morning brings us to Wetherby, famed for the lack of a railway station, a Sam Smiths (without sign) seemingly closed longer than you’ve been alive, and a wonderful collection of cakes and pies to draw in the gentlefolk. There’s a decent number of gentlefolk in the new Spoons on… Continue reading NEW SPOONS ON MONDAY ? NOT IN WETHERBY
IBO’S BUNKER. 3rd TIME LUCKY
May 2026. Loftus. North Yorkshire. For a third time this year I took the campervan to the mining villages of the north coast, parked up overnight across from Loftus Police Station, and hoped. And there it was, right next to the non-GBG Mad Alice, one advertising Japanese beer and darts, the other Clarkson and cover… Continue reading IBO’S BUNKER. 3rd TIME LUCKY
STANDING AT THE BAR
May 2025. North Yorkshire. There’s been a lot of Yorkshire on this blog this year. I won’t apologise; Yorkshiremen never apologise (I assume, having listeded to Geoffrey Boycott on Test Match Special all those years). Am I a Yorkshireman yet ? This year’s “pub just outside Northallerton” is one of those that will split opinion,… Continue reading STANDING AT THE BAR
I AM JIM B’s TAXI
May 2026. Sheffield. While I was in zen mode back in 2022, focused only on completing the Beer Guide before family disaster/pandemic/ash cloud struck again, I’d have got irritated with anyone wanting to pop over to Sheffield to spend a Saturday revisiting good pubs. But now I’m delighted to entertain visitors, as long as they… Continue reading I AM JIM B’s TAXI
THE KIRSTALL BRIDGE
May 2026. Kirkstall. Leeds. We’d managed 2 1/4 miles from the start of our Cask Camino before we called it a day due to holes in Mrs RM’s shoes (Neil not Traffic version), but in fairness we clocked up a few steps that day; 972.9 calories is a couple of pints and a pork pie,… Continue reading THE KIRSTALL BRIDGE
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