April 2026. Lincoln. Easter Monday means one of a) pubs you expect to be closed are open, b) pubs you expect open are closed, c) trains don’t run, or d) you’ve got a hangover from Sunday night. I took a punt on the Adam & Eve in Wragby, a dining pub half an hour bus… Continue reading LINCOLN’S BIG DAY BEGINS IN THE TREATY OF COMMERCE
VIKRAM SETH AND CRICKET
April 2026. Barkisland. West Yorkshire. As you’ll observe, I don’t tend to suffer from writer’s block, unless I stupidly follow pints of Old Peculier with pints of Wobbly Bob and suffer the consequences. Vikram Seth is still struggling with his follow-up to the epic “A Suitable Boy“, a novel so good I took two days… Continue reading VIKRAM SETH AND CRICKET
DANCING AND CHEESE PIE IN NORDEN
April 2026. Norden. Greater Manchester. Look at those contour lines ! An underrated place, Greater Rochdale, with micros in the town and hills all around. And top blogger (and bloke) Tandleman and the lovely E close by. But what does Norden, 2 miles out of town on the road to Ramsbottom, have to attract the… Continue reading DANCING AND CHEESE PIE IN NORDEN
PUTTING UP THE BIRTHDAY DECCIES AT THE CAP & WHIPPET
April 2026. Norden. Greater Manchester. Closing in on a belated completion of Greater Manchester GBG entries now (two Wigan brewery taps left, and who can guess when they’ll be open). As you’ll know by now I tend to go stir crazy if I don’t get to visit somewhere new every week day hour, so I’m… Continue reading PUTTING UP THE BIRTHDAY DECCIES AT THE CAP & WHIPPET
KEEPING UP WITH BINGLEY. AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK ?
April 2026. Bingley. West Yorkshire. A very quick in Steeton in the drizzle, then a hop back on the train to Leeds and home. Very unsatisfactory, there must be a worthwhile stop that isn’t Leeds or Wakefield. Where to break the trip back ? Keighley deserves a full day out (it probably doesn’t these days),… Continue reading KEEPING UP WITH BINGLEY. AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK ?
DRIZZLE NEAR KEIGHLEY
April 2026. Steeton. West Yorkshire. I shouldn’t be jealous of anyone, really, jealousy gets you nowhere. But I do look at Simon’s blog and wish I was travelling round the country doing seven pints a day again. While BRAPA was finding half a dozen new pubs in Oxon I was scrambling around for a single… Continue reading DRIZZLE NEAR KEIGHLEY
A NEW MANCHESTER BEER BOOK. LET TICKERS REJOICE
April 2026. Manchester. A day in central Manchester, the modern bit between St Peters and the Irwell, with a diversion through Spinninfields (no ta), and a quick look at the history of Unionism (yes please) in the wonderful People’s History Museum. We meet Blackpool Jane (why don’t we ever use proper names ?) outside the… Continue reading A NEW MANCHESTER BEER BOOK. LET TICKERS REJOICE
THE RISING SUN, MANCHESTER
April 2026. Manchester. Quite a contrast between the central squares in Tyldesley, and Manchester, where I find Mrs RM in the art gallery. Well, the cafe. She tells me the city looks gorgeous in the sun, the flashy high rise complementing the Victorian heritage, so I’m not alone in that view. Opposite the Town Hall… Continue reading THE RISING SUN, MANCHESTER
TOP 100 PUBS – THE UNION ARMS, TYLDESLEY
April 2026. Tyldesley. You can’t come to Tyldesley and just do the lone new GBG entry. Perhaps I should have gone craft, but the lure of the longstanding “Proper” pub was too strong, so the Union Arms it was. Thwaites on the bar, a clear preference to how you pay (“Ooh, a fiver, I love… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE UNION ARMS, TYLDESLEY
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