February 2026. Edenham. Lincolnshire. Not quite Greater Grantham, more Bigger Bourne. Have any of you ever been to Bourne ? I knew nothing about little Edenham, 15 minutes off the A1 and Newton’s house, just past that Corby Glen I wrote so pointlessly about on New Years Day. But I know everything about Edenham now.… Continue reading NOBODY SAID SOUTH KESTEVEN WOULD BE FUN
THE WENLOCK
February 2026. Islington. 20 minutes walk from Bombay Corner to my gig at Islington Assembly Hall over Regent’s Canal. Walking London is a joy, questionable football clubs apart. Not the most, or best, pubbed part of London, but great to see young folk (discuss “young“) filling the trad pubs early evening. While the youth (my… Continue reading THE WENLOCK
THURSDAY IS THE NEW FRIDAY
February 2026. London. From Charlton the train takes you back over the Thames, then stops abruptly at Cannon Street. It’s a quarter to six in the City of London; let’s have a look. Not many suits or bowler hats or folded copies of the Financial Times, but young workers pack the pubs. Plenty of pubs,… Continue reading THURSDAY IS THE NEW FRIDAY
CHARLTON, FOR THE ATHLETIC
February 2026. Charlton. Two South London pubs relatively close together, but with no great public transport option that I understood, so an athletic walk west from Plumstead to Charlton through some “unprepossessing” suburbia, where unprepossessing is a posh word for “a bit daggy”. You’re on the edge of the historic Woolwich Royal Artillery Barracks; this… Continue reading CHARLTON, FOR THE ATHLETIC
UP THE (WOOLWICH) ARSENAL
February 2026. Woolwich to Plumstead. Gig night in London, a chance to get a rare couple of GBG ticks, with an exciting Thameslink trip past London Bridge (new and shiny) and Greenwich (old) to Woolwich (scruffy but exciting). I knew Woolwich had suffered a few pub closures, but goodness me that’s a lot of grey… Continue reading UP THE (WOOLWICH) ARSENAL
A LAST HURRAH FOR DOOM BAR
February 2026. Downham Market. £9.30 “invested” on an old person’s evening out in Downham Market, and all I had to show for it were some blurred photos from the Crown, which I’m out to convince you is a great pub. Perhaps I can borrow Mrs RM’s superior phone camera (she denies it’s any different). Even… Continue reading A LAST HURRAH FOR DOOM BAR
TOP 100 PUBS – THE CROWN HOTEL, DOWNHAM MARKET
February 2026. Downham Market. When mum was coming towards the end of her life just over a year ago I was virtually living in Waterbeach. The only thing keeping me sane were a few short rail trips once mum was in bed, exciting places like Littleport and Downham Market. As the sun set, I returned… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE CROWN HOTEL, DOWNHAM MARKET
SPRING HAS SPRUNG
February 2026. Waterbeach. My cousins from North Norfolk came over last week to give us hand clearing Mum’s belongings (yes, it’s a long process). They used to love visiting Sunnyside, and have recently acquired a liking for the Nepalese food at Waterbeach’s White Horse. That view of the gault was from this evening, but last… Continue reading SPRING HAS SPRUNG
A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
February 2026. Back from Hull, Mrs RM taunts me with photos from her Rome weekend. Prize if you can name this one, quite famous I reckon. I’d been abandoned while she went off on her girls weekend, but I get to sit in my new favourite place, the big sofa at Sang Lung, waiting for… Continue reading A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
THE HULL STATUE TRAIL
February 2026. Hull. I can’t leave Hull without another quick look at the Old Town, one of our very finest. The city really got its tourist act together for its spell as UK Capital of Culture, producing loads of trails for its wealth of museums (more than Sheffield) and statues. Quite a focus on William… Continue reading THE HULL STATUE TRAIL
retiredmartin 