November 2026. Notting Hill Gate. London. An afternoon in West London, always a joy, and a reminder that you can never really get to grips with the capital. I take the tube a couple of stops from Edgware Road to Notting Hill Gate, and magically from £2.72 a pint in the Paddington Spoons to £6.80… Continue reading THE BLUE STOOPS. A SLICE OF KIRKSTALL IN KENSINGTON
THE SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING
November 2026. Paddington. London. Sunday morning, drive down from Sheffield to Waterbeach (not much longer, hopefully) to discuss funeral arrangements, then another overnighter in a cheap Cambridge Travelodge before meeting funeral directors and registering the death the next day. I cannot lie; it’s not as much fun as ticking Orkney pubs. But I do get… Continue reading THE SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING
OCTOBER ’26 STOCKTAKE + NOVEMBER PREVIEW
A familiar look to the travel map, Sheffield-Waterbeach-Tunbridge Wells- Rye, repeat. Fifty-one pubs, a duff pint or two, but mostly great. November may be the last month I need to stop in Waterbeach, though, as we give Dad a send-off next Friday. He’d have loved what the new owners have done at Sunnyside. From funerals… Continue reading OCTOBER ’26 STOCKTAKE + NOVEMBER PREVIEW
A HOP THROUGH THE HEATONS
October 2026. Greater Manchester. In Manchester for a cut and a curry before my first trip to the Etihad in ages. The city is setting up the Christmas markets, but it’s naturally beautiful. I’ve had two pints of Holt Bitter, and however alluring the OBB in Sinclairs seems I know a double espresso in Cafe… Continue reading A HOP THROUGH THE HEATONS
MANCHESTER’S HARE & HOUNDS. THE PERFECT PLACE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO REGISTER A DEATH
October 2026. Manchester. From Romiley I take the picturesque route through Reddish Vale to Manchester, where I’m getting pre-funeral hair cut from Matt. Dad’s funeral is all-consuming, and on Friday afternoon I’m still waiting for the Medical Examiner to call to confirm cause of death so I can register the death. That call comes as… Continue reading MANCHESTER’S HARE & HOUNDS. THE PERFECT PLACE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO REGISTER A DEATH
A HOLT IN ROMILEY
October 2026. Romiley. Greater Manchester (it’s Cheshire ! shouts Old Mudgie) The new Greater Manchester entries in the Beer Guide are an eclectic bunch; well, OK, not really. Your usual group of small bars, brewery taps, a Spoons and just Flixton waving the flag for large dining pubs. But those new “micro pubs but not… Continue reading A HOLT IN ROMILEY
BLUE SOURS, WHITE STOUT. IT CAN ONLY BE SHAKESPEARE’S
October 2026. Sheffield. You know where Sheffield is. And you probably know where Shakespeare’s is by now, tucked halfway on the pub tourist route between Kelham Island and the Tap and the Rutland, not far from the Emergency Services Museum. It’s not the best pub in Sheffield, but it might be the one I’d recommend… Continue reading BLUE SOURS, WHITE STOUT. IT CAN ONLY BE SHAKESPEARE’S
THE QUEEN’S HEAD, NASSINGTON. PROPER CRUST PIES JUST OFF THE A1
October 2026. Nassington. Northamptonshire. Last year, Yarwell; this time Nassington gets the Beer Guide glory in that cluster of gorgeous villages west of the A1 at Peterborough. A few miles east you’ve got dull Fenland and that pub in Holme that thinks it’s the lowest point in the UK, but this little pocket of Northants… Continue reading THE QUEEN’S HEAD, NASSINGTON. PROPER CRUST PIES JUST OFF THE A1
THE COMPASSES, ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS. NICE PUB, SHAME ABOUT THE PSYCHIC READINGS
October 2026. Royal Tunbridge Wells. Our single night at the in-laws tragically coincided with the Tuesday closure of Meows, purveyor of the best Chinese Meal for Three in the kingdom. What does Tunbridge Wells have to offer during the diner in half-term. I will try the White Bear one day, but the Youngs menu was… Continue reading THE COMPASSES, ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS. NICE PUB, SHAME ABOUT THE PSYCHIC READINGS
MOUNT EDGCUMBE
October 2026. Royal Tunbridge Wells. Only down in Rye the night, then back up to attend to father-in-law ahead of his next hospital admission. Tuesday saw calls from medical examiners and undertakers on my side of the family, the process of death temporarily more demanding than life. We stayed the night in the Wells, in… Continue reading MOUNT EDGCUMBE
