February 2026. Letchworth Garden City. The weekly visit to see Dad in his Cambridge care home found him in rude health, no doubt in part due to the food at Hatley Court, which is (genuinely) better than anything I eat these days. I’d hoped to use the weekends in Waterbeach to get a few ticking… Continue reading WOWSER ! THIS TRAIN STOPS AT LETCHWORTH
MORE SHEFFIELD MICROS BY TRAM. THE PIG & WHISTLE, GLEADLESS
February 2026. Gleadless Townend. Sheffield. I suppose it’s best to accept the inevitable…in 2026 we’re just not going to get any new Victoria/Edwardian multi-room heritage pubs. But there’s an infinite number of one room shop conversion micros to be developed in otherwise underpubbed suburbs. No more so than in South Yorkshire, where recent years have… Continue reading MORE SHEFFIELD MICROS BY TRAM. THE PIG & WHISTLE, GLEADLESS
SHEFFIELD’S DARK HORSE FOR THE GBG ?
February 2026. Banner Cross. A rare trip out to posh (but not snooty, oh no) Banner Cross in Sheffield’s West End, to get Ian his new GBG tick. He wasn’t rushing to leave for the bus back, with the terrifying prospect of a pint with BRAPA at the end of his journey. I feel obliged… Continue reading SHEFFIELD’S DARK HORSE FOR THE GBG ?
IMPATIENT TICKERS IN BANNER CROSS
February 2026. Banner Cross. Sheffield. Approaching middle-age, I feel less and less inclined to turn down any offers of a pub and a chat, even if it does mean staying in Sheffield rather than a slog to Shetland. And the pub tickers are the best of men, always positive despite that setback in a micro… Continue reading IMPATIENT TICKERS IN BANNER CROSS
A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
February 2026. West Didsbury. I left Matt back at Piccadilly, no doubt to attend to housework, and added a rare Greater Manchester GBG newbie before City v Fulham. This year’s Manc ticking has been a bit of a slog, with brewery taps in Wigan and Timperley only opening weekends, craft bars not opening at all,… Continue reading A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
CHECKING OUT POTENTIAL LOCALS IN STOCKPORT
February 2026. Stockport. Hah ! Clickbait. Not a new local for me, though Mrs RM is already tired of Sheffield as our house has a garden that she now regrets buying. Why can’t you make an increased offer to buy a property without a garden. Youngest lad Matthew is looking to leave the rents of… Continue reading CHECKING OUT POTENTIAL LOCALS IN STOCKPORT
JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
February 2026. Turin. And finally from Turin, a redemptive afternoon exploring the western half of the city, a half almost entirely ignored by the internet. ChatGPT had summarised the internet and listed ten (10) highlights, somehow omitting the indoor markets, both the historic fresh food hall visited by Pope John Paul, and a modern food… Continue reading JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
THE LAVAZZA MUSEUM
February 2026. Turin. I always say, in a confident way that brooks no argument, that you need to visit a place at least half a dozen times to get the measure of it. And that applies whether it’s Tamworth, Toddington or Turin. I wouldn’t wish six trips to Totnes on my worst enemy, mind. Three… Continue reading THE LAVAZZA MUSEUM
“McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
February 2026. Turin. We woke up on that first morning in Turin feeling a bit like this; I felt sorry (not sorry) for Mrs RM, who had gone pint, pint, half litre of white wine, pint of Leffe. Luckily I Reali Bed & (sort of) Breakfast had a coffee machine, but even after five espressos… Continue reading “McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
TURIN – SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
February 2026. Turin. In 1985 the New Musical Express gave a legendary review of The Jesus & Mary Chain, berating them for no longer having the energy to play the twenty minute sets, slipping into the “rockism” of hour long shows with encores. Similarly with blogging, it’s harder (for me, anyway) to write concise posts… Continue reading TURIN – SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
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