November 2026. Cottemham. Cambridgeshire. Back in Cambridge, I complete the funeral formalities and pop to the local Building Society to put a hold on Dad’s accounts. The folk at Cottenham branch were the loveliest in the aftermath of Mum’s death and Dad’s Power of Attorney shenanigans, and I kid myself it’s nice to reminisce about… Continue reading GOTHIC COTTENHAM
GETTING BEST VALUE FROM YOUR SPOONS TEA
November 2026. Hillsborough. Sheffield. One of the issues about flitting between a Sheffield home, a Sussex caravan and a Cambridge Travelodge is that we never quite have enough food in any of them, but always seem resigned to chucking away vegetables into a black bin we never quite get collected. With a return to Waterbeach… Continue reading GETTING BEST VALUE FROM YOUR SPOONS TEA
THAT ORVAL MOMENT
November 2026. Sheffield. I don’t know how folk with a full time job and dependent children cope with parental death and infirmity. In retirement it’s been draining making weekly trips up and down the motorways from Sheffield to Cambridge, and Tunbridge Wells, and back. Four trips to Cambridge in the fortnight following Dad’s death, all… Continue reading THAT ORVAL MOMENT
TOP 100 PUBS – THE KING’S HEAD, MARYLEBONE
November 2026. London. It’s 15:57 in Kensington last Sunday and I need to catch the 17:20 from King’s Cross. Let’s walk it. Google maps says 1hr 27, so I’ll need to get a move on if I want to make random stops on the way to take photos of the drawing man in “Real Time”… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE KING’S HEAD, MARYLEBONE
THE BLUE STOOPS. A SLICE OF KIRKSTALL IN KENSINGTON
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
