Another year, another train to Leyland, another chance to be surprised at how big this town is. 35,000 people and I’m certain only 4 people in Cambridgeshire (3 of them farmers) could place it on the map. We took our children to the commercial vehicle museum once, back in the days when children could be fobbed… Continue reading LEYLAND MOTORS ON
Month: July 2016
HEATWAVE IN HARROGATE
Certain towns can be relied for an annual visit that will deliver a) a decent new Guide pub, b) a new aspect to the place, and c) a decent lunch. All of those were present in lovely Harrogate this week, which was just about to unveil a magic fountain in the Valley Gardens that turns curious children into stone. Simon… Continue reading HEATWAVE IN HARROGATE
BARFLIES
I added a photo to my post on Chichester, seeking your views on faults in an unnamed rural pub. I enjoyed the responses on Twitter and the blog. First things first. The East Dean Ale & Cider House is beautifully situated in some of the best walking country in the south, and is a hardworking… Continue reading BARFLIES
CAMRA REVITALISATION -DRINK THE REAL ALE
In between dodging barflies in Sussex and posing tables in Leyland (report to follow) I attended the CAMRA revitalisation meeting in Didsbury on Wednesday. I was always going to attend to attend the event closest to Stockport to be fair; opinions are strongly held up here and tickets for the bout were trading for £50 on the… Continue reading CAMRA REVITALISATION -DRINK THE REAL ALE
GORGEOUSNESS AND GOTHS IN CHICHESTER HARBOUR
I realise I’ve been less than fulsome in my enthusiasm for Chichester* this year. The hills to the north are great though (try Compton), and the undeveloped harbourside villages have equally good walking potential. I walked from Westbourne to coastal Emsworth, taking in nature reserves, the A27, secluded farms and the harbour, proving that I can do… Continue reading GORGEOUSNESS AND GOTHS IN CHICHESTER HARBOUR
CHICHESTER – CORPORATE CRAFT AND SUNDAY DRINKERS
I needed one more night to finish off West Sussex‘s GBG entries for the first time. Not sure why it’s taken quite so long to crack the half-county (why is it split ?), probably a lack of gig venues and football grounds compared to East Sussex and Hampshire. What a great half-county it is though,… Continue reading CHICHESTER – CORPORATE CRAFT AND SUNDAY DRINKERS
MORE CLASSIC PUBS
WARNING – CONTAINS LINK TO DAILY MAIL CONTENT I much enjoyed Boak & Bailey’s well-written post on “classic” pubs yesterday. Buildings aren’t everything. Some of the new micropubs are more boxy than Wetherspoons conversions, and equally some have felt like welcoming public houses, others like private members clubs. Their closing comment is, itself, a classic. “Ultimately, for… Continue reading MORE CLASSIC PUBS
IN A NUTSHELL
Sunday night saw a steady flood of 4x4s returning to our Cambridgeshire village from Latitude, the music festival for people who like music they like, washed down with Adnams wines. I’m sure there will have been polite political debate. Mrs RM would like to go, but she doesn’t get it all her own way in… Continue reading IN A NUTSHELL
THIRSK’S SPOONS THRIVES
Perhaps I expect too much of Thirsk, but my latest stop again failed to find much sign of life, with a notable exception. As a prominent looking market town (gateway to Middlesbrough !) with racecourse, Herriot fluff and Wetherspoons hotel, it’s easy to forget a population of less than 5,000, a third the size of Ripon… Continue reading THIRSK’S SPOONS THRIVES
STOCKTON – THE GOLDEN SMOG
Durham isn’t a cheap night, even at it’s decently placed Travelodge, but Stockton is a bargain. Granted, many folks wouldn’t consider a 2 mile walk along the Teeside industrial landscape from a £27 Metro Inn (ex-Formule 1) in the less glamorous bit of Middlesbrough as desirable, but they’re wrong. The walk through Portrack Marsh, with… Continue reading STOCKTON – THE GOLDEN SMOG
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