Apparently there are no words that rhyme with “Ibiza“, so I can’t use the Life on Mars line in this post, which is a shame. If I’m wrong on that I can expect Tom to correct me by tea-time. Tom may also leap to the defence of the Broads, though I doubt it. Along… Continue reading PLOUGHMAN’S & GORKY’S IN THE NORFOLK BROADS
Month: January 2017
FAMILY BREWERS AT A PROPER BEER FEST
Mrs RM and I will be setting off for Manchester on Friday, with a To Do list that includes Bundobust, the Stretford Sip Club and the Manchester Beer Fest. No doubt Mrs RM will spend a third of the trip looking in estate agents and wool shops. Or for courgettes. On a slightly smaller scale… Continue reading FAMILY BREWERS AT A PROPER BEER FEST
FARGO – COVENTRY’S CRAFT ENCLAVE
There’s a lot of lonely little isolated Beer Guide ticks to do now, including a host with the sort of unpredictable opening hours visitors just love (i.e. micros and brewery taps). They’re all part of the joys of being a GBG completist. Back in November we nearly finished the West Midlands in Coventry, but the… Continue reading FARGO – COVENTRY’S CRAFT ENCLAVE
EVERARDS IN THE LAND OF HAPPINESS STAN
A second interesting post by Pub Curmudgeon today, with some reflections on the qualities of “Ordinary Bitters“. I take the view that almost any of the established Boring Bitters, Brown or otherwise, can veer toward greatness when expertly kept and served. I’ve never had a great pint of Everards though. Or a bad one. The Original… Continue reading EVERARDS IN THE LAND OF HAPPINESS STAN
GBG SELECTION & READING ESTATE PUBS
I recommend you start the day with Pub Curmudgeon’s new post on beer quality. It’s a great summary of a complex issue, and a reminder of how easy it is for cask to lose ground on the bar, even when served competently. Mrs RM has converted to the higher strength KeyKeg and keg craft on our… Continue reading GBG SELECTION & READING ESTATE PUBS
GIVE SLOUGH A CHANCE
There is little better in life than planning a Monday pub visit, particularly one that includes black pudding and poached egg. Unfortunately, Eton‘s posh-looking George had clearly had enough of commoners ticking pubs and had closed especially for me. No warning on the web, no Twitter account, no Times announcement. I’ll be back, disguised like… Continue reading GIVE SLOUGH A CHANCE
TO BE FAIR TO BARNET…
Speaking of High Barnet, as I was, it does have one pub gem, and some decent parkland beneath the M25. Sadly its classic sloping pitch at Underhill was vacated a few years ago in favour of a dull modern ground in Edgware. Some people never learn from Yeovil. The tube at High Barnet is probably… Continue reading TO BE FAIR TO BARNET…
LAURA J MARTIN @ THE HARRISON, KING’S CROSS
More bargain music from folk not recycling their past glories on Wednesday night, and a rare London gig that isn’t in Hackney. I even got Mrs RM to accompany me to see Laura J Martin, whose genius is well suited to intimate venues like The Harrison, five minutes from Kings Cross station. The offer of tapas… Continue reading LAURA J MARTIN @ THE HARRISON, KING’S CROSS
A MIRACLE IN WELWYN GARDEN CITY
As a former resident of North Hertfordshire (Letchworth and Hitchin), I’m legally entitled to make fun of the area, but also to defend Stevenage if I want to. Stevenage is still a better pub town than the two Garden City monstrosities, who feature extensively in this classic picture; Mrs RM does her mystical “computer stuff”… Continue reading A MIRACLE IN WELWYN GARDEN CITY
AN IMITATION OF SPOONS IN STOURPORT
We stopped in Stourport to assess its suitability for Charles’s Curry Night Status. Apart from the fact the cheapest B&B was £80, it looked pretty promising. If we get bored we can always gatecrash the funfair. The town lacked a bit of its summery shine in damp January, but it now has an Heron Foods, so… Continue reading AN IMITATION OF SPOONS IN STOURPORT
retiredmartin 