retiredmartin

Not only do I rely on folk in Crewe, Stockport and Newbury to spell-check my posts, I rather expect anyone to point out the absence of a March stocktake.  I was rather thrown by BRAPA summing up before month-end, a heinous crime.

So fashionably late, we have;

40 new GBG pubs across 18 GBG counties, the latter possibly a personal best. That helped finish off East & West Yorks, all of London, West Midlands and Lincolnshire.

There was some opening times hilarity, of course, but I rather warmed to micropubs (the main culprit) in the month, and beer quality was almost universally good or better.

NEW PUB OF THE MONTH – Fez, Margate

Easy one.  Pubby cheer, Bass memorabilia, vinyl records, chaos.  A great night in Margate.

 

BEER OF THE MONTH – IPA OK, Long Arm Brewery in the Pineapple, Kentish Town

An old pub, a chaotic night , an unreadable pump clip, and NBSS 4 beer.

Beer quality in the Stockport Market Place stagger was superb too.

 

DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH – Dronfield

Not my first visit, but the first time I’d seen the attractive centre and a pub scene on the rise, underpinned by the wonderful Dronfield Arms.  Great walks in all directions.

 

PUB CAT OF THE MONTH – not actually in a pub, but next door to the Falstaff, Ramsgate, so close enough. 

 

The highlight of the month, apart from “An Inspector Calls” at the Playhouse, were the no less dramatic goings-on at Royston’s Wetherspoons, the most entertaining lunchtime session for some time.  Protein shake man demanding his fruit machine takings (top) will stay with me for some time.

In April, I will be visiting Cheshire, Preston, Ulverston and finishing off Leicestershire, Notts and Surrey, if Claygate’s hobby pub ever opens.