It’s been a frantic month so far, and I’m still some way behind with my blog, though reading the excellent pieces from Alan and Simon on trips from 1998 and 2012 made me feel lightly less bad about bringing you a report from early April. I can’t claim my heart sings for joy at the prospect… Continue reading BACK TO THE BROADS
Month: April 2017
“WAHEY” – TOP QUALITY IN BLACKPOOL
I’ve saved the best of Lancashire (on this trip, not ever, clearly) ’till last. Blackpool never disappoints, and gave us that winning combination of street art, great beer, squalor and drunken Accrington supporters on Saturday. Not for the first time, those Stanley fans (sans drummer) were the highlight of a trip north, unless you were… Continue reading “WAHEY” – TOP QUALITY IN BLACKPOOL
A FERRY FROM FLEETWOOD
Another League 1 promotion candidate to follow Bolton. I do hope the 26,000 folk of Fleetwood realise the achievement of Uwe Rösler and the team in guaranteeing a Play-Off place. That’s a bit like a small East Midlands team winning the Premiership by ten points. We took the slow train out to Fleetwood Ferry from Blackpool… Continue reading A FERRY FROM FLEETWOOD
BOLTON TODAY, BURY TOMORROW
Our little M61 tour took us into the TK Maxx at a wet Bolton. Fen folk know how to live it up on Easter Saturday. I have a lot of time for Bolton, particularly it’s northern suburbs like Doffcocker and Egerton. But it’s looking a bit tired at the moment, though my youngest son could tell from the… Continue reading BOLTON TODAY, BURY TOMORROW
HOT PIES IN HORWICH
Yes, I know I haven’t told you about Lancaster yet. But you can only really follow Chorley Cakes with Horwich pies. Lots of lovely contours for this one (Note to Cambridge readers ; they indicate hills). Horwich was heaving on Saturday, full of road racers, leisure cyclists, horse riders, and families walking from car to… Continue reading HOT PIES IN HORWICH
CHORLEY – BOB, BISCUITS & BASS MIRRORS
We stopped in Chorley Market for Chorley cakes, as you do. They’re not as good as Eccles cakes, if I’m honest, but I didn’t say that while I was there. Don’t get me wrong. The baked goods are reason enough to dodge the endless amateur cyclists on the road from Euxton. The lady here sold me… Continue reading CHORLEY – BOB, BISCUITS & BASS MIRRORS
DO THE CONTINENTAL
The second of my Pride of Preston posts (their TIC should use that one) revisits a real hero(ine), and an iconic pub. But first, Preston. As lovely as ever, even if we never actually found the retirement flats Mrs RM had been exploring on-line. The fairy lights along Fishergate looked new, and of course there’s… Continue reading DO THE CONTINENTAL
PRESTON – SEEING THE LIZARDS IN THE BLACK HORSE
“What have you been writing about me NOW ?” screamed Mrs RM as we set off down the A59. I’d forgot she very occasionally reads this stuff. So, by way of correction, can I say that Mrs RM was walking at a perfectly brisk pace yesterday, as you need to be when trudging through a field of… Continue reading PRESTON – SEEING THE LIZARDS IN THE BLACK HORSE
MORECAMBE – JAM JARS WITH HANDLES
Another emergency post to meet the tourist needs of Gareth, who is clearly escaping to the right side of the Pennines for a break. Morecambe was our family trip from Preston yesterday, £23 being a third of the price of a trek into the Lakes. That’s the best thing about Morecambe; you get the views… Continue reading MORECAMBE – JAM JARS WITH HANDLES
XB IN THIMBLEBY
Working through my One Drive revealed a few upsides to Lincolnshire I’d neglected to tell you about during my rant about “Gastropubisation“. Memory fades fast once you get north of 30. Another contender for “Dick & Dave’s big Lincs Adventure” is the Durham Ox in Thimbleby, which is a decent name, but not a patch… Continue reading XB IN THIMBLEBY
retiredmartin 