I see CAMRA have organised another event in a giant hangar to show how many billion beers there are potentially available in the UK now. So many that they haven’t got space for Dobber IPA among all that home brew. If anyone has tasted all 900 this week, I’d love to read about it.
The GBBF is another example of how CAMRA has taken it’s eye off the ball, focusing on hats made out of balloons and prosecco rather than beer quality and the availability of flat Bass in every GBG entry.
Fortunately, great basic pubs continue to survive without craft keg and Spoons vouchers, including a new one in the depths of Radnor Forest. When your nearest town is Knighton, you’re officially remote.
Wonderful scenery on the exciting 25 minute walk from a station seemingly located in a different country (perhaps it is), particularly if you love sheep as much as I do.
And, joy of joys, the Greyhound in Llangunllo has outside toilets.
It also has that bane of the pub tickers life, which WhatPub delightfully calls “approximate opening times“. At 5pm on a Saturday, the front door looks very, very closed. That’s because you enter by the back door.
Notice, if you will, the opening times clearly displayed at the door, affixed with Martin Luther like firmness (CAMRA in-joke).
Great pubs give you welcomes like the Greyhound did.
Cheeky, irreverent ones. “What kept ya“, rather than “Will Sir be dining tonight ?”. You could have been in the Olde Vic.
I didn’t take notes; you don’t when you’re engaged in conversation. But a group of half a dozen locals were legends. One of them was 103 (“104 next week“). The rest of them appeared to be from Sedgeley.
They’d guessed I was there because of the GBG entry, which clearly meant the world to the landlady, and well-deserved it was. if the Six Bells was typical (NBSS 3.5).
But really, come for the CamROT approved (by me) toilets, the best since the Vetch closed. Just don’t miss the train back.
NB. I hoped the Campaign for Real Outside Toilets had some substance, but all I could find on the internet was this.
NB (2) See also this.
retiredmartin 
It’s Knighton where the station is in a different country, of course…
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Really ? Brilliant.
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I can’t help thinking that a place like this would blow the mind of your average Shoreditch hipster 😉
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They couldn’t cope with having a conversation with the landlady, let alone the locals.
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They’d have enough trouble in the Boar’s Head! 😮
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I AM that landlady.
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Thank you for running such a great pub. Hope you’ve survived the last 18 months.
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Pub looks wonderful. Not sure about Cameron’s OTB … in Wales? Surely there are so many better and nearer beers around for them? Anyway, expect a riposte on beerleeds.co.uk regarding GBBF – just setting off to single handedly try all 900 beers today!
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I sked that; said she likes to give variety of beers from round the country. Locals clearly liked it !
Good luck with the 900 (sounds like a film).
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Maybe the policy is to have one local favourite and one varying guest from further afield, which makes a lot of sense.
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A rather magnificent link at the end. Is CROT’s logo an image of Crotney’s Red Barrel?
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Could be, could be.
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I have an old friend in CAMRA who used to organise his own TOTY pub award (Toilet of the Year)
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Actually those toilet signs are in themselves somewhat confusing, especially to those who have imbibed a few 😛
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I sense that may be a deliberate ploy 😉
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After 8 nights here we saw a great beer fest everyday! And we got to enjoy Deal and Hastings. That is what i call a beer fest😀
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#PubMan
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The Weighbridge. Alvechurch. Outside toilets insomuch that in winter and it’s peeing down you need A. Waders and B. An umbrella. Next to the canal.
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Oh yes, great character building loos there !
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