retiredmartin

 

I see top pub photographer Richard Coldwell (he really is) has been publishing photos of me in his latest series of blogs from Leicester. Nice of him to airbrush my bald patch out of that shot from behind, but you’ll know how I feel about folk taking photos of old blokes in pubs.

I see from my own Leicester post that I promised a fuller review of the Ale Wagon, the star of the day along with the Real Ale Classroom.

So here it is. A pale imitation of Richard’s own review, just like my I-Phone images  is compared to his Pro Camera.

I’d been reluctant to kick off a day’s temperate drinking here; it’s a place to sample life, after a fashion, late on.

Unfortunately, Pub Crawl Law No.4 – No Doubling Back meant we started in a place I expected to be empty apart from Richard’s Yorkshire ego.

It was thriving; Old Boys dotted around the bench seating, all on pints, keeping themselves to themselves.

Our intrepid quartet joined them, raising the volume level a few notches. Richard did what all great #PubMen do, and struck up a conversation with the bloke reading at the next table.

Lifelong friendships were, no doubt, made over discussions on the merits of Flann O’Brien, which just proves my reference to Sun colour supplements on my last trip was far from the whole picture. All human life is here.

Of course, Flann/Brian once said “A pint of plain is your only man“.  Here, it was Hoskins HOB and IPA that impressed, scoring NBSS 3.5+ across the board.

It’s not a specialist beer bar, but the ales cover the spectrum of light and dark, and there’s some keg and cider options for Mrs RM, if she ever agrees to return. I can but hope.

An increasingly rare Basic Boozer in the Beer Guide, a quality estate pub in the City.  Cambridge hasn’t had anything like this since the Cow & Calf closed 20 years ago.

Great toilets too.