I’ve been stuck in Huddersfield with duff WiFi; rather hoarse after shouting obscenities* at a Southampton team; rarely have I enjoyed a victory so much.
As I can’t upload photos of Hudders and (excitingly) Urmston, here’s a bit of St Albans from last week, uploaded in the Wetherspoons in Chapeltown.
I had the company of Mrs RM and made her walk across the mud that is Verulamium Park. towards the Lake, always at its best in winter.
We stopped to see the famous mosaic, housed in a building that will make a fabulous micro pub when all the world in micro pubs and Spoons.
Mrs RM felt she’d done enough walking to justify a stop in the first pub we came to,
but she hadn’t, and we carried on up the hill to the Cathedral , which is magnificent. Third only to Lincoln and Blackburn.
Mrs RM was so impressed she played with her I-Phone while I explored, along with an impressive number of Italian tourists.
We pressed on to the venerable Boot, where I had promised her a pint of finest Draught Bass.
The demonstration rumbling on in Market Cross should have warned us,
No Bass !!!
I considered a “No Bass” walkout, but Mrs RM was already seated with her phone out, so I had to buy her a pint of Citra served in that horrific Adnams glass.
Hard to fault the beer, even at £4.20 (ouch !), and a really cheery town pub with a lot more smartly dressed young shoppers than you’d find in your average town at 3pm. More like Stamford than Stafford.
A soundtrack including “Landslide” by the Mac seemed appropriate given our slide down the hill earlier.
As a husbandly concession,we walked back via Fishpool St and St Michaels to save Mrs RM’s high heels, and she kindly pointed out where a former boyfriend lived. What a gorgeous street this is;
Both those are shut, but elsewhere St Albans remains impressively and diversely pubbed.
CAMRA may have achieved much in the last 45 years**, but the absence of the epitome of our brewing heritage from CAMRA HQ is surely a national disgrace.
*Note for Mum. “Oh do stop your silly timewasting you naughty Saints” a typical rant.
**Without CAMRA, there wouldn’t be Wetherspoons. Think on that.
retiredmartin 
And no more Bass on gravity in the Star either. Bad day for RM.
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Although an interest in the mobility scooter business may be seen as a sound investment – http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/11/no-drivers-license-for-mobility-scooters-despite-rise-in-users/
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We’re all expecting more and more Christmas photos. Your spirit is coming through.
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😱
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Bass in St Albans, as if … that’s why I left. If I remember rightly the Mermaid had the highest sales of that Citra stuff of any UK pub.
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Yes, someone said that (possibly you). St Albans has always favoured the Adnams/Oakham/Purity type brewers; bet the city sells more Oakham than Sharps.
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Wot me repeat myself 😂
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Love the no Bass march! Great piece 👍
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Pretty much all the cask-focussed pubs in St Albans (Six Bells, Mermaid, White Hart Tap, Boot, White Lion, Farmer’s Boy, Lower Red Lion) do indeed stock Oakham at all times. Only a few have the Boom Dar. Great post Martin. Sorry I chose to be in Watford during your flying visit.
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Your pioneering research into the merits is of national importance, Alec !
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“And the landslide took her down”
I was going to hint at a musical reference but you confirmed it further down.
“Sainted pub tickers through the ages”
Ok, that made me laugh. 🙂
“CAMRA demonstration”
And that (picture) made me shudder.
Cheers
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I’m glad you recognise the effort that goes into all this Russ, I could be down the pub you know !
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Pfft.
I was led to believe that most of these photos take place on the way to a pub anyway! (LOL)
Cheers
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I’m just trying to figure out which of those sainted pub ticker statues is you and which one is Si.
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Si is the one on far right of the line with copy of GBG and green pen, me second from left, Duncan 3rd left and ErlangerNick with the sword.
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Bass was always on in The Boot until a couple of years ago; but increasingly seems to have drifted to an occasional. Not seen at all on most recent visits – whether coincidence of bad timing on my part, or victim of change of policy? Blame Protz ;-), he drinks in there.
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