A desperate attempt to weave Sham 69 into a blog post set only a few miles from Hersham, but these are desperate times.
And Chertsey has an air of desperation the lovely church can’t dispel.
EVERYONE in the main streets was wearing an office lanyard and a worn-down expression as they collected their meal deal and hurried back to their desks at Chunky Industrial and Global Think.
The depression was spreading; quite a few boarded-up pubs in an under-pubbed town.
but at least the Prince Regent lives on in this wonderful (and flattering) pub sign.
Spotting the sign below, I though I’d found an unmarked micro pub on their usual Christmas break;
But it was just a printer ribbon shop.
Just for Duncan, I got a photo of an antique shop selling football programmes at ambitious prices.
In the historic quarter, lunch was just ending at the Olde Swan.
As you see, a bit of a contrast from the Weir. In fact, a bit like an Antic without the craft posturing.
A cask line-up from the last century, too. Apart from Doom Bar, which is cutting edge.
Peering over the bar suggested only the Doom had been poured that Wednesday, so again my choice was simple. (And I don’t like beers with novelty pump clips, Rebellion).
The DB, in its beautiful branded glass (just like those posh Belgian beers), was actually both cool and pleasant, scoring NBSS 3.5. I now have 377 scores to input onto WhatPub, but since most of them are 3 it hardly matters.
Befitting the décor, we had a selection of nostalgic tunes for gentlefolk, including this;
Cheapo lunches and some excellent bench seating (Chertsey style) sealed the deal. I’m easily pleased.
I make no comment on the live music offer,
but the music in the Gents would have been good if actually on a turntable. Five points for identifying The Smiths single.
retiredmartin 
I’ve just realised that “The Retired Martin” would be a fine name for a micro. In Maidenhead.
Complete with your Beer photo as the signage.
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This is all an elaborate long con. Slag off Maidenhead (not hard), devalue the property then convert the Clinton Cards shop on the edge of the Red Light District (i.e. the Town Centre) into The Retired Martin. In 2 years, take over the Cons Club and reopen as a bottle bar.
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“(just like those posh Belgian beers)”
Heh. 😄
“Five points for identifying The Smiths single.”
I made a single? 🤔🤗
And that’s all I can write for now. Have to save money as I’m currently in Courtney sitting in the car while my lovelier better half is plonking down a few hundred dollars on some sort of swanky mixer for her kitchen. 😎
Cheers
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It costs you money to post ! Isn’t WiFi free in Canada ?
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That was tongue in cheek. 😉
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I’ve just realised who Russ reminds me of.
There’s a chap called Dave who pops into my local for a drink.He’s from Alabama so he’s called Alabama Dave.
And he literally pops in from Alabama for a drink.
Donkey’s years ago he came across a lively pub blog charting the lives of all the drinkers that a local kept in the days before everyone communicated through social media.
From that accidental click of his mouse he’s built up a love affair with the pub,its regulars and the Irish town we live in.
As a world-travelled university professor he shoe-horned diversions to the pub into his European lecturing tour or would sometimes come over and check into a hotel to spend the days writing some highbrow thesis and the nights with the lowbrow locals supping stout.
His kids grew up following all the comings and goings,the feuds,the affairs and every other bit of minutiae that is the living soap opera of an everyday pub.
And this fellow is no Plastic Paddy yahoo in mockya leprechaun hat but a quiet,unassuming Yank ( they do exist ) who even though he’s now retired still flies across the Atlantic for important events in the pub calendar.
I had a pint with him last week and asked what he was over for.He told me he’s sold the family’s holiday home in New Mexico and was house-hunting locally for somewhere close to the pub.
He’d seen one place but it was too far to walk and all uphill.
I pointed out that he had spent years happily flying thousands of miles to get to the place but now couldn’t be arsed to walk less than one mile.
We laughed and agreed the Irish had finally rubbed off on him.
That’s why I love pubs.
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Minneapolis Dave and Chicago Dick, which sounds like a dodgy blog title to me, are similarly quiet, cultured US lovers of the pub.
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As your readers often describe you…This Charming Man
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Never heard of it.
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Panic on the streets of London
Panic on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?
The Leeds side-streets that you stagger down
I wonder to myself
Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
But Honey Pie, you’re not safe here
So you run down
To the safety of the town
But there’s Panic on the streets of Carlisle
Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
I wonder to myself
Burn down the micro-pub
Hang the blessed beerblogger
Because the beer that they constantly pour
IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE
Hang the blessed beerblogger
Because the beer they constantly pour
On the Leeds side-streets that you stagger down
Provincial towns you jog ’round
Hang the beerblogger, etc, etc
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Have you been drinking the Magic Rock Puft again ?
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Liked the pub but missed that shop when in Chertsey. Have many with that cover but missed that match. The club are currently trying to emulate a retro-style return to the third tier.
Enjoyed Professor Pie-Tin’s post.
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The third tier is where it’s at. Just ask Hull Tigers fans.
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The fifth tier really wins this award – all the top destinations off the pitch, from Ember Inns in Wrexham to Halifax micros, with a certain conservative club thrown in for good measure.
Struggling to plan anything decent for Boreham Wood next month, mind.
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Well done Leon, that Conservative Club in M*******d rather swings it for Tier 5. We really need Kidderminster back in their rightful place though.
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Boreham Wood has a HiFi manufacturer (Michell) that built the spaceship Discovery for 2001 A Space Odyssey, if that helps.
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I sense a total descent into Doom Bar – ism (other mass produced bland ales are available), I fear you may soon start to lose readers if you continue in this vein.
I never knew that’s what the little holes in the middle of 45’s were for. Scary play list – Free, Smiths and the Jacksons.
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I’d be quite happy to lose all my Crafty readers and be left with the BBB hardcore.
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What, both of them?
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Two is fine.
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The entire retiring CAMRA membership who are computer literate then.
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Wikipedia is a wonderful thing! Your first picture of the football programmes piqued my interest as I originally hail from Scunthorpe. So, what was the score in that match and how did the season finish?
Well, hot off the teleprinter I can tell you that the final score was Brentford 2; Scunthorpe United 1. It wasn’t a great season for either team – Brentford finished 19th (out of 26) and Scunthorpe were 2 points ahead in 18th place (Up the Iron!) The only reason Scunthorpe had those two extra points was because Exeter City failed to turn up for their match and Scunthorpe were awarded the points! (It’s a funny old game!)
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Good to see Jimmy and the boys getting a mention again! Borstal Breakout was my personal favourite…
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You set them up, I’ll blast them over the bar from a yard out.
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Boom boom 😁
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