OXFORD ’18 – CURLING

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You’ll be delighted to hear the blog is up-to-date, bar yesterday’s crawl round Oxford.

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Eight pubs and eighty photos in Oxford, so no doubt that’ll be eight short posts to dribble out over the next 3 days. No new GBG ticks, which will horrify the Pubmeister, but sometimes you have to visit pubs for pleasure rather than duty.

If you want a preview, click the link here to see a Pub Curmudgeon comment on the Beer and Pubs forum that organised the trip. As usual, I’m sure Mudgie will sum up succinctly in one post all you need to know.

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Mrs RM inputting NBSS on her phone

Clockwise from the bottom left, the people are:

  1. Back of Christine Taylor’s head
  2. Paul Mudge
  3. Jon Benger
  4. Me (Pub Curmudgeon)
  5. Michael (Citra)
  6. Back of Tim Thomas’ head

Yes, Mrs RM came on the clear understanding that she only drink pints, and none of that evil craft keg.  This was a serious business. A short break for shopping would, however, be allowed.

It was a spectacularly bright and cold Oxford that greeted us as we were dumped in the centre of town by the Park & Ride bus.  A perfect day for short walks and long pub visits.

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Town Hall

After abusing the Flat White refills in the Spoons, we started at 1pm in St Aldates.

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St Aldates, obviously

In the words of “300“, it was a bad start.  An attractive pub filled with tables with little signs saying “reserved for Smithers-Jones from 1.17pm” and “Brasenose only“; you could have been in Twickenham. Except that the White Stripes and Eddie Cochran were drowning out the TV.  The White Stripes aren’t due in Twickers till 2038.

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Curlers

I blame curling.  All these young people were clearly only there for the curling bronze medal match, not for serious conversation about the merits of flat Bass.

With 7 (seven) beers on the bar, and most youngsters on the keg, I asked the barman what was selling fastest.  It was clearly perceived as a trick question, like asking what the most popular dish on a menu is, in fact.

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Go for the Siren, folks

Anyway, if the local XT 15 really was the fastest selling there’s something wrong, as it managed to be both lacking in coolness and condition (NBSS 2).  Just a reminder, that’s competently kept but unexciting.

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Judge for yourself

That said, the Siren seemed to be much better received. Which just goes to show, never ask the barperson what’s selling fastest if he’s just started.  Peer over the edge of the bar.

The highlight was getting advance sight of the new Ullage from the editor himself.  Tim promised this edition is flameproof.

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Non-incendiary Ullage

Pub Curmudgeon is pictured here in characteristically cheery form, reviewing his own contribution to West Berkshire’s pub magazine*.

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The next one was a cracker.

 

*That’ll be a half of Doom Bar you owe me, Tim.

 

 

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

46 thoughts on “OXFORD ’18 – CURLING”

  3. “A short break for shopping would, however, be allowed.”

    Chuckle (I’m trying to avoid ‘heh’). 🙂

    I thought the only folks who enjoyed curling in the UK were the Scots? 😉

    “The next one was a cracker.”

    I think almost any pub would be after this one. 😉

    Cheers

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I can not get my head round the group photo from the bottom left ,you look like a dead ringer for pubcurmudgeon at number 4.
    Are you having us all on.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      5. “Yes, I did put a link to that in my post, but the word “me” has been mischievously misinterpreted !”

        Argh! That explains it. I should know better than to simply trust whatever RM pens. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I wouldn’t pay to go and watch any sport in the Olympics just to wave a Union Jack. Unless pub ticking is coming back in (it was dropped, quietly, after the Rome games).

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      2. The alternatives are tricky. Asking the barman which beer is selling fastest makes them suspicious, and asking someone (particularly of the opposite sex) what they’re drinking can be misinterpreted, as I found out in Wetherspoons today.

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