Looking back at two days of Surrey photos, it’s fairly clear the new GBG pubs were decent enough, apart from that first one.
Even better, most of them were in places I’d never heard of. And Cranleigh claims to be “nearly England’s biggest village“, which makes my ignorance shameful.
Pubmeister may correct me, but I don’t recall many GBG entries round here this century either, though there’s four pubs on the main street.

Cranleigh reminds me of those large Essex villages like Chipping Ongar and North Weald Bassett that stretch along B roads, and lack character due to a stream of traffic passing their black and white timbers.

Even the garage shop is a listed building,

and this is a cottage hospital, apparently,

and this is the financial planners shop;

At least the butchers looks like a butchers.

A place to live rather than visit, perhaps. The Three Horseshoes seemed the sort of village pub everyone wants as their local, even if it isn’t the gastropub you travel out from Guildford for.


In fact, one local was eating his lunch at the bar, which is something you don’t see in Brunning & Price.
“That was ****** lovely” he said to the bar.

Some of you may have your doubts about eating at the bar, or mustard trousers, I just thought “Pub”.
This time sanity prevailed and I went for the Harveys Sussex, which was ****** lovely (NBSS 3.5) too. Look at that head.


It was South London at the bar, but Surrey round the walls as septuagenarian women with scarves whiled away the afternoon. What a way to live, eh ?

No Otter today, but you can trust a pub with an Otter sign.

Whether you can trust a pub that omits Chris Tavare from its picture of Cricketing Greats is another matter.
“eating hos lunch”
Brave man, I wouldn’t cross a Cartwright, especially one the size of Dan Blocker.
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The picture does have Sir Geoffrey, though, so attritional batting is catered for. I’m not very good at faces, and have to admit I don’t immediately recognise the bearded chap in the centre. The others are, I think, Botham, Grace and Bradman. Not quite sure who the West Indian is, but certainly not Vivian Richards.
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Sir Geoffrey was no Tavare 😉
The West Indian is Brian Lara, and I confess I assumed the chap centre was a younger Botham (again). Otherwise no idea.
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It may not be a Real man in the photo but he does suggest Quality.
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It’s a little known fact that Russia is an Affiliate member of the International Cricket Council.
They quite like the convention of home sides providing the tea …
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Never rated him as a cricketer, but ‘It only takes a minute’ is an all time classic!
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Boom !
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Boycott pictured toasting the run out of another partner. Are you sure that’s Lara? Looks more like Sobers. Great to have some red hot cricket comments. And you are right/ Cranleigh has never featured in GBG – I can’t recall ever going there previously either.
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I meant Sobers, doh ! No offence.
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Time for a campaign to rehabilitate Tavare. It worked for Alan Turing.
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Cranleigh looks a bit like a bigger version of Repton and it also has a big independent school…those mustard trousers shout rugby to me! Tavare always a good discussion point… possibly a poor man’s Nick Compton 😀
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How dare you, Sir !
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Your Fracked Off post doesn’t seem to be accessible Martin – says ‘not found’ for me…
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Would you believe it – as soon as I said that it opened fine!!!…
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Ian (Wickingman) said the same. I posted it in Bishop Stortford services near Stansted, clearly a different time dimension ! Thanks for letting me know.
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Do they really claim to be “nearly England’s biggest village”? If your claim includes the word “nearly,” you’re in trouble!
This post contains without doubt your best use of the word, “******,” bar none. Makes me want to go out and get a pair of mustard trousers. 🙂
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You don’t have mustard trousers already (in an ironic way of course) ? I’m surprised.
And https://www.facebook.com/cranleighvillage
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“and I went for the Harveys Sussex, which was ****** lovely (NBSS 3.5) too. ”
Paul’s always going on about Harvey’s beers. 🙂
“as septuagenarian women with scarves whiled away the afternoon.”
If the scarves were orange I’d say that just might be Si in a few decades. 🙂
Cheers
PS – “I just though “Pub”.”
I’m assuming from the above that you’re using ‘pub’ as a verb? 😉
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Never assume anything. Can I assume that Russ isn’t short for Russki, by the way. The Government reads all these posts.
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Naw, short for Russell. Although…
я немного говорю по русски
I did take a year long Russian language course whilst in the military (wink, wink). 🙂
Cheers
PS – And, to be honest, I chose “Russtovich” as a handle partly due to a liking for the Patronymic; but I based it on my own name. I figured “Russtovich” would be a lot rarer on the Net as opposed to Russ Smith. (LOL)
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