May was not only the hottest month since the Big Bang, but a great month for retiredmartin plc (sponsorship pending). And not just because Ian Thurman produced the world’s first Bass directory.
39 new GBG pubs is actually a bit below par, spread over the east coast it allowed me to finish off Northumberland, the Scottish Border and the Lothians.
Don’t ask about the squiggle on the left.
More than that, May has seen inadvisably historic pub crawls with Pub Curmudgeon and co. in Northampton, the Southworth brothers in Leeds (report coming) and BRAPA in rural Cambridge. Simon gave the best impression of a very drunk person in Royston’s magnificent Spoons.
I was also taken with all the friendly people in Northampton, even the Coventry fan at the end of this lovely row of pints in the Lamplighter.
And, of course, I met the man with rainbow socks who claimed descendancy from Robert the Bruce (more likely Bob the Goose).
Some great coastal scenery, no better than our campervan view in Conwy.
My New Pub of the Month also comes from North-east Wales; Pwllheli’s Cob Pen being the cheeriest Spoons in a post-Tivoli world.
My runner-up, again from the Llyn, the Ty Coch combining stunning views, isolation and beers that made Mrs RM’s legs go wobbly (stop now Russ).
Beer of the month was Otter in the Olde Cottage. It’s very bland.
But the best lacings were local. Very local.
JUNE PREVIEW
Mrs RM is arranging her next assignments as I write; hopefully a peripatetic role rotating between Aberdeen, Tenby and Totnes.
Failing that I need to focus on North Yorks and Durham, perhaps falling asleep at a 20/20 match in Chester-Le-Street.
As you’ll see, I’ve chopped the Isle of Wight off my GBG so don’t have to do it any more.
Meanwhile, my search for the perfect charity box goes on.
retiredmartin 
“Don’t ask about the squiggle on the left.”
I was going to ask about the squiggle on the right. 😉
“Legend”
Where’s his bright orange regalia?
“I met the man with rainbow socks who claimed descendancy from Robert the Bruce”
You sure it wasn’t Robert the (LG)Bruce?
“(stop now Russ).”
Not to worry. I’ve been too busy humping dirt for the past few days. 🙂
“Meanwhile, my search for the perfect charity box goes on.”
I’ll still say it’s ironic that the charity is for vision impairment with the wording it has on it!
Cheers
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At least you didn’t ask about the squiggle on the left. The one on the right is a whale.
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I had assumed you were now starting to tick oil rigs. Or offshore wind farms.
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Aren’t they the obvious site for the next generation of brew taps when the rail companies put rents on railway arches up ?
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The thought of an Oil Company trying to run British Railways, shudder, the only conceivable way to make them worse….
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It’s the consistency of that pink bloc that I admire. Durham and North Yorkshire are screaming at you in the interests of eastern completeness. Miss that spreadsheet giving the county-by-county picture!
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Thanks Martin. Next step, first annual Draught Bass Day in April 2019.
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We are forever hearing criticism of Tim’s venues from “the Wetherspoon Haters” but I can well understand your New Pub of the Month award going to Pwllheli’s Pen Cob.
My Old Pub of the Month award most definitely goes to Bradford’s New Beehive Inn where “New” is presumably compared to a couple of Nottingham’s older pubs.
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I know the Beer & Pubs forums values “unchanged interiors” but I rate life in all its wonder. Royston Spoons may be the best place to see life in the Western world.
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With Winters gone I shall seek out Tim’s Royston venue.
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Mention that “May was not only the hottest month since the Big Bang” reminds me that this is the only of my 63 years not to have had a Spring. Winter was from 1st December to 31st March and Summer is 1st April to 31st August – with apologies for digressing from beer.
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Beer is a digression from life, and this isn’t a beer blog. Yes, we rather skipped those 10 to 15 degrees days I prefer. Who do I blame ?
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