I’m making such good progress on the blog that I get to bring you a report from BRAPA‘s long-awaited trip to Cambridge before he does. To preserve BRAPA’s anonymity I’ve blurred his face above so people can’t identify him and beat him up when he comes back.
But here’s a nice picture of me taking a photo of the ticket machine at Waterbeach last Monday.
It was touching 26 degrees in Cambridge when I arrived with the official welcoming committee.
Actually, that photo was from Chatteris.
I’d only caught the train to Cambridge to buy some smart new driving shoes (£6 from Primark), but you can’t let Simon loose without some vital local information. Such as the best vantage point to watch tourists falling off their punts (the Mill), and the closest place for a pint of Draught Bass (Lutterworth).
Another new City Pub Co pub had opened that very weekend, but if you think I’m being the first to drink a pint of homebrew in 26 degrees etc etc.
We headed for the closest GBG pub, to save Simon the strain of lugging his collection of GBGs and body armour round with him.
The Flying Pig is the only other pub in the UK that closes on Saturday lunchtime, in this case to allow staff to take dancing lessons.
And on a Monday lunchtime the Pig wasn’t overflowing either, just a few tourists and middle-aged blokes drinking pints over lunch.
Rudgate, Woodfordes, Crouch Vale, Adnams. Nice unpretentious range.
I no doubt asked which was selling fastest, got an unconvincing answer, and then chose the dark one anyway.
Perhaps attracted in by the sight of pub blogging royalty, the Pig then filled up nicely with a motley collection of real people. Including a chap who seemed fascinated by Si’s tales of derring-do in Cornwall.
In an average pub city like, say, Cardiff or Chester, the Pig would stand out more than it does in Cambridge, where its fame is more to do with surviving successive redevelopment attempts.
The beer was decent if not thrilling, though we stayed for a second pint, something that breaks every rule of pub ticking, It would no doubt be better if the suits across the road were contractually allowed to pop in for a lunchtime pint, but those days are long gone.
But as a place to spend an hour talking about our favourite closed micro pubs, it was perfect.
retiredmartin 
Is it still under threat? I visited when it was goven local POTY during a redevelopment fight about 5-6 years ago. Nice pub, a bit of welcome individuality.
LikeLike
Kind of jarring to see the view out of the window after seeing the really nice scene inside.
LikeLike
Rudgate Ruby Mild, I love that beer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
More than the proper 6% Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild ?
LikeLike
Not for me. Love Sarah Hughes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice pigs on the hand pulls there.
The fixture computer assigned Feb 16th for my trip to Cambridge then. Though tempted to divert on the way to/from Stevenage on the opening day…
LikeLike
Wow! Driving shoes. I never realised you were in the Ayrton Senna league. You’ll have to take me out for a spin next time you are up here.
N.B. Ref to single, long dead racing driver who dominated the sport, commensurate with your taste in beer.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mention of Chatteris reminds me of the Ship Inn a couple of miles east at Purls Bridge which in the 1970s was the most unspoilt of pubs.
LikeLike
I like the pigs on the hand pumps too – and your perfectly timed post is a great opportunity for me to plug my pig related pub post coming out tonight …(warning – plug for another pub blog)🙄
When Simon said “Plenty of odd characters, and I don’t necessarily mean @NHS_Martin who joined me..”
..was he being completely sincere…or just covering all the options….?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally sincere. I await your porcine post eagerly, from a Wetherspoons in Penrith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s what I thought…
Oh no – not more Prosecco!…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mrs RM just had rum and coke though.
LikeLike
“To preserve BRAPA’s anonymity I’ve blurred his face above so people can’t identify him and beat him up when he comes back.”
That won’t work if he keeps insisting on wearing bright bloody orange kit. 🙂
“Flamenco Cambridge”
Ok, that left me speechless.
“Plenty of odd characters,”
Is that a young Bob Dylan with the guitar in the bottom left photo?
“But as a place to spend an hour talking about our favourite closed micro pubs, it was perfect.”
(guffaw – to the closed micros bit) 🙂
Cheers
LikeLike
We are all Bob.
LikeLike