A welcome return for Mrs RM in today’s post. Yes they sent her back first class from the Rifle Drum in Northampton.
Also a return for pies, and our beloved campervan, which is about to get its big trip out. You’ll know who or what you’ve missed most.
It must be more than a decade since we stopped on the A10 at the Ship, possibly bored of doing 10mph behind a tractor on its way to a tractor séance in King’s Lynn. They offer free overnight parking, which is all the incentive we need.
The Ship, right on the county border, was Cambridgeshire Pub of the Year at the start of the millennium, but now is part of the GBG wasteland between Ely and Downham Market. Not that there’s many folk here to be devastated by a lack of quality cask (sorry, Littleportians).
I used to accompany my Dad in his van round here, picking up bags of Marris Pipers from places like Shippea Hill* and Prickwillow. I guarantee that none of the twelve (12) folk who used Shippea station in 2015-16 walked to the Ship.
Half arrive by boat, a third by motorbike, and the rest come from Norfolk in vehicles last seen on the set of the Dukes of Hazard.
Most folk are here for the specialist pies, and the chance sighting of a seal (says Trip Advisor). I saw nothing.
It’s 4.55pm, clearly an hour before official tea time, so trade is just those Fenland staples, San Miguel and Old Mout, drunk in the sun. We get our pie orders in early.
Every Fenland dining pub looks like this.
Unpretentious, cosy in parts, and with the promise of dreadful ABBA cover versions later on that night. Nothing has changed in 60 years (except ABBA).
Mrs RM, who has been known to wear an overcoat in Dubai, then chose to sit outside and watch boats go by while I ordered. How middle class.
Beer Guide status meant those horrid local guest beers, probably in a sampler “paddle”. Freed of that burden, the Ship offers Adnams Bitter and Mosaic. I took a risk on both and won the cask ale lottery.
Well, they were both cool, fresh and splendid. NBSS 3.5, even in the glass from hell.
The steak pie, as you can see, is stew and flaky pastry, but the steak was unfaultable. Mrs RM had something worthy and then nicked my chips.
A good night out, though we missed the karaoke. Their gain.
*The least used railway station in Britain, fact fans.
retiredmartin 
A wonderful ‘cask lottery’ winning pub, difficult but rewarding to get to (used to be in the Cambridge CAMRA branch but you certainly wouldn’t want to try cycling there along that road!), one of few Fenland riverside pubs that has survived. Have only stopped there a few times (on the way back from North Norfolk cast) but each time had similar experiences – “splendid”.
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Yes, I wouldn’t fancy BRAPA’s chances of getting there; he’s finding Little Downham tough enough (though at least the Ship will be open). The most remote Cambs pub ?
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Can’t wait for BRAPA-by-boat! I was lucky enough to visit the Fish and Duck on the junction of the Cam and the Ouse before it closed. I think you’re right, Ship must be the most remote locally – more so than Five Miles From Anywhere.
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Well done on doing the Fish & Duck. Think I had a Theakston there just before it closed, too. Couldn’t compete with 5 miles (not sure if Lazy Otter as busy these days). Possibly a real Fenland pub near Ramsey is harder to get to !
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I’ve known the Ship Inn at Purls Bridge ten miles to the west and the Great Eastern at Brandon but not the Ship Inn up Brandon Creek.
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10 points for spotting Daisy Duke?
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12 points for a creative imagination.
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“Guess the brewery”
Ok, here goes. Follow my logic here:
The title mentions Brandon, which is my youngest son’s name. His best friend is named Adam, who happens to be dyslexic (or stutters, not sure which), ergo… it’s Adnams. 🙂
“Straight up the A10 then”
Blimey, look at all the ‘hams’ (e.g. Dullingham, Chippenham, Downham etc.). You think one of them would have gone for tourist gold and named themselves Greenegssandham. 😉
“(sorry, Littleportians).”
Weren’t they in Gulliver’s Travels?
“from places like Shippea Hill*”
Least used eh? They need to turn that into the smallest micro pub to attract the right crowd. 🙂
“Bar fly life”
Also, nice, um, man purse?
“It’s 4.55pm, clearly an hour before official tea time,”
Wiki says tea time is between 3:30pm and 5pm. 🙂
“How middle class.”
Hang on. Pretty sure in a previous post Richard stated that you weren’t middle class. Or does that only apply to you and not Mrs RM?
“Mrs RM had something worthy and then nicked my chips.”
I think that’s almost universal with ‘Mrs’ everywhere. 🙂
Cheers
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That’s brilliant, Russ. Funnier than BRAPA (don’t tell him).
Nicking chips is working class, I guess. (I only mention class to wind up the class-conscious readers).
By the way, when I mention tea time it’s the time Fen folk have their tea (same time since 1957).
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“since 1957” not at 7.57pm !
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“I used to accompany my Dad in his van round here, picking up bags of Marris Pipers” –I’m very curious about this. Forgive me if you’ve already explained it at some point, but what did your Dad do, and how often did you join him on his rounds?
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Market gardener in Cambridgeshire – grew flowers and vegetables and ran a greengrocers. I only remember going when young; mostly I helped on the fields.
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You missed out on the Karaoke!!! Shame on you.
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SHAME ON MRS RM !!!
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