Preparing these posts from photos and a few unintelligible notes on an I-Phone presents a few challenges. Do I report every trip, every pub ? Do you really want to read about a workaday smartish Thwaites diner in a workaday village on the edge of the Dales ?
Perhaps you do; I don’t care. It’s my diary.
No pub visit is without purpose. Each tells you something about the human condition. Even if that something is only that people are weird.
But first, a walk round Ingleton, home of Seasons Cakes and the legendary Molotov Mule cake. I stuck with Bakewell tart.
Nice bit of Dales, though not quite as exciting as the OS extract suggests.
I don’t think the herbs were help yourself, but a decent smell was free.
Into tiny Austwick, where the Game Cock is a pleasant stone pub sadly scarred by garish decoration. (See Sam Smiths for how to do signage).
Quite why Thwaites feel the need for a guest beer as exciting as Bombardier I can’t imagine. I saw half a dozen pints pulled in 20 minutes on Tuesday lunchtime, split evenly between Wainright, Original and Nutty Black. Yes, SIX pints. Which is “selling like hotcakes” in 2018.
Perhaps it’s the more mature walker (well, a walk from their car) who can appreciate a good regional brew these days. The Nutty Black was cool and chewy, a superb NBSS 3.5. Is it brewed in Wolverhampton yet ?
One lady complained about her coke being served in the wrong glass, two groups stood around utterly bewildered at the sight of a pub with service at the bar, another chap had come with only a credit card on him and had to go and fetch cash, probably by selling his MG Metro.
How can folk be so unprepared for the simple rituals of pub life into their 60s ? I bet there was a queue forming round the back.
But they weren’t unprepared for the weather, oh no. Three layers were spotted on some folk as the thermometer briefly threatened to dip below 20 degrees. Yorkies.
retiredmartin 
Aside from the lack of reverence for GOC – expected I suppose. You should be boycotting this pubco, once a decent brewer, now a small brewery supplying their own pubs and foisting pseudo craft beer onto the masses which tastes like nothing on earth; which they seem to be supplementing with Marston’s brand beers. Something that is surprising as Marston’s were the bully who took Thwaites out of the game. Why does everything Marston’s touch turn into generically brown (shades may slightly vary) piss?
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Thwaites downsized because the 1960s town centre brewery was worth too much as a site for a supermarket.
If they choose also to sell their most popular brands, including the ex-Mitchells Lancaster Bomber, to a large brewer that can make more use of them then that’s their choice but it was hardly a hostile takeover.
Thwaites still brew Nutty Slack which, when named the Mild it is, was a Champion Beer of Britain.
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“Perhaps you do; I don’t care. It’s my diary.”
Exactly. 🙂
“and the legendary Molotov Mule cake. ”
I don’t see a spot for the soaked rag to go in.
“though not quite as exciting as the OS extract suggests.”
I dunno. I think Nookdales might have some, um, interesting scenery at times. 😉
“After eight mints herbs”
Must be a hybrid. 🙂
“a pleasant stone pub sadly scarred by garish decoration.”
They have overdone it a bit on the outside.
“One lady complained about her coke being served in the wrong glass”
Sheesh.
“another chap had come with only a credit card on him and had to go and fetch cash”
Which is the complete opposite of what BRAPA usually faces. With him they look at his cash as if it was something from an archaeological dig.
“Yorkies.”
Or, folks over 70. 🙂
Cheers
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Yes, it normally is “card only” pubs with Si.
Actually, I think it was a minimum spend of a tenner, and he wouldn’t add a packet of crisps to take it up to £10.
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Crisps must not have been Pipers.
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Garish double glazing too. How to make a nice old building unattractive. The Bombardier probably came on the same dray as the other beers (from Wolves).
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I hoped you visited the Courtyard Dairy just down the road at the old falconry centre, it’s the best cheese shop I’ve ever encountered (and also does a mean Raclette in the cafe!). Have passed that pub many times on the drive home but have been too full of cheese to stop. Will try and visit next time!
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Of course not ! But wish I had, love raclette.
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“a guest beer as exciting as Bombardier” –I have been known to miss when you’re being sarcastic, but I’m guessing this is a good example! 🙂
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To be fair, Bombardier is quite exciting compared to Thwaites !
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