Pub No.2 on the BRAPA bender (for him, not me) was a bit special.
Unexpectedly so, despite the Chequers’ 437 years in the Beer Guide, the legendary Fish & Chip Fridays and the announcement of its place in the CAMRA Pub of the Year finals.
I’d been a couple of times and thought it was a good old-fashioned local, without putting it in quite the same league as the Queen’s Head or even the Red Lion in Histon. Something about the homebrew didn’t appeal, perhaps.
But this time, it shone, it really did. Perhaps it was just BRAPA magic. I might pop back with Mrs RM and see if it can cut it on a cold Tuesday in Hunts.
The locals stopped watching the 2 o’clock from Newmarket to say hello, we had the main bar with fire to ourselves, and it was a picture of multi-roomed loveliness.
And strange decoys stood on the beams above Si’s head.
I had a half of homebrew Mild here; it was nectar (NBSS 4). Why can’t all homebrew taste like beer ? Simon had to have one called “Golden Shower“, of course.
Out came the Guide and the green pen, and our longstanding Landlady seemed genuinely overcome to be asked to do the honours.
Then we got a mini tour of the pub, behind the bar and all. We were offered a look at the brewery, but explained that neither of us liked beer.
I’m not sure I’ve ever received such a royal welcome in a pub before (I lie – Andrew in the Fisherman’s in Broughty Ferry). Did she think we were CAMRA inspectors from another branch ? I doubt it, I think she was just a great Landlady.
I now know how the Queen felt when she was given a tour of the Bridge Inn in Topsham in 1998. She’d love the Chequers, and she’d love Sooty too.
One more to come, and it involves South Africans.
retiredmartin 
It loses 0.0001% of a point from me, for having varnished table tops.
If you have scrubbed, bare wood, then they never get sticky with congealed beer. It just soaks into the top few mm. of wood.
Down with varnish.
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Note Lester Piggott jug – Yes, and next to it looks like a Brewmaster figure from Whitbread who thought that something a bit stronger should complement their Flowers on the bar.
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“It’s (C) map fans”
Thanks. I was still trying to come up with some witty remark for a town called “Gaming-gay”. 😉
“Magic”
How many fireplaces does it have?
“Locals outside having a fag”
(bites tongue to avoid mentioning gaming-gay again)
“Simon’s lunch in his rucksack”
Just how many cobs did he have in there?
“Simon had to have one called “Golden Shower“, of course.”
I remarked enough about that on his blog. 🙂
“One legend signs the other legend’s book”
(slow golf clap) – Well done!
“but explained that neither of us liked beer.”
(chuckle)
“One more to come, and it involves South Africans.”
Not sure if I should be worried or excited.
Cheers
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Two fireplaces I counted, possibly a third in the unused room.
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His lunch bag seemed mostly to involve crisps.
I do like the idea of an intelligent Canadian (are you ?) taking a deep interest in the contents of an Englishman’s lunchbox.
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“I do like the idea of an intelligent Canadian (are you ?) taking a deep interest in the contents of an Englishman’s lunchbox.”
Yes, I’m definitely Canadian. 😉
As for his lunchbox, I posted that just before 1pm my time and hadn’t had my lunch yet. 😉
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Lovely pub….
‘Son of Sid Brewery – obviously a classic – should have gone for the home brewery tour…you clearly missed a golden opportunity to check out their brewing buckets in the airing cupboard…:)
Can’t help wondering whether there’ll be more of these pubs in the future, the return of the beer house…?
Also good to see memorabilia for that northern nectar, Stones Bitter, well represented in Cambridgeshire…
…but Si has only had 2 pints so far…? Are the South Africans the key to this unfolding tragedy…?
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The Saffers are ALWAYS the key to unfolding tragedy….
I get virtually zero views from SA (more from Saudi, actually), so think I’m safe…
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I’ve read the next installment now and still can’t work out what happened with SA’s and the 7 pints (did Si make you sign a secrecy agreement…?)
😉
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Signed a agreement with the Saffers.
Here’s Si 7pint post though.
http://brapa-4500.blogspot.com/2018/11/brapa-drunk-in-st-neots-part-2-of-2.html
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Yes – read it now – still suffering from post traumatic stress….the bit about him wandering lost around the pub, gatecrashing the function upstairs, and forgetting where the toilet was – is an absolute classic. Didn’t realise that Batemans could have such a devastating effect… 🙂
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I actually couldn’t finish that BRAPA post, it was so funny. Wish I’d stayed on in St Neots to photograph him ! He was wobbling after three pints ;-o((
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But did they change their brewery name to Son of Si to commemorate the visit?
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You can do anything with Photoshop.
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Beauty
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