My underpaid Blog Title Team excelled themselves with this one, I hope you agree.
An hour in Gourdon, an hour constructing the blog, three hours for the title. So 2019.
I would have liked to have worked “Howe of the Mearns” into the title, but you can’t have everything.
The bus from Johnshaven was the slow one back to Stonehaven, so it drops you in the very heart of bustling Gourdon (pop. 860).
Sometimes you need the GBG App to find a pub. No risk of missing the Harbour Bar though.
Handy for the Lifeboat Museum (closed) and the renowned seafood restaurant (closed), but the mobility scooter is the sure sign of pub quality I need to see.
There’s a decently pubby conservatory, a back room drinking den with some youthful and robust conversation (probably about Cove Rangers) and the bar with The Real Ale.
What’s surprising is the presence of 5 AM Saint on the bar, rather than Punk. If hadn’t needed The Real Ale for my tick I’d have had that.
It was only three hours since the croque monsieur, but I was really taken by the giant board saying “Pub Grub“, and had the scampi with my pint of M’oR, served in a Siren glass.
“A pint of The Real Ale ?” It sounded like I was ordering the Bouillabaisse or something in a plain Marseilles cafe.
In the drinking den the banter was rich and expressive. I didn’t want to put them off their stride, and sat in the conservatory. Very Un-BRAPA.
Pleasant seating, and I was joined by a lovely chatty couple soon after. The Gentleman ordered “A Half Of The Real Ale“, presumably now I’d shown how it was done. They were obviously a classy couple, reading the description on the wine bottle and saying “Cheers” to each other. I’ll never be that classy.
Cool and tasty, the M’oR was one of the best of my trip. The scampi and chips were good Pub Grub, but hardly going to trouble my Instagram.
In the public, the lads had left, off to Cheltenham I think, replaced by another couple of gentlefolk and a dog which insisted on licking me as I left.
Another BRAPA pub, helped by £3.20 pints, a lack of pretension and cheery locals. The wait for buses is going to drive Simon mad though.
This Scottish jaunt is serious pub ticking -we never make such an effort (although we occasionally catch a bus on holiday ) We are classy too & often say cheers to each other even at home ,admittedly this is often late at night & we like the sound the crystal glasses make
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That’s acceptable behaviour then, Pauline.
Someone sort of offerered me a lift round the area but the travel and planning is half the fun 😊
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Your title is improved if anything, by my understanding that it’s “Mòr” rather than “M’or”, Martin.
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*snappy enough as it was to start, of course.
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Why thank you 👍
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Sadly my keyboard doesn’t stretch to Scottish umlauts, ETU. but I appreciate the effort.
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On my Mac, if you hold down the letter key, then the range of options displays itself after a second or so. I don’t know for sure if that’s a function of the webpage or of my machine though. I assumed the second.
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Thanks for mentioning this little tip, Etu; I’ve been using Macs for years but wasn’t aware of it!
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It’s rèålly gøing tò cöme ìn hândy! 😉
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Don’t cause trouble now Si.
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Thank Mrs. E, Mark. I didn’t know either, until she femmesplained.
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I keep reading “Mrs. E, Mark” as Mark. E. Smith.
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I see they’ve got keg McEwans Export on there.
But is a now very rare example of the dreadful national “fizz” premium bitters that prompted the formation of CAMRA or is it a newer nitrokeg version ?
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Pure keg rather than nitro, I’d say. Pub Curmudgeon has written extensively on keg bitters recently.
I’ve seen Ghost Ship and London Pride on keg recently but never seen them actually bought.
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Another debut. Assume “youthful and robust” means expletive-laden. Ditto “rich and expressive”. Have never been particularly taken with the beers from that brewery so clearly need to give them a chance. 3.5 is not saying too much for “best of the trip” but you rarely venture into the higher echelons.
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“youthful and robust” reminds me that the six Holts pubs I used last Saturday were full of customers not much more ‘youthful’ than me who used plenty of ‘robust’ language.
It’s only Stafford today as I’ve got visitors from London, Wolverhampton and Liverpool.
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Are you doing your famous guided tour of Stafford boozers, Paul ?
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That tour is on my bucket list.
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I want to be in that sixth pub, particularly if it’s the Patricroft one.
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No, it wasn’t my ‘famous’ guided tour of Stafford boozers but meeting up with three friends of 1973 to 1976 two of whom I hadn’t seen since the early 1980s. We met up in the Tim’s Picture House, then a very nice lunch in the Bird in Hand and the Vine and the Swan before their trains home. Then on my way home I had a pint in the Grapes in the interests of research.
But my ‘famous’ guided tour of Stafford boozers is available to any of you at not much notice.
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We are very grateful for your research Paul.
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I will definitely take you up on that this year.
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My research was for our old friend in Crewe and is now on that Discord site.
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“I hope you agree.”
I think they’re overpaid (rolls eyes). 🙂
“So 2019.”
Just a thought. Maybe try using the free rhyming dictionaries online? (not to mention Thesauri)
“Guarantee of a good pint. Or something.”
At least it’s usually a guarantee the bloody thing is open.
“Behold The Real Ale”
I supposed if you asked for M’oR” choice they’d look at you funny. 😉
“Very Un-BRAPA.”
(nods) Better chance of something to blog about if you eavesdrop.
“and a dog which insisted on licking me as I left.”
That seems to be a theme with you.
“The wait for buses is going to drive Simon mad though.”
He’ll just start hoofing it; wonky knee be damned. 🙂
Cheers
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