The big news is that I’m back from Dundee, having survived an epic morning session in “Heritage Pub” Edinburgh with Stafford Paul, who was on top form. Lees Moonraker makes an ideal breakfast beer.
I’ll be taking a break from pubs ’till Friday, splitting time between ensuring two teenagers don’t wither away unfed and catching up on the blog. Forty posts in four days should do it.
More edge-of-Cotswolds fun from nearly a fortnight ago, starting with sunny Stroud.
My last post from here attracted some comments from Tim of lovely Stroud CAMRA. Two years after I posted, mind, which is why I never close comments !
We had some entertaining banter about GBG geography, which isn’t a problem with the Little George, bang in the town centre and therefore definitely Stroud.
As I’ve said before, you’ll be hard to find better countryside around a town than here. I’ve thought the centre itself a bit functional in the past, but the stone looked golden in the sun.
Cheltenham was bustling with 25-30 year olds taking a lunch break from pointless office jobs; Stroud feels the preserve of the more genteel shopper, despite its Fairtrade town credntials.
I bought a roll of gaffer tape (don’t ask) from Wilko, possibly not a Fairtrade purchase. So excited was I to be called “My darlin’” that I overlooked the fact the Little George was open before the stautory micro time of 4pm.
I won’t claim a Damascene conversion to micropubs in the last year, but I have reached a point of acceptance of their merits.
Which include the recycling of old bar stools and beer barrels, and the single-handed ressurection of the gourmet nut industry.
The couple running it were doing some heavy lifting ahead of the evening sessions (see: Knowle) so I didn’t have the usual exciting conversation along the lines of weather/FGR/how long been open ?/when’s the train to Slad etc.
Instead, I get to admire what is by now a typical micropub beer range, have enough “beer expert points” to tell my Cloudwaters from my Clearwater from my Clearmountains (produced Springsteen), and go local with the Seve(r)n Brewing.
It was fine, a bit sharp in that Gloucestershire way, and you get proper seating.
But as usual, the loo is the star, this one twinned with the Republic of Congo (top). There’s one in Maidenhead that’s twinned with the toilets at the old Vetch Field, apparently.
retiredmartin 
Shall we expect a Cider with Rosie pun in your next post?
LikeLike
Sadly, I believe I’ve used that one in 2016. Won’t stop BRAPA using it though 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Speaking of gaffer tape I was once dragooned at the last minute by an elderly chum into walking for a few days on the Camino.
Not having done any serious training I came up with the cunning wheeze of protecting my tender feet with gaffer tape on the boney bits that rub – but the plan was foiled by security at the airport who wouldn’t allow it on board the flight to Biarritz in case I tied up the trolly dollies.
After getting a train to some town called St. Jean-Pied-du-Port there was nowhere open to buy any more before our dawn start up some mountain the next day in horizontal rain.
25 clicks,seven hours and a few blisters later – after being accompanied by a Jesus lookalike in robes and sandals from Chile who couldn’t speak English – I told my chum ” sod this,let’s bugger off to Bilbao and go on the piss for a few days. ”
He agreed,having become seriously fed-up with the hordes of smug,healthy-living Christian types passing us all day with their poxy shells hanging off their rucksacks.
Best executive decision I’ve ever taken.
LikeLiked by 3 people
You couldn’t argue with that.
LikeLike
I hated Stroud last time I visited for the same reason I hated Glastonbury (the town). Too many hippies (I don’t mind hippies, I’ve been one myself, but why do they always look so bloody miserable, it’s supposed to be a happy cult!). Also, the only decent beer pub closed at 2.30!!!
That micro wasn’t open then though so I’ll probably give it a go next time I’m passing…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Too small to be vibrant, too big to be cosy, was how I found it. The same’s true of many provincial places. I’ve lived in a few of them, and I prefer the capitals, along with Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol, etc. these days.
Didn’t see many hippies in Stroud.
LikeLike
A bit like when I went to Bromyard with high hopes, Stroud has the feel of a once very wealthy town that’s fallen on hard times. For it’s undeniably fabulous setting it doesn’t even seem to attract the tourists. As pretty valley towns go, I’ll take Belper any day of the week over Stroud.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spot on, Mark
LikeLike
I’m keeping out of the hippie debate. Can’t see it myself 🙄
LikeLike
Stroud is much better than Glastonbury, which is terribly disappointing, and not just for pubs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The hippies. I’d had a Stay Puft, I may have been hallucinating. Or perhaps they only come out in the Summer…
LikeLiked by 1 person
If “they always look so bloody miserable” it might suit me there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Belper – now you’re talking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stroud hippies have grown up and traded in the flip flops for a Mercedes… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I won’t claim a Damascene conversion to micropubs in the last year, but I have reached a point of acceptance of their merits.” –Interesting, as I always saw you as largely pro-micropub, so long as they’re doing it well (and they’re not too ridiculous with the limited opening hours!). But maybe you’ve had more mixed feelings about them, in general, than I realized.
LikeLike
Fantastic. Love the reference to the old Vetch field!!! I am sharing your views on Micros as most of them are replacing pubs (whether we like it or not) and becoming more diverse in their nature.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Away end toilets aren’t what they were.
Yes, micropubs becoming more diverse. It’s the diversity of customers you get in LE69 I need to see though !
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the spirit of Mudgie pedantry it’s LE67 😉 yes a broad customer base makes or breaks a pub for me
LikeLike
LE69 is a secret postcode area in Whitwick only revealed to true GBG completists.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought as much! Duncan talks about it in hushed tones too!
LikeLiked by 1 person