Like you, I’m getting a bit bored of these Scottish posts now. The problem is the pubs are all photogenic and you can’t just lump half a dozen together like you can in, ooh, Maidenhead.
Along with the Aberdeen trip last month these reports now make up 85.7% of my blog this year (FACT), and it’s time to return to grotty Midlands pubs and get away from all this deep-fried haggis.
It ends now, where it started, at Waverley Station over a mug of flat white.
You don’t believe that, do you ?
It ended with some late exercise scaling the steps between the Royal Mile and Market Street.
Then I heard the laughter coming from the Halfway House.
You literary types will know the Halfway House (that only fit people can reach) as the star of “Fleshmarket Close“, the only Rebus book I ever read. I believe that Deuchars IPA killed him.
More importantly, this is the pub where a five year old Matthew Taylor got told off for putting his feet on the bar stools. I blame the mother.
I gave the Halfway House top marks back in 2006, and a few years later, while Mrs RM popped in for Cullen Skink* while on one of her glamour IT jobs last year.
Some unfamiliar names on the bar, a bit unexpected given the usual (but excellent) suspects earlier.
Looks like I only had a half of the Murray’s Pale Ale with the retro pump clip, presumably a rare show of restraint with my train departing in 15 minutes.
Another tiny bar, almost a micro, and hardly a “cask stronghold” with Tennents to the fore.
But Edinburgh was on a roll, the Murray’s was a 3.5, a civilised single bar had gentlefolk in jumpers swaying to Bryan Ferry’s “Don’t Stop The Dance“, and it was as good as you could possibly hope.
Anyway, that was my lot.
Oh, apart from this.
I set my alarm to wake me up as I approached York, and Peterborough, and Stevenage. None of those connections were long enough for a pint.
*It’s not contagious
retiredmartin 
Berwick 😄
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There was no “laughter coming from the Halfway House” last December, just the licensee telling me they’re not open yet despite WhatPub suggesting they would be ,and no chance of a pint while I was waiting.
Replace Punk IPA with Moonraker and Tim might be able to replace his annual closure lists with opening lists.
No need to buy a Paula Hawkins paperback for your journey back with you 128 page ‘Members’ Weekend Booklet 2019′ that was given out with the marmalade. I expect you were halfway though the ‘Committee Reports’ as you heard “………. Kings Cross where the train terminates. We hope ……”.
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Berwick Upon Tweed for the photo contest
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correct, Mark.
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Half Way House definitely not a micro pub, it’s a very genuine, very small traditional boozer. We were disappointed with the beer wen we were in there, it’s a couple of years back though. The station Wetherspoon’s was something else, a veritable centre for hardened drinkers when I’ve looked in, and ‘look in’ is all I have ever done.
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I know some people criticise Wetherspoons but with Lees Moonraker on in the Booking Office I couldn’t fault it.
By the way it’s Tim’s sixty-fourth birthday today. “Will you still need me, will ………”
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Generally I’m a big Spoons fan but when I’ve peeped into the one at Waverley discretion has become the better part of valour.
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The Moonraker was the best Spoons beer of the trip. Not much you can do if the ungrateful Scots won’t drink it…
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