“Frankie Says…” go to a pub.
Actually, after the Half Moon I was ready for an early night of Chinese takeaway and LBC, with BRAPA to come in the morning.
But then our group split up, and Pete & The Mudgies (a punk group from Atherstone, surely ?), nipped in the Bull.
For a few minutes, I wandered aimlessly, taking in Rugby’s fading grandeur.
Then I joined them in the Stonegate pub.
Paul had been here already, praising its opening hours (10am to midnight) and its beer. It was the perfect unremarkable market town pub to end the day.
This would have been a remarkable range of ciders a decade ago.
19:15 on a Friday night means halves of Landlord and the dying embers of England squeaking past Ireland.
The foamy lacings are an indication of a decent half of our hardest beer to serve at its best. And less than £3 a pint.
Pete, or Carling Pete to his friends, had his very first Punk IPA and is probably an Equity Punk by now, like the rest of us. Read about Pete’s no doubt life-changing experience here.
I make that nine pubs, and not a duffer among them, even if we never saw a Bass or Pedi all day. You could feel quite bullish about pubs, you know.
If you’d asked me beforehand we’d have had Rugby mid-table in the Championship of pub towns, now it’s in the play-offs.
And again, really cheery service throughout. Worth noting, that.
Shame about the traditional Chinese takeaway, an incinerated crispy beef to end the day. Don’t believe Google reviews, folks.
retiredmartin 
Wow, the building in that “fading grandeur” photo looks more beautiful than pretty much any building I’ve seen in the whole of the USA! If I lived in England I’d be used to such sights though, no doubt.
I wonder why Landlord is so hard to care for compared to other similar beers. Do you think folks at Timothy Taylors, the people running the brewery, are aware that its famous beer has such a “sometimes glorious, sometimes dreadful” reputation?
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I try to capture the architecture in these blogs. These ones were a bit pub-focused if I’m honest.
I don’t take England for granted, of course. Every village and town is worth the exploration, and not just for the pubs.
Yes, I always wonder if the Directors at Tim Taylor discuss beer quality in the free trade. I guess they don’t spend much time drinking in London pubs, or get much feedback (though if they searched “Landlord” on this blog they’d soon find out !)
Cloudwater only give their cask beer to outlets they approve and audit.
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Also see the photo I just added at the top, Mark.
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Not only Cloudwater.
Hall and Woodhouse only supply casks to their tied houses, not the free trade.
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I assume Donnington only supply to their own house, too, but I doubt they taste their beer in them !
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Donnington beers have also been getting into some Arkells pubs since Claude’s death.
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That’ll be why there’s no Arkells houses in this year’s Beer Guide. NOT ONE !
The legendary Bell at Aldworth may be your last refuge of 3B in the GBG.
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Yes Mark. Parts of Blighty are perhaps getting the Havana feel…but without the good things like the Buena Vista Social Club and the world’s highest literacy rate – if that last bit still holds.
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Whoooooa! Point of order! The Marston’s Boondoggle in the Squirrel was absolutely GOPPING. NBSS 1, at best. Good Beer Guide my arse, more like Good Vinegar Guide. Didn’t care for the pub much neither, too cliquey.
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Trust you took it back and a replacement was offered without demur then, Richard ?
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It wasn’t mine. Had it been then I would have returned it instantly, it was awful. If you live by peddling Boring Brown (to light Amber) Beer then you die by your BBB!
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Facts not stacking up now mate. Judging a beer you didn’t even have. Will refer to Discourse to resolve.
Actually, Squirrel was weakest beer of the day, and even then my Lancaster Bomber was close to a 3.
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I was asked by a renowned toper, to provide a second opinion, so I did.
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“renowned”?
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is that not how it’s spelled?
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Carling Pete has got it right – none of this rucking over beer quality!!!!
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