Next up in York was what we call a speculative pre-emptive (ASP), which I bumbled to via this impressive building.
The new, second branch of the House of Trembling Madness would be a shoe-in for the Guide in Yeovil or Yaxley, but in York is has stiffer competition.
HoTM (1) was an early indication, along with Pivni and the York Tap, that Northerners could be as easily persuaded to cough up five quid plus for a pint of murk as that lot down the A1. The first HoTM is holding on and is back in the Beer Guide after a holiday.
Their second site is a lovely rambling mess of a place, complete with torture porn and what looks like a Dr Gunther von Hagen exhibition. Not what the coachload of gentlefolk from Newmarket are expecting from the café-like frontage.
I thought it was all rather magnificent, rather like a Sam Smiths on acid.
Admittedly it was 4pm on a Monday, and I doubt they get much trade from plasterers and plumbers in the Golden Hour, but it lacked a bit of custom. But there were people who looked odder than BRAPA at the bar.
Some great biblical murder scenes at the bar compliment a beer menu centred on keg but with three reliable casks in small writing at the bottom. Guess what I had.
You may think I resent the thick jug for the Plum.
But it’s fine, better than a half-pint straight. In all honesty,the beer is a little less than fresh (NBSS 2.5), but obviously I’m not telling York CAMRA that as I want this in GBG20.
Any pub that alternates Phil Collins with Depeche Mode with Journey* surely deserves a Guide place.
*”Separate Ways“
retiredmartin 
What a frightening pub. The person depicted in “A rare retiredmartin selfie” actually looks like a member of ‘Spoons “nine in the morning club”. Bet she drank John Smiths ?
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She 😱
Think they’re Dutch. Scott probably drank with them.
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Definitely look sort of Dutch, but some places are a bit too scarey even for me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urk
Think of some of the less religiously enlightened parts of the UK. Then look at the folk tales section of the wiki page (perhaps cabbage is a comment on GBBG vegetable cooking)….. Google historical images of the population…. Start thinking “Wicker Man”…..
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That’s Sheerness, that is.
Does it have a pub?
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More like Gardenstown.
Booze is probably banned. Or compulsory.
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You’ve done a tremendous selling job on Holland recently.
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That pub is too scary for me. The stuff of nightmares. The picture, by the way is “The Ugly Duchess” by the Flemish artist Quentin Matsys, who obviously hung around in an earlier incarnation of ‘Spoons in the 1500s.
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But how does she look after 8 pints of Punk?
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Depends whether its her or me that have drunk the gallon of Punk.
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(slow golf handclap)
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Imagine if that’s what she looks like after you’ve had 8 pints…..
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Quite. Don’t think I’ll sleep tonight. Her and the thought of a 16th century ‘Spoons. I wonder if Tim ran the Swindlestock Tavern in an earlier life ?
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Reincarnation. He’s going to run a competition to choose a Spoons which can re-enact the Brexit War riots for the next 500 years, or until Spoons start turning pump clips round, whichever occurs sooner.
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Given the attention she’s now got here The Ugly Duchess on a pumpclip might sell more beer than the Dizzy Blonde, Top Totty or Elsie Mo have.
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He ? She ? Somewhat indeterminate ?
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That’s an indication of what 17 generations of CAMRA inbreeding is going to produce.
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Quite a place, captured beautifully in your post. Would have been an appropriate pub to meet you and Si but as you know I was accumulating saddle sores at the time.
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We sang the Pubmeister song, did the handshake and Si did a moment’s silence as we imagined you passing through Market Rasen.
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Appreciated. A moment is long enough.
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“Looks like a branch of Betty’s”
A quick look in the window and I thought it was a furniture store display. 🙂
“Ugh”
Agreed. Looking at it from left to right, I couldn’t make head nor tails of it; made me sick to my stomach; and make no bones about it!
“A rare retiredmartin selfie”
All I can say is… you hide your cleavage well and were you the model for Hobgoblin ale?
“But there were people who looked odder than BRAPA at the bar.”
I think that was a mirror. 🙂
“Germanic”
I was going to ask who’s the person in the hat? – but then I realised there’s no one there due to the camouflage clothing.
Cheers
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Mrs BB loves HOTM so a dead very whenever in York…just a great pub
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