Day 2 in warm beer land. I’d made Pembroke Dock my base for the next couple of days because;
a) It’s cheaper than Tenby. By a factor of four.
b) There’s loads of unticked GBG pubs within easy reach.
c) It’s at the end of the train line, always a thrill (see also: Heysham, Holyhead)
d) I can’t wait to taste the Chinese takeaway the town is famous for.
Nice bit of OS map for you too.
The Corner Rooms cost £67 for two nights, which is a bargain when you factor in the free game of “Find the Guest House” included in the price.
I stand at the corner of Dimond and Water Streets, looking for No.39. A local who claims to know the area offers me uninvited assistance (“Get on the first train out, mate“) but seems not even to have heard of Dimond Street, where I’m standing.
Across the road, I finally find No. 39. It’s the Star Club, where Welsh boyos are vigorously making up for the lack of a Spoons in town. I wish it was in the Guide. The Star Club folk look utterly bemused, but direct me back across the road to the barbers. (keep up at the back).
The “barbers” is so hipster that’s it’s not marked on any map. A dozen faces turn to stare.
“The Corner Rooms, you say ? A Guest House, you say ?” etc etc
Finally, someone says “Try behind the car park“.
Shame, I was enjoying the hunt.
For the record, the Corner Rooms is exactly what I want from a Guest House. Clean, simple, multiple socket points, working WiFi. Shared bathrooms, but spotless.
“The Dock“, as it’s known to no-one, is quieter than you’d hope, but otherwise looks like you’d expect.
You can even park your car for free right outside the station and when you come back only the Alfie Boe CD and Halls throat sweets will have been nicked.
A quick walk up the hill toward Pembroke (Proper) gives a decent view,
in town there are crumbling buildings,
the odd bit of authentic tiling,
and superb canine street art.
But is the pub at the station any good ?
You’ll have to wait to find out. I’m off to the in-laws.
retiredmartin 
Two years ago I found the new Y Cerrig Glas to be very good, and not just because it looked like the only Pembroke Dock pub open between 4pm and 5pm.
No Tenby, Pembroke Dock didn’t deserve more than an hour.
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That’s the Marston family pub?
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Yes indeed, and it was a lovely pint of Pedigree that I supped there as I looked out over the sea.
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I always associate Pembroke Docks with Twiglets and pork scratchings.
Neither of these were available where we lived in Ireland so three or four times a year when we made the Pembroke-Rosslare ferry crossing Tesco was our final port of call in the port of call to clear the shelves of these.
And Melton Mowbray pork pies.
And decent British bangers.
And proper cider.
If I was doing the crossing alone the car would also be filled with Tesco’s Aussie white wine at three quid a bottle for Mrs PP-T.
Ireland is different these days – I can get all of these things from my local Tesco here.
Except Twiglets.
And I love Twiglets,especially dunked in mustard.
Not a great fan of Pembroke though.
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I remember when pork scratchings were only to be found within about twenty miles of the Black Country.
Regional identity has though been seriously eroded since then.
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My good fellow, I must inform you, that such delights have been eaten all over the world for a very long time indeed. In Brazil they are called torresimo, and in Newfoundland scrunchions, for instance.
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“scrunchions”? 😀
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Reg,
Yes, but Brazil and Newfoundland might have more in common with Brierley Hill and New Invention than Bradford and Newport.
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Black Country scratchings made in Stourbridge. It’s the end.
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I’ve had scratchings labelled as Black Country but made in Cheddar.
They must think that anyone can get away with it with the cheese so …..
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I kind of like the look of Pembroke Dock.
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I wasn’t surprised you didn’t get there though. I didn’t do a repeat to the First and Last, a GBG regular, and should have done.
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It has an interesting Flying Boat Museum, although it no longer has the actual preserved Short Sunderland it had when I was a kid. It is a bit “end of the line”, though, to be honest..
Magnificent view of the new bridge from the old ferry landing slip.
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Maybe next time we will get to more of the surrounding towns.
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Will all be keg by then. You had your chance, I’d made sure the beer had been pulled through etc etc etc.
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Where exactly is the Corner Rooms? I searched and found nothing.
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So did I. I’ve marked it on that map. It’s across the road from the club and behind the (also unmarked) barbers. Very mysterious. Young couple run it so perhaps too new for map.
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Never mind, found it! Was not easy.
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Good preamble 👍👏🍻 a top effort 🍻😉
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“c) It’s at the end of the train line, always a thrill”
Did that on a subway line in Toronto back in the day. Was great knowing you could fall asleep and not miss your stop. 🙂
“Getting my “I survived Tasty House” T-shirt printed now”
Is that some sort of fiery poop coming out of his tail?
“Shame, I was enjoying the hunt.”
Blimey. Still can’t locate it properly.
“Ah, perhaps not then”
Yikes.
“You’ll have to wait to find out. I’m off to the in-laws.”
Oh, the agony! (both for us AND you). 🙂
Cheers
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Do you have a food hygiene rating system like our 1 to 5 stars, Russ. I always look for a 2 or 3 stars place. You won’t die but you won’t forget it.
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beware hospital food.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/listeria-outbreak-uk-deaths-hospital-sandwiches-public-health-england-a8949141.html
A friend of mine and resident of Stone delivers sandwiches great distances for this firm – or did.
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“Do you have a food hygiene rating system like our 1 to 5 stars, Russ”
Ours is different. Every place that prepares food is inspected at least once a year. They receive a sticker indicating such that must be prominently displayed (my wife has one for her kitchen as well as her truck). The ratings are low, moderate and high (high being bad), unless they shut you down. 🙂
The ratings are not on the sticker, but you can go to their website to check any food prep business, including restaurants:
https://www.healthspace.ca/Clients/VIHA/VIHA_Website.nsf/Food-Frameset
My wife has consistently been given a low rating. 🙂
Cheers
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Hurrah for her. Made by hand not robot.
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Russ,
Given the nanny state we live in I expect there will soon be such as system for every British household, excessive bags of sugar and bottles of wine in the larder ensuring a low rating.
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