….it tolls for thee.
By now Mark Crilley will be wondering,
a) Where on earth is Brackley ?
b) Is Brackley the home of the Bee Gees (or the Hee Bee Gee Bees) ?
No, Mark, surely everyone know John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, which influenced ’80s popsters as diverse as Van Morrison and Limahl.
And Donne was the MP for Brackley in 1602. He really was.
And remarkably Brackley seems much as it must have been in 1602, with posh schools, wide boulevards and a pleasing absence of craft beer.
Spick and span, a few more Knutsford style coffee shops (more cultural appropriation) than I remember, but at least they keep the pashminas out of the pubs.
This was my first trip to Brackley since 1 May 1999 (0-4), when I spotted this fella in the crowd at Town’s match with Margate.
Yes, this is officially the ONLY blog post to contain John Donne and Buster Bloodvessel.
Brackley plummeted into the Hellenic League that day, but have since made a Rushden-like revival to win the FA Trophy and compete with the giants like Stockport and York and Farsley since then. Take that, Wellingborough and Thrapston !
FA Cup fever hadn’t gripped the Greyhound.
Half a dozen on the pavement, half a dozen tradesemen in the smoking area outside, a trio of unfussy rooms left empty.
VERY Northants small town boozer, a bit of a survivor in the Pub Style stakes.
Thankfully, just the three pumps, all from the home of craft.
Look, a new style hand pump for the IPA (NBSS 3), same old taste.
I’ll be back in 2039, when Brackley will be playing Manchester City and the place will be full of sour beers. I bet John Donne wrote a song about it.
retiredmartin 
Thanks for the extended shout out. I can’t help thinking “By now Mark Crilley will be wondering” is your gentle way of saying, “That guy’ll be asking me questions about one thing or another again, just you wait and see.” 😉
Speaking of which…
This is my first time seeing Greene King’s “London Glory.” Is it any good? Looks like their attempt to go head to head with London Pride (And Bombardier, I’d have said, but they’ve changed their branding!).
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Mudgie had it on Monday. It’s a semi regular of theirs that I mainly see in Greene King pubs that probably aren’t too fussed about the real ale.
I guess it’s OK in a busy pub though.
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I think Greene King brought out London Glory just before the 2012 Olympics in London and, proving more popular than their Triumph, it’s continued ever since although I would rather have their IPA or Abbot.
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Brackley is the sort of town that gets next to zero UK visitors but I suspect the Southworths and yourself would enjoy an hour there.
Same applies in reverse with me and unheralded US towns like New York.
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You’ll do Disney next.
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EPCOT Florida served me a Bass in their Old English Pub.
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Is Disney the American Dudley?
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It’s the new Disley, Cheshire.
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RM recommends, we go. Brackley, here we come.
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I thought Brackley’s not there and then realised I was getting confused with Bracknell where I stayed from work long ago and had a lovely pint of Draught Bass.
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It must have been LONG ago!
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I stayed in the Admiral Cunningham at Bracknell during March 1994.
25½ years back is indeed LONG ago.
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I seem to recall getting served free Budweiser in some American theme park many moons ago when the kids were small and not costing me a fortune for a university education.
I know Mrs PP-T and I had a small contretemps over whether she should continue with the tour for a while as I dallied by the free bar with the other like-minded dads.
She won,obvs.
They always do.
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I had free Bud in paper cups at Busch Gardens 25 years ago.
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I was in Disley, Cheshire a few months ago and no intention of returning.
But if it were a choice of there or Disneyland ……….
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It’d be Disneyland.
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“free Bud in paper cups” reminds me that free lager was being given out in Leeds sixteen months ago.
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It was just a nightmare, Paul.
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I can count this as a Midlands boozer 👍 I reckon inner London violence was Bad Manners best tune…or Lorraine. Apparently Bracknell throw a few quid at it
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I haven’t Donne that one yet.
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I thought Brackley was rather nice in an understated way. There is a large antiques centre and the High Street is attractive.
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That’s what I thought, too. I’m allergic to antiques, mind.
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But you just might find a proper old Bass mirror.
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Despite my reputation, I don’t collect anything, even old Beer Guides !
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