It would be amiss at this time of remembrance not to recognise the man who left us in June this year, and my thoughts are with Cheryl and the family.
I’ve been looking through my own photos from the year, nearly 8,000 of them on this blog, and realising how they pale compared to the legacy Richard left us with.
Look at this classic from a Sam Smiths pub near Leeds.
Or perhaps not.
I always thought Richard was a bit blatant with his big posh camera, though mine and Simon’s surreptitious snapping is probably cheekier.
In 2019 he left us with a rich picture of pubs in China, Malta, Germany and Rugby, among others, and I’m glad his blog is a tribute to his skills.
Far too many with me in, the little sod, but here’s a nice one from the St Albans trip just over a year ago.
Never mind those photos he left us, he always left us with a smile. Irreplaceable.
retiredmartin 
Lovely stuff 👍 a great blogger and I’m sure he’d want us to kick on again in 2020
LikeLiked by 1 person
And we will, BeerMat. And we will.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Odd how often you can think of someone who, in my case, you knew so little. Great and memorable man.
LikeLike
Cheerful people stick longer in the mind than grumps.
LikeLike
I’ll be gone in a day then!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Such a loss, can’t quite believe it
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d not been reading his blog for long but I was looking forward to more of it as he was from my neck of the woods.That pic of the hat on the table is so poignant -he was younger than me too which always makes me think .. enjoy each day (I know that is a bit of a cliché,but there you go .)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, and he was SO full of life. Glad he managed to fit so much in this year.
LikeLike
“That pic of the hat on the table is so poignant” – but as I remember from him in Leicester https://retiredmartin.com/2017/10/31/top-100-pubs-the-ale-wagon-leicester/ Richard was no more a one hat man than a one beer man.
LikeLike
I’ll make sure I drink plenty of Bass and Pedigree in 2020 – it’s what he would have wanted 😉 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
A touching tribute, Martin. Although sadly I never had the privilege of meeting Richard, I feel as though I knew him from both your blog, as well as his own.
Although Beer Leeds was already on my blog list, I started reading Richard’s blog in earnest after I discovered my company wanted me to travel to China. Sadly being on a limited time-frame I didn’t have time to search out any decent beer bars in Guangzhou, but I wholeheartedly agree with his statement about feeling comfortable and very safe in China.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reading those Chinese posts was a bit like reading about craft beer bars in Shoreditch!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not quite as other-worldly, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well said Martin
Loverly post
Have a great new year
LikeLiked by 1 person
And you mate.
LikeLike
A picture paints a thousand words, but Richard always had something more to say.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautifully put.
LikeLike