MR 90% – THE BIG GOOD BEER GUIDE SPREADSHEET EDITION

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It’s 11th February 2020 and I’m up to date, for the first time since before VAR.

So here’s a summary of the Pubbers’ Progress for you do some comparisons with BRAPA and Pubmeister, here seen proving they’re not the same person.

Duncan (the well-dressed one above) is, I think, the only person who’s completed all (100%) of the pubs in a current GBG before a new one comes out. Simon is the only ticker banned from a Midlands antiques-mad town with a castle.

Each September sees around 400 new pubs enter the Guide all over the country, and Duncan is making good progress getting those done too;

And probably a lot more since January 5

What a shame he has to ruin it with his turquoise marker pen.

There’s a few other GBG enthusiasts besides us three, but they don’t blog and so can safely be ignored. Only joking Maltmeister.

My own map of GBG county completion looks a bit puny compared to Duncan’s.

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But I’m making good progress this year. 337 new GBG pubs since September, which is nearly 15 a week when I’d targeted a dozen. Resilience to man flu, a functioning Aygo and decent weather have helped.

My master spreadsheet contains all the pubs I’ve visited over 25 years and the progress by county since GBG 2003 (a great year), when I managed a third of the Guide.

This is where I am now;

GBG1

GBG2

GBG3

Key: Green – complete, Orange – complete with a long weekend, Yellow – One left

I’d targeted a dozen a week to reach 95% completion by the time GBG21 plops out at the end of August, and if I keep going at this rate I could beat that. Doing the GBG will mean trips to Scilly, Guernsey, the Scottish islands and scary places in north Devon.

“Where’s the risk assessment” shouts Mrs RM.

Well, being blunt, the big risk is that Mrs RM doesn’t drive me round Scotland in a campervan.

Or that I really annoy a micropub owner with my rants about opening hours and get found in a urine-filled alley in Clevedon.

Or that my appeal for “dregs” to be accepted as a tick gets rejected by the GBG High Council at its meeting in Carluke.

But for now, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

21 thoughts on “MR 90% – THE BIG GOOD BEER GUIDE SPREADSHEET EDITION”

  1. Brilliant – the spreadsheet is back! Your map doesn’t look puny at all. Scotland is much easier to block out as relatively little churn. And I am still benefiting from a decade start. Simon will have no recollection of that photo!

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  3. It is good to indulge in some fun stats from time to time – gives a bit of joviality to proceedings.

    In the event that the risk assessment fails, I will be happy to drive you around northern Scotland once I pass out on rubber tyred contraptions. I reserve the right to choose the vehicle though.

    I am proud to admit that unlike BRAPA I am not yet barred from any towns. Not quite sure how given the carnage I enjoy creating.

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      1. Tank is on the list of vehicles I would like to have in my fleet, so not a problem. In return, will you protect me from the locals if ever I have cause to visit Bingham again?

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    1. I’ve just realised that you could sponsor the completion of Fife and the Lothians, ticking them off duirng the day and then heading to the Edinburgh Fringe to give your Perrier(!!) Award winning “Tales of the Pub Tickers” in the evening.
      To save costs you can park up the campervan outside Staggs and, in return, expound resolute praise of their autovacs on a daily basis.

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  7. Surely there should be some standards applicable to GBG ticking, and at the bare minimum the rule should be a half in every pub.
    “Dregs” should definitely NOT count as a tick, in my view. What are Duncan and Simon’s thoughts on this?
    I will put this forward to the High Council, if I ever discover where Carluke is! 😁

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      1. Thanks for the offer Martin, but having now located Carluke on the map, how long do you reckon it would take your Aygo to get us there, and back, from the Fens?

        Regrettably, for those of us with finite amounts of annual leave, Scotland is best reached either by train or plane, so unless you can arrange a video link, I shan’t be able to act as your character witness. 👍

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  8. Your map looks a more coherent and defensible stretch of territory than Duncan’s, although you do seem to have something of a Nagorno-Karabakh problem in Nottinghamshire. I bet you’re really looking forward to completing Cheshire 😼

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    1. With too much time on your hands, you might note I’ve yet to visit ANY new pubs in Notts. The entries there are so close to Nottingham it needs a long weekend to clear it in one go.

      Nagorno Karabakh’s Problem is my favourite track on the “difficult” 3rd Can LP.

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      1. The “difficult” 3rd Can LP. Brilliant! LOL attracting strange looks from assorted Old Boys.
        Northern Isles can be done in a long weekend on public transport.

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  9. Martin,
    For your “appeal for “dregs” to be accepted as a tick” you should point out that many of us understand GBG ticking to have been in three episodes each of about fifteen years ;
    First only a proper pint is acceptable
    Then after the upheaval of the 1989 Beer Orders half pints can be counted.
    Finally after 2005 and every “poky” having to be in the GBG a slurp of murky dregs will do.
    Good luck.

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