April 2020
You want something to cheer you up?
Here’s my Mum & Dad, combined age 165, greeting my niece’s boyfriend, a native of Chicago (wherever that is).
Its better than the Lady Gaga rendition at the 2016 Superbowl, anyway.
They’re coping better than me to be honest, as long as me and Sis drop them off some groceries every couple of days and wave over the hedge.
I’m being worn down by the gifs and videos being sent on an hourly basis by Curry Charles, the relentless bashing of our medical experts and the lack of new BRAPA.
And I’m really missing this.
Our village shops are also a bit too small for comfort, so I walked the 2 miles to the One Stop in Milton.
If I combine shopping for essentials with my exercise I’m allowed over an hour, right?
Only just, if it was.
Milton was where I bought my first house, back when the Waggon & Horses was the GBG regular, all strong beer and cider and later a Monster Raving Looney candidate as Landlord.
It’s a rare pub gain, having survived conversion to a posh Italian restaurant by Elgoods.
Posh! Milton!
Almost next door the Lion & Lamb is the diner’s choice, an oddly expensive pint almost justified by the investment in the garden. The car park used to be the library.
Across the road (it’s well pubbed, here) the White Horse is the most recent Guide pub. Lovely, lively, local and your best pint. Choose Doom Bar, obvs.
No one in the One Stop while I bought milk, mature Cheddar and M & Ms, half expecting my bag to be checked for “essentials”.
On the corner, a quick look to the (Jolly) Brewer, remarkably a second pub to return from the dead in Milton in recent years.
No sign of Queen Anne Lodge becoming a Brew Dog any time soon.
Four pubs you could touch the doors of in 90 seconds, easy, and certainly drink a pint in each in half an hour if it were legal.
One day, I hope, I will have the chance to do that again.
retiredmartin 
Haha! Love the musical interlude! Really made me smile. Good to see you getting out and about. We’re finding all sorts of weird and wonderful things on our daily walks. Yesterday we found a place that sells laying hens and fresh eggs. Next stop a pork scratchings outlet…?
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It is remarkable how much more you find by walking to places that you thought you were familiar with! I keep finding out new things on almost every stroll.
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I’ve loved your series of posts on Stirchley.
http://pubsthenandnow.blogspot.com/?m=1
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Thanks, I’ve got one…maybe two…left to do. Then I might have to go a bit further afield…like Harborne!
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Thanks for the village tour Martin. A real lift to the spirits.
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Coincidently about an hour ago, being about lunchtime, I was thinking how I would really like a Chinese takeaway, or in fact anything other than one of Tim’s meals or anything cooked by Mrs TSM or myself.
I find it very sad that someone can be as ignorant as to post elsewhere “I also think that China should be brought to justice too for the thousands of people who have died through this virus that started in their country. I certainly won’t be buying anything made in China ever again.”
Mention of a Monster Raving Looney candidate reminds me that in October 1974 Screaming Lord Sutch stood for parliament in the Stafford and Stone constituency. I doubt if many on here will remember which party he stood for then and even less will know the connection to an Oxfordshire brewery.
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He stood for the loose Morrells party against Linda Lovelace?
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I believe it was the ‘Go to Blazes’ party,Blazes being a night club in a place called Seighford Hall where Dave Sutch had a business interest,of the brewery,I know nothing
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Martin,
Yes, that’s the Oxfordshire brewed – but what’s the connection ?
Jon,
Yes, the Go to Blazes party
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Quite, Paul. Haven’t the Japanese only just allowed British beef back into their country, after our own little all-British gift to the world, of BSE and nvCJD?
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I want to see someone live without buying anything made in China.
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Love the music -I think the trumpet must be pretty difficult to play (I speakas one who gave up the clarinet & guitar because they were too hard to learn -although I do excel at the recorder,even if I do say it myself & I manage the piano too -have promised to start to play the keyboard I got for Christmas but it is not as easy as I imagined …}
4 pubs in a village is really impressive these days !………
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I reckon that 4 pubs, practically side by side, may be unique. They’re all similar in style too, all were all day openers and all serve food. There’s 4 pubs in our village but they’re 20 minutes apart and very different in style
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Histon and Impington would have a shout
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King William, Red Lion, Barley Mow, Boot, Rose & Crown certainly in a row.
Some Cambridgeshire villages seem to have done quite well in keeping pubs, don’t they, though Cherry Hinton certainly hasn’t.
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And The Phoenix is now back to being a pub. Being between the Boot and the Rose & Crown, and discounting the King Bill, I make that 5 pubs in +/-300 yards
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Oh yes, the Phoenix! Remember a pub crawl with brother-in-law 20 years ago where he demanded a pint of London Pride from there, politely declined.
I ought to revisit Histon when life resumes.
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I assume there’s something more appealing in the One Stop in Milton than the one in the village? I haven’t quite got to grips with those social distancing boxes yet, espcially the ones hidden round corners. No excuses for a good stroll though.
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Waterbeach One Stop is ok but feels tighter than Milton, which was empty when I went in. Genuinely keen to avoid shops and so getting veg and fruit from Radmore Farm but need occasional topup.
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“Waterbeach One Stop” from Ely ?
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Did you make it a round journey? Road there and riverbank back?
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nope, the drones would see me. A10 both ways. Riverside too busy .
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Fantastic trumpet duet, Martin – I always thought that Jimi Hendrix’s version was missing something, and that second line was definitely it.
Life is complete 👍
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Much cheered by the musicians. I’m pleased to report that yesterday’s walk to the Lathkil included stone wall repairs in the style of yarn bombing.
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Detail, detail. Love it.
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Excellent – I look forward to tales of canal clearance à la Guerrilla Gardening.
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