
According to my blog I’ve made six trips over the Severn to Newport in four years, which practically qualifies me for a Welsh passport.

You may assume I come here for the scary underpass with its cheery street art,

but in truth it’s accommodation bargains at the Ibis off the M4, the Spoons or the Uni residences on which the sun always shines (I presume that’s why the internet is so good).

A modest working town with plenty of art in the city square and the gardens of Malpas Road.


Quite a colourful city,

and well pubbed (butdon’t come on Sunday).

One retiredmartin top 100 pub, a classy Sam Smiths in typically gorgeous shell,


with a sticky rock pub over the road providing a memorable end to your evening if you like a jukebox comprised entirely of Metallica CDs.

“there is also Desperado tequila-flavoured beer on sale for the more daring drinker (served in schooners only)” I wrote.
Sadly/pleasingly Newport has joined the micro bandwagon, but the Cellar Door may be your best bet for music if Metallica CDs and Bonnie Tyler karaoke isn’t your bag.


The Old Codgers won’t like it, but the Tiny Rebel bar has the best beer, and the best chips, plus an assortment of games to while away the hours over your Tiny Puft.

But if you want to see “life”, I’m afraid you’ll need to pop over the river to Maindee to the Spoons, where the Chicken Man entertains students on Saturday nights with his, er, chicken.

You might even find Bass.

If you overdo it on Saturday night, I recommend the reviving brunch and flat whites at Parc Pantry in Malpas, where you too can be the only person not wearing a pashmina.


A great break for under £50, possibly. I’ve no idea what it costs to go over the transporter bridge.
“The Old Codgers won’t like it, ”
But they don’t know what they’re missing.
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I bet the Tiny Rebel does stuff you’d like, Citra. Their central Newport bar was even better than their industrial estate Tap.
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Great brewery.
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“six trips over the Severn” – I’ve had more trips under the Severn thereabouts than over it.
But I think Newport is the only place in Wales I’ve driven to.
“well pubbed” – probably more so than Newport, Shropshire.
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Newport, Salop. Ooh, theres a challenge. Joules and Marston’s, certainly.
Newport, Essex has 2 good all rounders, too.
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…and you’ve already eliminated all that Newport IOW has to offer?
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“All that the IoW has to offer?” 🤔
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We were passing through the Shropshire Newport in February but Marston’s Swan only had keg so we went on to the Red Lion at Sutton which was very good.
I should have thought to try the Honeysuckle.
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How about Newport Pagnell?
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T’other Paul,
I think it was the Stags Head that was within walking distance of Newport Pagnell service station, their bottled Guinness being preferable to instant coffee in the mid 1970s.
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There are 33 Newports in America apparently and a few more elsewhere.
Number of places named Newport per country:
There are 33 places named Newport in America.
There are 14 places named Newport in United Kingdom.
There are 2 places named Newport in Ireland.
There are 2 places named Newport in Canada.
There are 2 places named Newport in Australia.
There is one place named Newport in Solomon Islands.
There is one place named Newport in Jamaica.
There is one place named Newport in Netherlands Antilles.
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How many Bangors did we get? I can’t recall?
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Bangers?
Sounds like a Miley Cyrus album.
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If you posted about the Chicken Man before, I must have missed that blogpost. I mean, I would remember that, surely! Sounds like the sort of thing Simon happens to find in every other pub he visits. 😉
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I’ve made a note in your file, Mark.
“Watch this one. He doesn’t read EVERY word”. 😉😉
It was December 2018, I did about 80 posts that month.
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Perhaps Simon IS the chicken man, or was it the Walrus? 🤔
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