I was hoping to bring you some exciting reports from my trip to Royal Tunbridge Wells yesterday.
But the highlight of 3 (three !!) hours spent in my in-laws’ garden talking about roadworks and distant cousins (“There’s a limited supply”) was this bird* that sat on my shoulder.
It was awaiting my answer to that eternal question,
“Martin can I get you a beer”. “We’ve got bottles of Doom Bar”.
I’m saving myself for the reopening of pubs, or at least a gallon of Bass from The Sun.
It’s a while since I had even a half in Godmanchester, a pint of John Smiths in the Royal Oak a decade ago.
The other three pubs are strictly for the gentlefolk diners. 20 years ago this was a small town of Waterbeach size comprised entirely of gentlefolk diners, a Topsham or Uppingham if you like.
But expansion of this Roman town has hiked the population, bringing in TWO Co-ops and the sort of “humour” normally only seen in my Comments section.
As with Girton, the sign fronting the Business Park tells you a lot about employment in 2020.
All worthwhile work, as is the Animal Shelter at nearby Wood Green you should always mention when describing where Godmanchester is.
So what does the visitor get for his time and money here ?
Oak beams.
Lost shop signs.
And a giant pond with a Chinese bridge.
My Dad tells me that in 1950 he and his mates saw a group of girls collapse a boat in the pond.
“Of course, we were VERY keen to rescue them” he said, without a wink.
One of his mates got a card from the eldest and I sense Dad still feels a bit peeved he didn’t, but his loss was Mum’s gain.
Anyway, the other pubs.
Well the Exhibition sells Otter, apparently, which is a step up from whatever it sold as an early gastropub in the Guide 20 years go.
The White Hart looks the most likely to meet Pauline’s Prosecco needs, and is also the choice of Singlet Man for his London Pride.
Finally, the Black Bull is the sort of pub you expect to have a Sausage festival and sell Adnams and Wherry. I’m sure it does.
Four pubs and a great sounding Comrades Club selling Doom Bar. This isn’t the Comrades Club, but you can see the micro potential in that building in the middle.
Join me sometime soon as I press on into Huntingdon.
* Where have all these winged creature come from ? These three, fresh from the Bob Marley recording session, have been a treat this Spring.
retiredmartin 
I’m not entirely sure whether you accepted that offer of a bottle of Doom Bar or not, but that is due, I’m sure, to me being a bit thick. 😉
Thanks for sharing the bit about your dad and his mates and the group of girls; brought a smile to my face, thinking how such stories are passed from one generation to another.
Loved the photo caption identifying the lads in the photo as BRAPA, Pubmeister and RetiredMartin. I imagine childhood Pubmeister saying, “Go on, guys, you get it. I’ve already completed 85% as it is…”
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I left it mysterious, Mark !
No, I was driving anyway and wanted to get home, and a bottle of Doom Bar just felt like rubbing salt into the wounds of pub closure. If it had been a pint in the rubbish pub inn the High Street I might have been tempted to go back later.
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I’ve learnt more about my dad since he turned 80 than I ever knew. The crafty fag at 15, the motorbike accident, the mysterious fiance who dropped in to visit last year…..
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Rather oddly, a pair of southern relatives consistently decided that Godmanchester was the most attractive place to stop off when driving a motor car from Brighton to Grimsby.
Your Father’s antics of 50 years ago lead me to an evil plan to replicate the noble gesture.
Would I be correct in thinking that it has an oddball pronunciation?
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Yes, it’s pronounced Gom.
The new A14 bypasses Huntingdon (though not tonight, oddly) but isn’t much of a detour.
I’m not sure my father’s gesture could be replicated in the boating lake at Cleethorpes with similar impact.
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The bird that sat on your shoulder is a Nuthatch.
We’ve had lots of Starlings on our feeders of late, especially gangs of young birds decimating our fatball supply.
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Thank you Saimon.
Here by the Taff we’ve had loads of warblers – more than I ever remember, and the robins are doing well too, along with finches.
Don’t see that many starlings.
I’ve seen fledglings, when alone and insecure, approach humans, curiously enough. Whether that explains the tameness of Martin’s friend I can only wonder.
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Birds just like me.
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One of E’s business partners lives in Godmanchester. Apparently in one of the twee timbered and thatched residences.
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Very twee.
I remember you had an acquaintance here. Thought you stopped in Huntingdon on the way down once.
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Exactly. For said person’s 60th Birthday do.
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