Something for everyone now; folk who like old football programmes,
folk who like bunnies,
and folk who like cans of Lidl craft beer.
Yes, it’s 1958 in March; rather like 2020 in March to be honest.
There’s adverts for fish and chips, pork pies, Burberry,
a new build (1953) pub that’s now, ironically, run by Marston (top),
and of course the Chicken Run Gleanings, now confined to the Dark Web.
Definitely Fens, one of the larger Fenland towns in fact (22298 tortured souls, and one of the least visited.
My cousin lives in nearby Doddington and often pops in to March on his boat packed with craft cans.
We visited him on a memorable night in 2016, the last time I graced the town with my ticker.
Here’s Sis and Cous hiding in the Ship, one of two Guide regulars.
The beer was better than I expected on a Thursday night with a dozen locals in (we were March’s only tourists, ever). The pub was modernised but pleasant, with decent seating and beer mats already out.
That’s almost enough these day. A 60p portion of peanuts that was still feeding Mrs RM a day later pushed this into super-pub territory.
Our pre-emptive pick turned out to be the Griffin, a Stonegate pub, which was packed on a Thursday night.
I rated the Rev James quite good (NBSS 3), but I think the high tables and polite atmosphere coloured my sister’s less generous view. Having lived in Falmouth for a year, Sis’s expectations of beer quality are somewhat inflated.
But we agreed the Rose & Crown was special.
It had that feel of a community drinkers pub that places like the Dove and Pilot pull off so well. The quiz night clearly helped, as this place was bursting with drinkers of all ages.
(Oddly, when BRAPA got here it was empty)
Some of my crowd were drinking this;
Which just left the curry.
All trips to provincial market towns must inevitably end with curry night in Wetherspoons.
Actually they really shouldn’t, particularly washed down with that Resin nonsense. Sis likes 13 Guns, and she has better taste in beer than I do.
So, unexpectedly high marks for March. Simon wasn’t quite so complimentary in 2018.
retiredmartin 
Right now I’d take a Wetherspoons curry and Doom bar…And smile.
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Me too. Quite possible it’ll be my first post Lockdown beer, and I reckon the atmosphere in Spoons would make great blogging ;-0
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It’s gonna be like VE Day in Spoons.
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Oh, I don’t know about Tim’s gaffs.
Whatever, it’s time for a bit of slave music, I think.
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Tim won’t be getting any custom from me.
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You say that now, Paul……
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Paul seems like a man of principle so don’t think he will crumble. I quite like March and the football ground still has (I think) a magnificent stand though it’s due for demolition. The league table is curious. Newspapers didn’t used to put them in until 3 games had been played. It still has a sense of being its own town or at least it did when I last went. Not as homogenous as many.
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“Paul seems like a man of principle” That’s what they said about Don Revie.
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Sure they never did! It’s going to be a strange partial re-opening isn’t it, with pubs with outdoor areas and mega pubs like many Spoons benefiting but the rest not. Despite my love of pubs and desire to start ticking again, I can wait till there is a full re-opening.
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Agree, I can’t see the appeal at all of outside drinking. Much keener to get out and stay overnight somewhere.
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Not sure what the Don Revie connection is here, Martin. I obviously remember the Don from his time managing Leeds United – the side with a reputation for playing the man, rather than the ball!
Apart from that I know little else about the man, apart from him dying from motor neurone disease.
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Don Revie pledged allegiance to the English national team but then succumbed to the lure of the UAE with its sand and camels.
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