retiredmartin

After completing my two Hawes GBG ticks I had a break before a pre-emptive pint in the Crown.

One consequence of the Covid compliance measures pubs have put in is that I no longer feel able to pop in for a quick half.

No, once you’ve had the 20 minute lecture, entered your contact details on a website and scrubbed the skin off your hands, you need a pint.  And who spends £1.65 on a contactless card ?

So I became only the 4th person since 1972 to walk more than one mile from Hawes.

It’s all happening here; waterfalls, Blackburn(-in-Lockdown), (Chris) Gayle and the Ashes of the first pub ticker to ask for a top up of his Theakston’s.

I walked to Gayle, accompanied only by the sound of my future crispy shredded beef.

It made me wonder why I haven’t come here walking more often.  £50 rooms, a dearth of new GBG entries and the paucity of good Chinese takeaways, I guess.

Narrow roads, vivid colours, fresh air (even before the Covid windfall to air quality).

Gayle is publess but spectacular, the river bubbling over the rocks the only sound.

Back in Hawes, I found Ye Olde Chippie closed till Wednesday (in July !), NO Chinese takeaway despite promises on the Campervan website, and a rumbling tummy.

So the Indian takeaway it was, Vujon having served CTM to the masses since 1692.

I didn’t fancy eating in the restaurant; not because it was busy but because it was empty, a gorgeous old building.

“It’ll only be fifteen minutes” said the nice man.  Some things can be too quick.

Time for that pre-emptive.  The temperature having edged below 18 degrees, the locals had all gone inside to hide from the ice age.

Why isn’t the Crown in the GBG ? Surely not because of anti-Theakston factions ?

No.  It’s more likely to be a soundtrack of “Chasing Cars” and “One“.  You know how much the CAMRAs detest their earnest modern rock ballads; stick on some prog and it’s a Guide cert.

No Old Peculier, sadly, but a cool crisp Theakston Bitter to complete the set of Yorkshire’s Top 3 in a night.

Spacious, polite, a bit uneventful (has BRAPA been ?), reassuringly busy enough.

3 good beers in a row.  In North Yorkshire !

The Chicken Dhansak and Garlic Naan was good enough, though the large bits of chicken is a downfall of too many Indian takeaways.  I managed not to make a mess of Mrs RM’s campervan; that was a bonus.