I only managed 25 ticks in Devon and Cornwall but I feel like I’ll be blogging ’till Christmas.
And I need to get out again this week or all last week’s good work will be wasted as I strive to get 97% completion before the new GBG is out.
The bus pulled into Barnstaple, but I had no GBG ticks there.
No Corner House, with its lure of Bass (see top),
no Wetherspoons from which the famed indoor market took its name,
and a micro with “rabbit” in the name I walked past that is now BOUND to be in GBG21.
I didn’t linger, as a downpour was on the way, but Barnstaple looked more interesting and less Bridgewater-esque than I’d imagined, with some Bristolian style food huts near the Panniers. I’ll be back.
For now, I needed shelter while I waited for my tick to open.
Wasn’t Pilton’s Reform Inn in the Guide recently?
Good grief. An assault course.
The Landlady was a gem, plying me with paper towels so I didn’t flood her out. I was then directed to the table by the door, behind the perspex.
A voice behind the wall discussed the weather with me. After years of Brexit, Covid and VAR, it made a nice change to discuss downpours. “Aye, the local beer is very good” he said, as he stuck firmly to lager.
Mostly students; you can tell that because they’d put “Don’t You Forget About Me” on the jukebox, pulling Barnstaple into 1985.
And then in the Gents I found out (I guess) why it had been kicked out of the Guide.
Nice pub.
As was, in its way, the Windsor up the hill in Bradiford, seemingly a suburb of a suburb.
The Outlaw I met in Braunton expressed bemusement when I told him I was headed for Bradiford. “Never heard of it“. It was 4 miles away.
“Do you mind if I bring my rain collection in ?” I asked. She didn’t.
It was the most unpretentious pub of the trip, the sort of local that wouldn’t grace the Guide in Derbyshire and with the sole handpump not dragging the tickers in from Totnes.
A mature drinkers pub, and good to see them back in without the lure of Rishi’s half-price burgers.
Or craft keg.
retiredmartin 
“97% completion before the new GBG is out” –Wow, the fact that this is even a possibility is impressive indeed. Am I right that it’s only you and Pubmeister that have got this far, or is there someone else? In any case, hats off to you, you’re getting awfully near the finish line now!
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Got 2 months before new GBG and would need 200 pubs so a tall order unless I can get going on West Wales and Scotland but worth a go. 96% doable. Duncan and Maltmeister are there already.
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Used to be three pubs in Pilton; top house, middle house, bottom house. Only bottom house (Reform) left. Middle house was the Chichester I think, good pub. Top house was the original micropub. You could just about squeeze six people into the tiny bar. Landlord was know locally as The Fount of All Knowledge. Corner House was a class pub. I used to be able to name all the pubs in Barnstaple, 30-odd. Not sure how many are left.
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“Attractive river Yeo“
If that’s the attractive part, I’d hate to think what the bad part looks like.
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Yes. It’s a bit of a let down isn’t it.
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“or all last week’s good work will be wasted as I strive to get 97% completion before the new GBG is out.”
Pfft. Allowances will be made good sir.
“No Corner House, with its lure of Bass (see top)”
It’s closed?
“no Wetherspoons from which the famed indoor market took its name,”
Hang on; their website says the Water Gate opens at 8am daily.
“Attractive river Yeo”
Maybe the downpour helped?
“Don’t touch the bell”
Or stand on the ‘X’! Anyone who has watched a Roadrunner cartoon knows that!
“I was then directed to the table by the door, behind the perspex.”
I don’t think the downpour had anything to do with that. 😉
” “Aye, the local beer is very good” he said, as he stuck firmly to lager.”
(slow golf clap)
“No room for this sexism in 2020 CAMRA”
But make it out of metal and it makes a world renowned statue I’ll bet! 🙂
“Nice bin display”
I’m sure they’ve ‘bin’ meaning to fix that. 🙂
“One hundred and… EIGHTY
It’s too blurry to tell.
“A mature drinkers pub, and good to see them back in without the lure of Rishi’s half-price burgers.
Or craft keg.”
Strange how half-price keg wasn’t part of the Rishi deal. 🙂
Cheers
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I was meaning those pubs aren’t in the Beer Guide at the moment so I had no reason to stop (and I can’t go in EVERY pub).
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Ooops. Fair point. My bad. 😉
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You really shouldn’t go wandering into the Ladies facilities you know.
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