Matt has completed his first year in Manchester. I was going to say he’d acquired a barbering qualification, a penchant for the Paramount (JDW) and a girlfriend, but Emma would rightly have called out my casual sexism. Emma joined us at BrewDog (I), a place I’ve never warmed to in the way I have the… Continue reading LOCKDOWN MANCHESTER BREACHED
Month: August 2020
A HOLT HALT
Is it Tuesday last, or last Tuesday? Russ will know. Anyway, on last Tuesday last I popped with James to see Matt in central Manchester for some brotherly bonding and a haircut. The centre of the city, which sounds like a line from Unknown Pleasures, is as quiet as you’ve heard, as we’ll see later.… Continue reading A HOLT HALT
GIVE US 50% OFF DOOM BAR NOW, RISHI
I returned home from Cornwall to the loving embrace of my family 4 days of washing, cleaning and laundry. Sunday off, then back to the hard yards of saving pubs and creating a huge tax burden for my children. Scarily, a dozen times for me, including the numerous coffees in Spoons. Yes, it’s half price… Continue reading GIVE US 50% OFF DOOM BAR NOW, RISHI
TRURO – A SLIGHT RETURN
My ticking was done after Launceston, and I returned to Constantine to pick Sis up from cuddling Grandchild No. 1. I thought I’d stop in the county town on the way and pick up some Verdant cans for the craft lovers. Well, that was the idea, but the queue for the Red Elephant craft beer… Continue reading TRURO – A SLIGHT RETURN
LAUNCESTON – SAVED BY THE BELL
You’re overdue an early Bee Gees reference, aren’t you ? No obvious Gibb Bros connection to your first and last town in Cornwall, though based Castle in the Air from their seminal 1972 album A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants could work. As you know I rate my readers on… Continue reading LAUNCESTON – SAVED BY THE BELL
GEORGIE THE DEVON PUB CAT ESCAPES FROM THE FRIDGE
“Is he STILL writing about Devon ?!” Not much more, then I can return to a Holt’s pub in Manchester and street art in Hartlepool (honest), which I expect you’ll prefer. Devon can be a bit samey, but like Essex quality was pretty consistent, and the welcome genuine (with one exception). None more so than… Continue reading GEORGIE THE DEVON PUB CAT ESCAPES FROM THE FRIDGE
TORRINGTON – IS IT GREAT ?
You left me in Great Torrington, where Twitter was in ferment about my prospects for the evening ahead; It looked quiet enough, too quiet really. I thought the Black Horse seemed the lively option, but a crowd of yoofs were simply agreeing a blog title for a post about another closed pub. Wiki says, reassuringly,… Continue reading TORRINGTON – IS IT GREAT ?
TADDIPORT LEPER FIELDS
Two days around Great Torrington, the centrepiece of the mass of villages with long names in Torridge District. Loads of pinking to do there, not none in Torrington (just below Weare Giffard on the GBG map), where I pitched my campervan for the night overlooking the leper fields of Taddiport. Quite a view from the… Continue reading TADDIPORT LEPER FIELDS
“DO YOU KNOW THE FEZ ?”
Just for Mark, our resident pub games expert, here’s the billiards table in the Globe at Beaford. That map will be of no use to you unless you know where Great Torrington is, of course. What you REALLY need to know is that it’s hilly round here. This is my exercise record for the half… Continue reading “DO YOU KNOW THE FEZ ?”
THE GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK, IDDESLEIGH
One for the purist now. This was West Devon’s equivalent of the Queen’s Head, Newton or any number of paths on the Welsh border. An exemplar country pub, almost worth the journey through terrifying lanes for a leisurely half. No idea where it is. My trusty Navigator was in unknown territory now. The OS extract… Continue reading THE GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK, IDDESLEIGH
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