More “recommended” pubs for you before I turn to the Top County, which I’ll bring you as soon as I’ve arranged police protection from Tom Irvin. A rare trip to Sudbury, I thought. But it turns out I was only there 3 years ago. Clearly Mrs RM was distracting me back then. On another of… Continue reading I’LL BROOK NO ARGUMENT – GREAT CORNARD HAS A MODERN CLASSIC
Month: October 2020
TOP 10 COUNTIES – No. 2 – GREATER MANCHESTER
That pic above is of me, descending the steps to the Underbanks to a secret vault where I’ll be collecting the correct answers to my “Guess my favourite counties competition“, now into its 7th year. The tension is growing in London (North-West), Bedfordshire and the Kingdom of Fife. Are they in my Top 2 ?… Continue reading TOP 10 COUNTIES – No. 2 – GREATER MANCHESTER
MONKS ELEIGH – ALL RIGHT NOW
I reckon one photo is all you need to guess where I went next; Yes, it’s the brightly coloured cottages of Greater Lavenham, pilgrimage for Americans in search of the true fake Lil Ol England for decades now. If you know the Eleighs at all, it’ll be the famous Cock at Brent, whose bench seating… Continue reading MONKS ELEIGH – ALL RIGHT NOW
TITCHMARSH LACINGS SPECTACULAR
Is there no end to the wonders of east Northamptonshire ? Posh schools, Scottish enclaves, world conker championships (pre-Covid), and pubs called Duke. There’s also a little place called Polopit, right next to Titchmarsh. I thought I’d go and explore for no reason whatsoever. As ever, Polopit is best seen from my drone, which would… Continue reading TITCHMARSH LACINGS SPECTACULAR
EASY LIKE A (BARTON SEAGRAVE) WEDNESDAY LUNCHTIME
More of that blogging from places on the edge of Kettering that you’ve never heard of, even if you live there. Dave will be thrilled. Barton Seagrave, eh ? Sounds like a latter day Madness album, doesn’t it ?, with video set in a disused Wicksteed Park next door and loads of primary school children… Continue reading EASY LIKE A (BARTON SEAGRAVE) WEDNESDAY LUNCHTIME
THE SHEFFORD COLLECTION
More local-ish ramblings for you before the GBG drop on the 29th. No inference should be drawn about anything, EVER. Shefford is famous for two things. Firstly, in 2015 BRAPA visited during his Bedfordshire Reign of Terror, and this report on his embryonic blog is delightfully descriptive of a chance meeting with Everton title winner… Continue reading THE SHEFFORD COLLECTION
POSH, NOT POSH
I shall press on, avoiding the terms “Good Beer Guide” and “GBG21” as much as possible, and wake up to the sound of the CAMRA police knocking on my door at 4am* to strip me of my privilege. The new GBG will be full of micropubs, I bet ya, and I’d been warned about advised… Continue reading POSH, NOT POSH
CLIMIE FISHER REDEMPTION AT THE PIKE & EEL
Just like John Peel kept you waiting to see if the Sex Pistols or Sheena Easton were Number 1 in his Festive 50, I’ll keep you hanging on to find out if Fife or Bedfordshire take top spot in my Top 10 counties. Calm down, Dave. It won’t be Cambridgeshire, though I’ll probably miss it… Continue reading CLIMIE FISHER REDEMPTION AT THE PIKE & EEL
A YES ! TO YAXLEY
I need to be careful what I tell you until the Guide comes out next Thursday, but it’s no embargo breaker to say that the Farmer’s Arms in Yaxley probably WON’T be in there. Despite putting this full colour, full page advert in the local CAMRA magazine every edition this century, it has NEVER made… Continue reading A YES ! TO YAXLEY
TOP 10 COUNTIES – No. 3 – KENT
A surprise choice at Number 3 ? Knowing my lukewarm view of micropubs you might be, since Kent is actually 87% made up of the little devils. But before Martyn Hillier invented micros, there were Proper Pubs in Kent. Some relaxed and rural, some rumbustuous. and some a relic from better times. We’ll wait to… Continue reading TOP 10 COUNTIES – No. 3 – KENT
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