I hope the return of BRAPA to the big league of pub blogging will see more famous titles like “Well Past My Selby Date”.
I expect Simon has been looking to use a Terence Trent D’arby reference since 1991, when TTD released the seminal “Neither Fish Nor Flesh“, which I am staggered to see Discogs value at a minimum of £1.39.
If I’d bought a thousand of them when they were going for 10p I could retire now. Oh.
Trips to North Notts are rarer than Man United fans without a misguided sense of entitlement, and I’d forgotten just how dull the Trent is.
That vaguely pink sky comes from toxic poisoning from the distant towers of Cottam Power Station, which is missing the kidz who normally fill nearby Sundown Adventure Land. I know it’s intended for the under-10s, but I’d go back to Sundown to play on the rapids and shooting ranges tomorrow.
My new GBG tick, the Brownlow Arms offer FREE camping for my campervan. In fact, the entire village of High Marnham appears to be a holiday village;
Those towers you can see are a decommissioned power station now used to produce seasonal specialty beers for micro pubs in Eastwood.
I’d phoned a nice lady 20 minutes earlier and asked if she’d be open if I detoured, as the weather looked a bit iffy.
Obviously by the time your virtuous (and modest) hero arrived the rain had passed and I was able to share the beer terrace with one other holidaymaking couple who completely ignored me despite my efforts. Don’t worry, I’m used to it at home.
Oooh, look. A beer menu.
Who or what is Prussia ? Did I miss a trick having the Tim Taylor ?
Not really, the Landlord was cool and foamy (NBSS 3 ish) and served in the UK’s favoured craft glass.
It was exactly the sort of rural pub I like, though I thought it might be smarter and more foody.
“Ay up Trace“
“All right my love“
followed by a discussion about bread mills in Cornwall Simon would have loved, just as he’d have enjoyed the trip to the Gents.
The landlady perked up when I added the artisan scratchings to my order.
“Good choice ! They’re my favourite ! I eat a packet every day !” (I think she exaggerated a bit).
The couple next to me, pleased that my arrival had held off the rain, ordered a packet.
“Bet they’re wrapped up individually like Ferrero Rocher !” said the lady. They weren’t, but they were good.
“And they’re local, from just outside Lincoln” I offered by way of conversation. No response.
Five minutes later…
“Oh look, they’re from Lincoln !”
“Oh yeah”.
Outside, the annual “Tongue stretching” derby was taking place between the tree house and the caterpillar.
It’s the caterpillar by the neck, I think, though it could be a deceptive camera angle.
Some folk will tell you a Proper Pub has a large range of ever-changing microbrewery beers filled with People Like Us, but I tell you this, you’ll never find a bad pub with a tree house and a caterpillar in the garden.
retiredmartin 
I’ve never found a bad pub with –
A 1960s/70s AA lantern.
Or a menu with only three things on it.
Or an open fire.
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THREE things on it ! ONE is plenty. Unless it’s Fish AND Chips AND mushy peas.
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Yes, an old AA lantern is usually a sign of quality.
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The river Trent, dull? My dear fellow, you have no idea.
The Trent Aegir, also known as the Eagre, is a tidal bore on this river. At certain times of the year, the lower tidal reaches of it experience a moderately large bore, up to five feet high. It is said to take its name from Ægir, a personification of the sea in Norse mythology, although this is disputed. A more likely derivation is from Old English ēagor, meaning a flood or stream.
The Aegir occurs when a high spring tide meets the downstream flow of the river. The funnel shape of its mouth exaggerates this effect, causing a large wave to travel upstream as far as Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, and sometimes even beyond.
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Good to have Reg back.
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Welcome back Reg.
(I’m not convinced by your case though).
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Reg,
I live not four miles from the River Trent but have never seen that.
Might it only occur at night ?
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It only occurs when you’re not looking, Paul. Is the bore why you see so many people sitting in deckchairs alongside the Trent near Newark ?
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I don’t think I’ve got beyond the railway stations in Newark.
The stench of urine was probably too off-putting.
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That’s unfortunate, Paul. Some people just have no respect for our heritage, do they ?
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Is urine stench a heritage feature these days, or does it depend who supplied the stench?
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That catterpillar is the stuff of nightmares -sort of thing we found in pub wine gardens back in the 80’s
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Alien caterpillars ? I saw that film (not THAT one).
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I thought it had a distinct Boris aspect in the top picture.
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It looks like an M&S caterpillar or is it an Aldi caterpillar
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Isn’t it the Brownlow Arms where they had a whip round to pay for the Prime Minister’s flat to be refurbished, and to take all the John Lewis furnishings to the recycling depot? Or was that a different Boris Johnson…
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Aye.
Some whip.
Some round.
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“I expect Simon has been looking to use a Terence Trent D’arby reference since 1991,”
Naw. He’s currently still stuck on Western and SciFi references.
“If I’d bought a thousand of them when they were going for 10p I could retire now. Oh.”
(slow golf clap… divided by 2) 😉
“I know it’s intended for the under-10s, but I’d go back to Sundown to play on the rapids and shooting ranges tomorrow.”
And there’s the other half of the (slow golf clap)!
“In fact, the entire village of High Marnham appears to be a holiday village;”
Blimey!
“Those towers you can see are a decommissioned power station now used to produce seasonal specialty beers for micro pubs in Eastwood.”
It looks more like a Dalek manufacturing plant.
“Don’t worry, I’m used to it at home.”
In some ways that’s actually a good thing. 😉
“Oooh, look. A beer menu.”
Live beers? And aren’t some of those cider? And what the heck is a Prussia?
“Who or what is Prussia ?”
Exactly!
“and served in the UK’s favoured craft glass.”
It really IS the Doom Bar of 2021!
“It was exactly the sort of rural pub I like, though I thought it might be smarter and more foody.”
Indeed. Artisan hand cooked pork scratchings but the salt is merely… salt? Not sea salt or pink salt of Himalayan salt? Sheesh.
“just as he’d have enjoyed the trip to the Gents.”
Knowing Si, he’s always enjoys using an actual loo, as opposed to a bush.
(or a train platform?)
“(I think she exaggerated a bit).”
(slow golf clap)
“The couple next to me, pleased that my arrival had held off the rain, ordered a packet.”
Did you get a small commission due to their ordering?
““Oh yeah”.”
Now THAT’S scintillating conversation!
“Outside, the annual “Tongue stretching” derby was taking place between the tree house and the caterpillar.”
(bites tongue)
“but I tell you this, you’ll never find a bad pub with a tree house and a caterpillar in the garden.”
Are you planning on writing a book? 😉
Cheers
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Books are so 20th century, don’t you think ? May come in useful for fires after the apocalypse.
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Not to mention as loo paper.
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“I tell you this, you’ll never find a bad pub with a tree house and a caterpillar in the garden.” Wise words and very perceptive. A great post with humour and the doyen of all map extracts!
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Sometime you don’t notice what’s there till you look at the map extract, do you ? That aerial view was a shock !
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