Back in Liverpool Central from Waterloo, I changed for the Wirral line for 2, possibly 3 ticks. Could I possibly even complete Merseyside today. The tension was palpable. I spent the trip trying to get enough WiFi to check train times, scuppered by the Mersey tunnel. Ooh, look, there’s a train home that stops in… Continue reading BLACK TOAD ROCK

James called me on Thursday night and said he wanted “some advice”. Every dad fears the worst when they hear those words. Was he looking to ditch City after our disastrous 20-21 season and needed help to choose a new team ? Could he not choose between Crispy Beef and Spicy Squid at Sang Lung… Continue reading WATERLOO, HOW MANY BLOG POSTS CAN I GET OUT OF YOU ?

With the relaxation of Covid restrictions comes the return of the Pub Men. I was fascinated to read Pub Curmudgeon’s reflections on the return of normality. Of a sort. New blogpost – back to the bar, but no bacchanalia, and it will be a long hard road back for pubs. https://t.co/kvctCmNax4 — Pub Curmudgeon 🌸🍻 (@oldmudgie)… Continue reading THE SECOND SUMMER OF SOUP ?

These next few posts might be a bit haphazard, coming as they do from the wet fields of Kate Rusby’s posh Barnsley folk festival. Rather different weather in Southport last Wednesday, but I was on my own then. Blackpool Jane had laid the path for my trip (see here), and when a fellow blogger and… Continue reading SOUTHPORT – ON THE BLACKPOOL JANE TRAIL

I saw Lawnmower Deth at Download once. I think their shortest song was 93 seconds. In truth, I could have walked round Southport Lawnmower Museum in 93 seconds too, but then I’d have failed to bring you the evidence of Joe Pasquale’s Lawnmower, the prime exhibit. In more truth, I only went in because Blackpool… Continue reading SOUTHPORT LAWNMOWER MUSEUM

At 56 there is nothing more exciting in life, bar Mrs RM rustling up tea from “leftovers” than being on a run of new GBG pubs. After a dull start at the Railway, my next tick was less than 10 minutes west east. SO WHAT if it’s a Greene King dining pub in a dormitory… Continue reading “Haven’t you heard ? You don’t need to wear that anymore !”

Opportunities for doing six new GBG pubs by public transport in a day are vanishingly thin once you reach the dizzying heights of 88% Guide completion, which is why us tickers need their own chauffeurs, private jets and ability to bend the ticking rules. Merseyside offered a rare prospect of multiple ticks this year, even… Continue reading DOES THIS TRAIN STOP ON MERSEYSIDE ?

A quick post to celebrate the conquering of Derbyshire GBG entries on a warm Tuesday in July, always a tough place to come and get a tick. You left me at the Whaley Nook, wondering how long it would be before E. Wild the butcher had been in business.  The short telephone numbers are always… Continue reading DERBYSHIRE DEFEATED