On the morning after the final I visited my sister’s burgeoning garden centre, the first new business in Waterbeach that doesn’t involve pharmacy or pizza since 1963.
Mrs RM converted her veg and herbs into a healthy dish later that week.
Then I wandered home via the Fen backroads, stopping for a troublesome tick in Wyberton Fen. Or retail park edge-of-Boston, as it’s better known.
The CAMRA members whining on Discourse at the moment about lack of choice in their usual freehouse will never come here, so it’s down to your brave tickateers to put £1.70 in the till and hope we haven’t got the old school Hammer & Pincers confused with the Shiny new Marston 2-for-1 across the road.
New Guide entries in rural Lincolnshire are as rare as English victories over Italy (though I count the nil-nil in Rome 97 as a win), and rarely fail to disappoint.
But this was lovely, a pub for gentlefolk in the South Cambs mould, with just enough character to make my eventual 3 hour detour worthwhile.
Friendly welcome, loads of fans keeping temperatures below boiling, and Chris Whitty on the big screen, competing with Sigrid on the jukebox.
Now, I’m a big fan of Chris, so don’t consider my choice of Doom Bar any reflection on the tone being set by our cautious Prof.
What could I have had instead of Doom. Well, nothing, in 2021 you MUST have Doom. Even a rather plain if not oversweet one as here.
You know I’m right, don’t you ?
retiredmartin 
I had a Doom at Blue Anchor recently, it was very good, though after the walk we’d done in blazing hot Somerset sun I’d have been happy with a cold soup if it was served through a sparkler. Needless to say my choice was scorned by the knowledgeable, but pioneers in beer like ourselves learn to live with the ridicule. The history books will see us right…
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Do you remember when the CAMRA diehards scorned us Bass drinkers ?
I’m holding out for the revival of John Smiths Cask, which is harder to find these days than Cloudwater on cask.
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Newark is the happiest hunting ground for JS Cask, which I very much like. In Newark.
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You could be right. I’ll take the train and explore the Newark John Smiths trail.
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Oh to be on a direct line to Newark, it takes half s day and a small mortgage to get there from Harborough. The Castle & Falcon’s your man for the john Smiths, though not before 5pm weekdays. https://pub-games.blogspot.com/2016/01/castle-falcon-newark.html?m=1 The Royal Oak always had a good pint of JS but had gone ‘craft’ with London Pride last time I poked my nose in.
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Actually it needs a change at Donny, no hardship. Castle & Falcon was the one I was thinking of, had JS Cask there 20 years ago when John Smiths wasn’t banned by CAMRA. Pride ? No way.
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The Hammer and Pincers was a 2008 entry listed under Boston. I thought the unusual name sounded familiar and checked after you mentioned the tortuous journey. So thanks for saving me a revisit.
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Phew ! (they have moved the bar by 3 inches so you ought to go back).
Hadn’t done it. Looks like I didn’t do all Lincolnshire in-year till 2010, which is a bit surprising as Lincs was so close.
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Deferred gratification (or not).
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