A busy Friday, of highs and lows, starting with a driving test for James in which he finished runner-up. Middlewood Test Centre is the saddest looking building in Sheffield. Sadly, they meant he wasn’t able to drive me the 278 miles round trip to finish Devon’s GBG entries, so I instead took him for steak… Continue reading THE FULL SHEFFIELD CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Month: January 2022
I COME TO TICK BURY, AND TO PRAISE IT
Right, another day, another GBG county to finish. I offered Mrs RM a choice of Bury or Bridlington. She chose Bury. Perhaps she thought I meant t’other Bury. No, apparently she wanted to see the transformation of Greater’s Manchester finest purveyor of offal. But we started off in Tim Horton’s where I introduced her to… Continue reading I COME TO TICK BURY, AND TO PRAISE IT
HANGING AROUND IN HEDNESFORD, HOPING
A second Staffs tick, and suddenly, it’s complete ! Look very closely and you’ll see a deeper shade of pale for those two most recent ticks. These things matter. Now, Hednesford is a surprising place. One of the string of Staffs mining towns north of Cannock that have added a gem of a micro to… Continue reading HANGING AROUND IN HEDNESFORD, HOPING
BROCCOLI STEMS, LOVE & LIQUOR IN CODSALL
I didn’t expect to be heading back to Codsall so soon. In late 2019 this small Staffs village on the edge of Wolverhampton was the unlikely starting point for a memorable Old Codgers trip to Shifnal. One thing Old Codgers don’t do is search out artisan places for late lunch, but that was my priority… Continue reading BROCCOLI STEMS, LOVE & LIQUOR IN CODSALL
DOES IPSWICH PACK A SUFFOLK PUNCH ?
I visited my parents from Monday to Wednesday to take my Dad out to garden centre to buy plant spray and fix the Virgin remote control with too many buttons on it. Visiting early in the week means half the pubs are shut, of course, but I did find one GBG newbie in Ipswich. In… Continue reading DOES IPSWICH PACK A SUFFOLK PUNCH ?
STILTON – STILL A BIG CHEESE ?
I know how much you all like these non-pub posts of obscure Cambridgeshire villages, so here’s my rest stop last Monday in Stilton, the biggest even in Stilton since the A1 bypass opened in 1958 (a year you were still allowed to barge a goalie into the net). I’ve never been to a pub in… Continue reading STILTON – STILL A BIG CHEESE ?
THE MEDIUM SHIRAZ TRADE IN OVERTON IS BACK
Last Sunday morning I was planning the journey home from the Premier Inn at Southampton Airport. The journey back looked startlingly straight, and not just on foot; the A34 really is a marvellous road. 40 minutes after leaving Southampton we were parked up in Overton, whose new GBG pub has defeated me a fortnight earlier.… Continue reading THE MEDIUM SHIRAZ TRADE IN OVERTON IS BACK
OH WHEN THE SAINTS, GO MARCHING IN
I’ve no idea why you’d want to see the pics from the Saints v City match but since I’m paid by the pound here they are. Some people would have headed to the Old Classics after the two ticks, before heading to the match. I just popped in the Giddy Bridge, packed with 270 City… Continue reading OH WHEN THE SAINTS, GO MARCHING IN
OI !
My second Southampton tick didn’t require a reservation. Deep in the heart of studentville, Beards & Boards is in the heart of Southampton’s bar quarter, near the ancient French & Son. “Craft, Beer, Cider” it says, a GBG cert, especially with the punk welcome. No, UB40 and Green Day aren’t punk. Do I care ?… Continue reading OI !
MY RESERVATION EXPIRES
“A reserved sign, RetiredMartin ! Again !“. Hear me out. A week ago we were battling the closed M27 from Portsmouth to Southampton, which is officially “The Worst Way To Spend Two Hours In Britain“. I was delighted with my destination, a 37th Premier Inn of the year at Southampton Airport. £35, free parking, a… Continue reading MY RESERVATION EXPIRES
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