Many of you (well, Duncan) have asked “Where is Pubmeister ?”. It was Duncan who prompted this 4 day trip down South and offered his taxi services, as gratefully received an offer as Mrs RM’s “Taxi for BRAPA” which was taking place the same night.
Fear not, Duncan and Malt will be here soon enough. But first, Whitchurch. One of a dozen towns and villages of that name in the UK, this is the one famous for rabbits.
Believe it or not that single sold more copies than “Just When I Needed You Most” by Randy Vanwarmer. Mark knew that.
I’ve never seen Watership Down, but it clearly had a traumatic effect on a 12 year old Mrs RM who tears up just thinking about it.
Anyway, Whitchurch, very quiet on a Thursday in January.
One lady came out to stare at me taking a photo of the Joker lamp post, and I forgot to record what that writing says. Usual prize on offer.
My new Guide pub looks “solid”, and even if it wasn’t in the GBG the light visible from the window (top) makes it hard to ignore.
I walk in to find two other punters, only just below the average pub custom on this 4 day trip (2.2).
I know it’s boring, but the bar person is lovely, warning me off the complimentary snacks.
“They’re dog biscuits ! (idiot) “
“How does the dog reach up to the bar to get them” I thought.
The King’s Arms is an unfussy town pub, offering burgers, Ed Sheeran, and ancient maps.
Despite the beer name being handwritten on the pump, the Andwell turned out to be the beer of the day; cool, rich and tasty (NBSS 3.5+).
I just wish there’d been more folk there to enjoy it. The couple sitting working on their laptops seemed actually to be staff as well.
In contrast, Kudos cafe over the road was packed with young folk on laptops, lingering over flat blacks and mac’ n’ cheese and ambient folk music, so I joined them.
“There you go, my friend. Enjoy !” they said. I did.
retiredmartin 
‘“How does the dog reach up to the bar to get them” I thought.’
He just needs the right motivation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pz5ivuRCkM
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Adverts were good in the ’70s and ’80s, weren’t they ? Not very PC, mind.
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That light just makes you think ‘I want to be in there’ doesn’t it?
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I love the old map – half an inch to the mile? – with every dwelling house in Basingstoke painstakingly depicted with a square black dot. Only a dozen houses, which shows how old the map must be.
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And 7 of those 12 were micro pubs, of course.
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Dry January has a lot to answer for, especially this year.
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Many people are fearful of catching Covid in pubs, as much because of isolation as health risk.
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Maybe so, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting cafes/coffee shops nearly as much, and there can’t be that much difference in infection rates.
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Good point. Though Chepstow’s cafes (and Spoons) were deserted yesterday.
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Isolation is reduced to five days from next Monday.
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About time. Still a week’s pay for some.
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I’m increasingly drawn to the biscuit jar on the bar at my local.
Am I going to the dogs?
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I’ve never seen Watership Down either, though I seem to recall getting the impression it was a “weepie” based on what kids at school said. But “Just When I Needed You Most” I remember very well indeed. One of those songs guaranteed to transport me back to late childhood/early teenagerdom.
Do you find the name being handwritten on the pump is usually a bad sign? Now I’m trying to think what are the circumstances that require a beer name to be handwritten…
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It always feels vaguely unsatisfactory, like inspirational quotes written on beams, but in all honesty it rarely affects the beer !
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