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 timbits.
I’ll be frank; after raving about Tim Horton in Glasgow, Cardiff and Brum, this was a huge letdown. Weak coffee, dry doughnuts, the place empty at 13:30.
Even worse, the main market was closed (it’s not just micropubs that have duff opening hours info). What to do before the Broad Street Social opened at 15:00, putting me out of my Greater Manchester misery ?
Well, let’s admire the civic buildings pubs, shall we ?
The Army Reserve Centre next to the castle remains is impressive, and would make a good Brunning & Price.
And the Art Museum was actually open today.
We liked this, and Tina’s Tea Room on the balcony would have been a better lunch stop than Tim’s.
I particularly like the 1903 FA Cup, which the Shakers were allowed to keep after their record-breaking 6-0 Final victory* over Wayne Rooney’s Derby County.
There’s even some “modern art”, like this piece that moves when it senses anyone humming Coldplay.
Who knew that Victoria Wood was a local ?
Mrs RM left me to tick the Broad Street Social (on my third attempt) while she went off for a look at the shops.
It’s often the way that a place that’s annoyed me with duff opening hours delivers the good when it does open, and the Brewsmith Tap was a cracker.
Cheery staff (I declined the loyalty card), Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” as the soundtrack, and a chance to read Bono’s book about Lateral Thinking (top). It’s better than his ’90s albums.
For what it’s worth, the Bitter was a sherberty classic, cool and crisp (NBSS 4). Lacings alert !
Mrs RM was surprised when I arrived to mop up her baklava at 15:03 (the pub opened 5 minutes early), and I finally took a table at Bury’s famed deli-cum-cafe.
Their double espresso is the best caffeine hit you will get in Greater Manchester, but sadly I can’t mark in in my GBG.
*Since City’s 6-0 Final win over Watford in 2019 the trophy is rotated between Bury and the Etihad on the tram.
retiredmartin 
Glad to see you giving Derby County their proper full name.
If you’d been humming Coldplay, I would have expected that sculpture to run out of the room.
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It was “a youthful Wayne Rooney’s Derby County” in 1903, to be fair.
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Although a young Wayne County’s Derby would have been more intriguing.
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Jayne County, surely ?
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Depends just how early you want to go.
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Broad St Social is yet another of our gems. So many!
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You’re spoilt for choice !
Seriously good beer quality in the new Guide entries this year, and a real diversity of entries.
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That’s the Spoons that’s up for sale.
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Would introducing a lady to Timbits not result in an unfortunate court case for Spoons?
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Brewsmith bitter is a superb beer but unfortunately rarely seen in Stockport area
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I remember when motorcyclists used to dance to Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild in the manner of that sculpture.
I wonder why ever they stopped? Couldn’t have been The Birdie Song…could it?
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I’ve never eaten a English baked good that wasn’t better than Tim Horton or Crispy Cream. Support your local bakers!
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You’re probably right. I just remember a particularly yummy gooey Christmas treat they did a few years ago. And the filter coffee was far better then than the watery Americano.
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I thought the whole selling point of a place like Tim Hortons was that it was exactly the same no matter which one you went to, i.e. ever so slightly better than average. 😉
I do like the idea of mopping up baklava. There’s a task I could really devote myself to!
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I guess the same principles apply to baked good and coffee as real ale; turnover is king !
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