Ticking gets difficult when you’ve got the easy counties in the bag. Getting four ticks in a day, never mind a BRAPA half-dozen, is tricky. But nothing much beats the thrill of finishing a GBG county, especially one as vast as North Yorkshire, on a first beautiful day of the last weekend in February. Technically… Continue reading CONSTANT CRAVEN
Month: February 2022
OVER THE IRWELL
No new GBG entries to tick in Manchester, of course, but a slew of brewery Tap houses offering pizza and burgers to tempt that lads away from the Northern Quarter before Thursday’s gig at the Uni. I was actually tempted to walk through Spinningfields* by the appearance of a Rise Pizza food cart outside the… Continue reading OVER THE IRWELL
THE LINCOLN
Another short post from Thursday, celebrating the completion of Manchester’s Lincoln development tucked between the Town Hall and Spinningfields. No actual pubs, though I think this bottle on the table outside the City Arms might be a radical new form of DIPA dispense. The next part of my 5 mile journey takes me back to… Continue reading THE LINCOLN
TOP 100 PUBS – CITY ARMS, MANCHESTER
Back to Manchester on Thursday for a haircut and a gig with James. Much less depressing than football at the moment. Blackpool Jane will never know the pain of only being six (6) points ahead of the Scouse having played a game more and with a six-pointer to come. We’ll struggle to stay up. While… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – CITY ARMS, MANCHESTER
“I’m a firestarter, a twisted firestarter”
Us pub ticking bloggers will do anything for your attention. Public urination, tangerine Aeros, even St Mirren home matches. But only retiredmartin.com brings you pyromania from Turnpike Lane. 50 minutes took me from Wandworth via Vauxhall and Finsbury Park to The Westbury, my penultimate Greater London tick for GBG22. The announcer on the Wandworth to… Continue reading “I’m a firestarter, a twisted firestarter”
THE RAM INN
Blimey. How has the Ram Inn escaped the attention of the Guide for so long ? Well, though I’ve been ticking London for 25 years I guess it’s nearly 16 years since the Ram Brewery closed and its former tap returns to the Guide mainly due to the in-house Slybeast Brewery. Keep up. How could… Continue reading THE RAM INN
PRE-EMPTIVE WANDSWORTH
My three (3) ticks in South West London were pleasingly grouped along the railway line that loops from Waterloo to Twickenham (aaaagh !) and back, so only 10 minutes after leaving Putney I was in Wandsworth Town, one of the Guide’s forgotten places. Twenty years ago the GBG was full of proper Young’s boozers like… Continue reading PRE-EMPTIVE WANDSWORTH
MORE BRUNNING & PRICE DAY KENNELS MASQUERADING AS PUBS
Tick 2 of 3 in South West London, and a first ever visit to Queenstown Road Station, which is an ideal spot to take a photo of That London. The Telegraph is the only GBG pub in a vast area of posh South West London loosely described as “Greater Chelsea”. Or Greater Fulham if I’m… Continue reading MORE BRUNNING & PRICE DAY KENNELS MASQUERADING AS PUBS
BATTERING SW LONDON IN BATTERSEA
This post is brought to you from the 10.45 from Sheffield to Leeds, from where I’ll head on to my final North Yorkshire GBG 22 tick. I’ll expect fanfare, I’ll expect a welcome committee from BRAPA and Colin, I’ll expect a top pint of Landlord. Who knows? Wednesday saw me on a train from Waterbeach… Continue reading BATTERING SW LONDON IN BATTERSEA
MORE MALDON MAGIC IN MUNDON
My penultimate Essex tick for GBG22 came on the outskirts of Maldon, beloved of at least one former Pub Man of the Year on this blog. Maldon is an Essex highlight, even if it’s been a while since the town itself tempted me back with a new entry that wasn’t a micro or brewery tap.… Continue reading MORE MALDON MAGIC IN MUNDON