retiredmartin

On the train back from Nailsea I surveyed the task ahead;

Six ticks in the bag, and three more scattered round the edges of Bristol to do on Friday after a day on the Bass in Bath.

Mmm. Bit risky, I reckon they’re best done NOW.

Starting with the Lyon’s Den in Kingswood, just outside the city boundary.

It was a long walk in the damp Thursday night, and you know my views on buses.

I quickly bought a single from Temple Meads to Lawrence Hill (which gave me one of my great blog titles in 2016) to at least knock 20 minutes off the trip.

Blimey, those 3 minutes into east Bristol were eventful, with a drug-fuelled rant about day-time TV from a poet who started every line “Can’t you SEE” (video only available to readers in Greenland).

Emerging from the station, the number 6 to the workmanlike suburb/town of Kingswood stood in front of me. Against my better judgement, I jumped on.

The young lad on his way home from Primark asking me 20 questions about my trip, in between an analysis of his Wotsits (they’re crisps, Dave).

I was glad to get off at Kingswood’s iconic clock tower, built on the site of the famous Subway.

Sadly, the Chase Inn (previously Soapy Joes) is keg,

and I somehow resisted the Doom Bar in the Spoons,

So it was a a quick half in the micro, which turned out to heaving at 19:30.

Honestly, I like that a lot. I used to take James and Matthew in pubs when they were babies, mainly at quiet times, and changed them in the Gents. No-one seemed to mind. Perhaps they did.

To be honest, I don’t like standing up in pubs, so I finished my half, said “Glad to see you so busy”, and exited sharpish.

Right. Let’s catch the 43 back to town.

Within a minute, the second bus was flashing Cancelled as well, and two locals were telling me I’d need to take the 17 to Southmead and then catch another bus back to town.

NEVER take any notice of locals. No sooner had I started the walk into town than that first (Cancelled) No. 43 turned up, with me its only passenger.

Now, I was on a roll.