retiredmartin

I’ve no idea why Angus isn’t a chapter in the Guide, when Loch Lomond gets one and it isn’t even a place, but I guess the same applies to “Mid Wales”.

The towns between Dundee and Aberdeen are all worth your time, though only Arbroath has smokies.

Most English tickers only know places like Brechin and Forfar from the Saturday evening football results, with the scoreline “Forfar forty-five (45), Keltie Thistle thirty-four (34)” the stuff of schoolboy memes. What a shame the evil BBC are getting rid of the 5pm score check.

My first ever (ever) visit to Forfar, a handsome town with a fine mix of turrets,

terrific fontage,

and marvellous mosaics.

If I ever finish the Guide (10 days since my last tick, worrying), I could always collect ironmongers, there’s a gap in that market.

But I’m only in town for the lone GBG entry, the wonderful sounding Osnaburg.

Just down that cobbled street, past the world’s biggest ice cream;

It’s 11:20. The door is wide open. I go in.

“Where are YOU going !” says a man, unimpressed by my speed. Have I gone in the wrong entrance ?

“For a beer ?”

“We’re not open till 12“.

Now, What Pub/GBG App says 11am, the Osnaburg website says 11am (food from noon), Facebook says 11am on Saturday, even the sign at the front says 10am for coffee.

“Sorry, I thought you opened at 11” I say, not at all defensively.

“Where did you see that ?”

“Er. on the sign just there ?“. I could have said the GBG but I find half the publicans don’t know they’re in it.

“Oh. Haven’t opened at 11am for ages“.

Now, half an hour wait isn’t the end of the world, but I know some people who plan their buses/trains/Mrs RM keeping the engine running to the minute.

Stop moaning, RM, you say. You’re wrong.