retiredmartin

One more slice of small town Angus for you before I hit the Big City.

The GBG takes me to all the best places, and I was THRILLED to be hitting the port of Montrose for the first time.

You’ll know the name from Ronnie Montrose’s band of the early 1970s. Which came first, the town or the band ? We will never know.

It’s an attractive place; long, wide street with handsome architecture and those little lanes (vennels) the Scots do so well.

The shops themselves are a bit scruffy; obviously everyone shops in Arbroath. I’ve never seen so many sweet shops and stores selling buckets and spades and plastic football.

There’s a giant saltwater basin; do folk go on holiday here ? Scott will know.

The Market Arms is your lone GBG pub, busy mid afternoon with a mix of life.

Some very rare pavement seating outside, but the lads in shorts are all inside for the banter and the ’70s soundtrack on the telly.

Honestly, I always assumed the Coke advert was adapted from the New Seekers classic, but now I find out it was the other way round.

90% of the trade is Tennent’s, the bar flies are hiding the Ossian, but it’s cool and tasty enough (NBSS 3) and as T-Rex replaces the Seekers the volume goes up a notch and it all makes sense.

The pub is one the Register of Heritage Condom machines, some of which I can only make available to my Patronised readers.

And if that doesn’t sell it to you, nothing will.