NO MORE WORLDS LEFT TO CONQUER

Thank you for all your good wishes on completing the Beer Guide at lunchtime in Rousay.

It was an emotional morning, a mix of worry, joy and panic.

And calories. This was breakfast at the West End Guest House in Orkney, where a Canadian septuagenarian regaled us with tales of the Peterborough Petes ice hockey team.

Sunshine on Leith was playing,

which always makes me well up. and Mrs RM sensed my nerves as I broke the Coco Pops dispenser and had forgotten to order her breakfast at all using the little forms you leave out the night before.

And then I thought I’d lost my Beer Guide altogether, which would have meant I couldn’t colour in the map and my life would be pointless.

But Baa Baa was sitting on it. Baa Baa’s bottom plays a key role in our adventures, being used by Mrs RM to wipe our windscreens from inside. I’ve called the RSPCA.

And then at the ferry crossing to Rousay I had to REVERSE onto the boat. Terrifying.

But we’re on our way home now. Just a short hop, and I can catch up on the 220 blog posts I owe you.

And what then ?

Well, the ticking torment is over, but though my mum urges me to “take it easy and relax” I see no point to that while you can still breathe.

Less ticking, but more randomness, I think. Perhaps I should aim to find something good to say about Lincolnshire? *

*only joking, would do the Donnington pubs before I did that.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

20 thoughts on “NO MORE WORLDS LEFT TO CONQUER”

  1. Wow! Crazy pub numbers. You are finished and you did it your way!

    I have this (unsettled?) feeling that something big has ended and a wonder of what the future holds!

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  2. You said you were surprised by the beer quality on Orkney. Me too. Didn’t have anything other than a good pint all the time we were there, especially the Swannay beers. Visited the brewery, bleak spot, about as far north as you can go on Mainland.

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  3. “And then at the ferry crossing to Rousay I had to REVERSE onto the boat. Terrifying.”

    But they lowered the ramp first?

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  6. Alexander, worn out by his exploits, expired at only 32, allegedly after downing a bowl of, possibly poisoned, wine. He should have poured it into a plant pot…

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  8. Oh wow! Huge congratulations to you Martin, it must feel somewhat surreal to finally pop that highlighter lid on for the last time. What a special moment, thanks for sharing your journey with us.

    See you soon,
    Alex (quosh)

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  9. Absolutely delighted for you. How about ticking every family brewer owned pub in the UK? Well, perhaps not, but what heights can you possibly scale now? You’ll find something, I’m sure. So, again, the warmest congratulations to you and of course the redoubtable Mrs RM.

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