
I have mixed feelings about following BRAPA’s tweets from Kent today;
On the one hand, I’m overjoyed to have finished the Guide now, free to do non-GBG pubs if I like, but on the other I’m really envying Simon his daily discovery of the riches of the Guide, even if in recent years the bulk of new entries have been shop conversions like The Gate in Park Gate in Southampton’s commuter belt.


Actually, it’s part of Fareham, aka the UK’s biggest traffic jam when the M27 was being “improved” this year. I spent AGES looking for Fun Facts about Park Gate and the best I came up with is that “In 1913, at the peak of strawberry production, more than 3,000 tons of strawberries were sent from local fields every week“. Famous residents – none (0).
Fareham is another of those towns that has seen town centre trad pubs (Fullers) replaced by first Spoons and now crafty micros in the Guide.
Does that matter ? Well, places like The Gate, yet another “craft bar on Hampshire shopping street” entry, probably attract younger drinkers and women.

And they certainly give Farnham folk access to a far wider range of beer, including a lovely (and rare) Cloudwater Dark Mild on cask for less than a fiver.

Staff were great too. So hard to complain, though I guess that Si will struggle to find Old Boys and Twilds dribbling on him here.

And that’s the content we come for.
Strong Ceefax vibes from the beer list screen.
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I read that as “Weetabix vibes”, and thought it was a comment on beer styles ! Yes, very Ceefax.
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Is “Weetabix Vibes” the great lost Kangaroo Airforce Ventilator album?
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It’s a Greek only release on the Ouzo label.
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Worth a bob or two if you’ve got it on coloured vinyl.
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I knew the Park Gate as the, former Ansells, pub near Castle Ring on Cannock Chase.
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