February 2023.
A second pub in Greater Sleaford followed half an hour after the unexpectedly good Greene King IPA, though Leasingham (pop. 1,584) would assert its independence from its nearby town as stridently as it asserted its right to a community pub in 2018.
The Duke of Wellington is the third prominent building in the village, after St Andrew’s primary school and church.
If only Blackpool Jane was here, she’d have found some tourist attractions for you, but all I can suggest is the Costcutter at RAF Cranwell where we stopped for a minute to buy mints before a friend’s wedding in 1993. There’s probably a plaque.
But there’s a circus on the way,
and the Duke is a bustling, exemplar community pub.
An extra 0.25 of NBSS for the “boots as flower pots”, but will I need those flower pots later ?
It took a while to find out. Approaching 4pm, the pub was packed with gentlefolk and mums and dads picking up their Janets and Jacks from St Andrews, so I had a wait next to the raging fire for my Pedigree (other choice Wherry).
“I need to change the barrel” says the cheery barperson, which mean I’m sharing the bar with a couple of 9 year olds clutching a fistful of change for their half of Carlsberg ice cream. All pubs should be legally required to sell ice cream.
The pint arrives, I dive for the last free table while Jack is waving his fiver in the air. Start ’em young.
It’s a plain but cosy wood-panelled pub, playing “Now That’s What I Call 1986“, where the gentlefolk don’t mind the boisterous children and neither do I. But community pubs sometimes get a free pass into the GBG; would the beer justify that place ?
It was magnificent. Cool, crisp and sulphorous. I write down NBSS 3.5 and upgrade it to 4, just as Jack bumps into my feet.
I’m lost in the lacings. A new GBG pub with Pedi and Wherry. Who’d have believed that ?
retiredmartin 
You went to Motherwell voluntarily? That’s dedication. Then again, I once went to Coatbridge of my own volition.
That looks like a proper Proper Pub by the way.
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There’s a Beer Guide Wetherspoons there. And one in Wishaw.
Coatbridge was better, home to Albion my Scottish team.
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Yes, Albion are my Scottish team too. Coatbridge is still a bit grim though.
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There’s a post on Coatbridge on the blog if you search. The Spoons isn’t a Spoons anymore.
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Could be worse (Cleethorpes).
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Cleethorpes is great ! Particularly for pubs.
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As long as you don’t lift your blindfold whilst walking between them (memories of deserted streets, grey skies, grey everything, and chip paper blowing down the street). I used to stay in Cleethorpes when I worked in Grimsby, scarred for life, lol.
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I can’t say it’s been gentrified, Andy, but the two “Pub” places at the station are a credit to any town, and there’s even a nice crafty place just up from the beach.
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I remember the two places on the station being good. Especially the one that was called something like Number 2 Under the Clock. Felt like a micro pub before such things were popular.
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That’s right, No.2 micro like, No.1 like a nightclub for older folk with good beer.
No idea what the Nottingham House is like these days.
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I would say the Kestevens are less of a weak spot than the Hollands and Deepings or the Lindseys.
At least there are some hills to break up the infinite horizons.
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I regretted that as soon as I said it, Alan ! And Sleaford itself is underrated.
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I visit Lincolnshire occasionally to tick the works of the Demon Carver
https://www.greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/the_demon_carver
The middle ages seem closer in Lincolnshire than anywhere else
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I’m sure Lincolnshire will get there eventually, Alan.
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That pedigree glass is at least six years old.
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