April 23.
Oswaldtwistle looked rather lovely when I left the White Bull just after nine.
Not spooky at all, that view from the campervan, though I’d tragically left Baa Baa Toure in Sheffield and felt a bit vulnerable.
And a bit hungry, after staring at the gastro menu in the Bull.
Luckily ‘Twistle isn’t short of takeaways.
“But you just had £2.50 worth of scraps in Knuzden, retired martin !”
It doesn’t work like that though. So ten minutes later I’d ordered a Singapore Rice and was wondering what to do while I waited.
Oh look, a GBG pub.
The Vault has been in the GBG a few years; I’d popped in just before 2020 lockdown but failed to get pics, and regretted it.
I also regretted missing, either too late or too early, the Festival of Hofmeister.
A typical Lancastrian neighbourhood micro, it was HEAVING.
Four flavoured Lilley’s ciders, two cask, one giant welcome.
Why would I pick a Parkway over the house White Witch ?
No idea, but it was majestic. Cool, rich, foamy; NBSS 3.5 rising to a rare 4.
All that was missing was a seat, but I can’t complain about a pub too busy to seat me in 2023.
Quiz night, apparently.
“Tonight’s specialist round is Harry Potter”
Accrington left back in their last League season, 1960-61, I think.
I slipped out the door.
The landlady, serving three simultaneously, still aware enough to shout “Thank you. Bye !” and mean it.
A Top 100 pub, possibly, and a Top 250 Singapore Rice,
though I really should have had the Crispy Beef as well. I never learn.
retiredmartin 
Hi Martin, my name is Lucy, I’m a journalist from The Times. I’m looking to discuss a story idea I have with you – would you be able to email me? lucy.alderson@thetimes.co.uk – thanks!
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Well done Martin. I find it ever harder to try beers of which I’ve never heard.
I set off in search of Bass, driven by Mrs. E this afternoon, at the Four Sons in Rastrick, which WhatPub said kept it among its regular beers. Sadly they stopped that during covid.
So here we are. Don’t worry though, I have lost neither my senses nor my taste in beer. The glass – actually at the Shepherd’s not far away – contains TT Boltmaker.
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Nowt wrong with Doom Bar, you beer snob.
Rastrick ? Haven’t been there for a while.
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Given that I’ve yet to have a pint of DB which tastes recognisably like any other that I can remember, in a blind tasting, I’d probably have bought the Boltmaker as just yet another variation.
So yes.
Such was my disappointment in the Four Sons that I only bought a half. Especially as their reason for losing the Bass was none more than “Four ales are two too many”.
They know not what they do, as someone once said…
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I know what you mean about volatility of Doom Bar. In the Eclipse in Winchester it tasted like flat Bass, having had a week to condition. Rarely like that since.
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