retiredmartin

January 2024. St. Annes. Greater Blackpool.

£31 your Friday night Travelodge in the posh bit of the Fylde where Blackpool Jane lives,

with free parking and a Marks & Spencer food hall underneath the rooms selling our poke bowls and honeycomb chocolate for tea.

Such a shame that it was so bitterly cold at the seafront, making Sheffield seem like Cape Verde by comparison.

Mrs RM wasn’t going anywhere fast, so at dusk I set off to bravely tick The Pier and Hop Shoppe, the two (2) new GBG entries mere yards away. It’s almost like I plan this stuff.

For a second I thought this was The Pier.

But it was actually THE pier, and it was closed, denying me the opportunity to play crazy golf and win teddy bears with a claw.

But the views made up for that.

Before fire damage to the pier following a Yehudi Menuhin concert in 1974 that pier actually served as a bridge to Llandudno.

Eerie, evocative, bloomin’ cold. And we should have been in Jordan.

I thought about taking Mrs RM back one of the sea shells,

before remembering she’d prefer chocolate from the Travelodge vending machine.

My pub tick is yet another small shop conversion, this one housing couples taking shelter from the biting cold along the main drag.

Attractively located below the dental implant centre, between charity shop and Subway,

I thought The Pier was very good, cheery, chatty and cask focused.

One table became free so I pounced, but when another couple came in and looked forlorn I gave it up and sat at the bar,

where at least I can bring you those tasting notes my readers demand.

My Lancaster Cascade in a Wainwright glass tasted of beer, and added a bit of richness to its cool and foamy start to end up closer to NBSS 3.5 than 3. That’s my tasting notes. Under £4, VFM fans.

Holt Smooth on tap, Beartown glasses; it’s certainly not crafty. My only note says;

“Fluff to buff”. I don’t know what that means, and don’t wish to.