January 2024. Farnworth. Let’s complete a “county”, shall we. OK, it’s only Greater Manchester, generally a doddle as it’s my next county from home and I pop in there most months for haircuts and agonies at the Etihad. But my last tick is in Farnworth, part of Bolton, and a tricky little trip to the… Continue reading FABULOUS FARNWORTH – PHOENIX NIGHTS, TICKING AFTERNOONS
Month: January 2024
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 20 – LEICESTERSHIRE
Clickbait ! I thought Leicestershire would be a tough county to pick five sure fire winners in, but it was a doddle, even if you might find them surprisingly similar in style. Well, one of them doesn’t sell Bass. Whitwick (Greater Coalville) – Three Horseshoes (Polly’s) But Polly’s does, and on my visit with Life… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 20 – LEICESTERSHIRE
THE QUIET NIGHT IN AT B33R@33
You left me at the Bay Horse, on the edge of Rivington Reservoir. A lesser man would have taken the easy option and caught the No. 125 into Horwich, or even headed back to Adlington station and made the short hop to Blackrod (such evocative names). But not Retired Martin, oh no. Ignoring the drizzle,… Continue reading THE QUIET NIGHT IN AT B33R@33
THE MYSTERIOUS HEATH CHARNOCK
January 2024. Heath Charnock, Chorley. I rather arrogantly assume I could tell you, or at least make up, some interesting perspectives on every part of the UK (bar the Shetlands; are the Shetlands part of the UK ?). But when Heath Charnock’s Bay Horse popped into the Beer Guide last autumn I genuine had no… Continue reading THE MYSTERIOUS HEATH CHARNOCK
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 19 – LANCASHIRE
Getting these “best of” posts out before midnight every day, on top of my incredibly busy days, is so stressful. I almost just picked five from Preston tonight; Black Horse, Old Vic, New Conti (for music), Vinyl Tap, Blue Bell, before remembering that Blackpool Jane would never speak to me again, But I will start… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 19 – LANCASHIRE
IT ALL GOES AWRY IN CHORLEY SPOONS
January 2024. Chorley. It was such a good plan. Ben’s Tap, the Flat Iron and Riley’s Taproom; 3 new Chorley GBG entries a minute apart. Fantastic ticking. Only Riley’s wasn’t open. Facebook said 1pm, What Pub said 2 pm, but it turned out the correct answer was 3 pm. And although the pinned post on… Continue reading IT ALL GOES AWRY IN CHORLEY SPOONS
“Are ya CAMRA ?”
January 2024 (though I fear I’ll be writing 2023 till at least the 12th so good job we don’t use cheques anymore). Chorley. I very nearly skipped the Flat Iron, as it used to be the Market Tavern, and professional tickers would consider it poor form to revisit a pub just because it had changed… Continue reading “Are ya CAMRA ?”
CHORLEY NOT ?
January 2024. Chorley. January is always a tricky month for pub tickers. Obviously there’s the temptations of Dryanuary and the desire to proclaim your worthiness with photos of yourself at home in Wakefield with a nice cup of cocoa. And if you do bin off Dryanuary, will the weather, rail unions, and micro opening times play… Continue reading CHORLEY NOT ?
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 18 – KENT
Finishing Kent always feels like a BIG achievement, something about all that coastline, all those different train lines, all those wrong micro opening times. And picking the first five in Kent has been the toughest pick so far. I’ve deliberately left out the Nelson Arms in Tonbridge, as that had enough publicity of late but… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 18 – KENT
STOKING THE FIRES IN COGENHOE
My last Beds pub in Harrold was right on the border with Bucks, and also with Northants; you get a lot of those “3 counties colliding” scenarios as you hit the Midlands, which is what makes the current ordering of the GBG so nonsensical. Beds at the very start, Northants half way through. Use the… Continue reading STOKING THE FIRES IN COGENHOE
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