retiredmartin

April 2024. Chester.

Yes, I know I owe you an April highlights issue. Soon.

First up a couple of late month county ticks, starting with posh Cheshire.

It’s not ALL posh, of course; there’s been Crewe and Macclesfield newbies this GBG year, but I end by the Chester walls.

We park up the NV200 in the Little Roodee car park, one of the UK’s great overnight stays.

Mrs RM has embraced the return to campervanning with vigour, asking only that I label the bottles to distinguish my mobile toilet (courtesy of Triple fff) from the identical shaped water bottle.

“W” for water, “W” for wee, obviously. But how do you distinguish the murky beer take outs ?

Mrs RM’s Instagram account was crying out for a video of her jogging around the wall and ending up in the Albion,

but two (2) things were about to conspire against our plans.

The first was the rain. I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up of the incessant drizzle. I bet it’s not raining on the Southworths in Cesky Krumlov right now.

Luckily, my last Cheshire tick was mere yards away;

I walked past the Architect last time here; how on did I not guess a Brunning & Price was a GBG cert ?

Betting on future Guide entries was, of course, banned at the recent CAMRA Members Conference, but I reckon Spoons are 5/2, Black Country 2/5 and B & P 1/5000 on for inclusion.

It’s the completely pointless tractor that swings it.

In their defence, their pubs are beautifully landscaped, always busy (this was standing room only),

and compete with the aforementioned Black Country Ales on the handpump count, and we know how the CAMRAs love their handpumps.

Even if everyone else was on Pinot Grigio and Madri.

Mrs RM, perched on a random chair in the corridor, was on official beer scoring duty, and reckoned Brimstage’s Sandpiper “very good” (3.5).

She was wrong of course (NBSS 3 at best) but I’m not arguing with her. Are you ?

Not the finest way to finish a county, at a Wetherspoons for poshos, but the atmosphere was enlivened by a hen party in the side room. Why young ladies (well, all mid-30s these days) feel the need to book a Brunning & Price to celebrate upcoming nuptials when I’m sure the Albion or the Boot would be delighted to have their custom, I can’t imagine.

For 2 points, name the fella on the mask in the window.