retiredmartin

May 2024. Ludlow.

Our Marches tour took us to the public car park in Ludlow for the night,

Excitingly, Smithfield car park was free overnight, with 24 hour toilets and two (2) polling stations next door. And 10 minutes walk in the rain to my final Shropshire GBG24 tick.

It was raining 5 years ago when I’d walked past the Blood Bay a first time,

“that ultimate sign of the blandification. Yes, the micropub had arrived.  It was closed, of course.” I wrote, unfairly, though it may have changed a bit in 5 years before its Guide debut.

It’s wonderful, the sort of pub CAMRA needs to be celebrating rather than getting bogged down with “GBG reviews” and “cider definitions” and procedural reviews.

The notice said “no mobiles” but the incredibly nice lady was happy for us to take photos, and was a model of charm with folk who weren’t sure what to order.

Ancient handpumps, a very modern stout from Only With Love of Lewes,

a rich, chewy, NBSS 4. Mrs RM’s Uley Pale was less convincing, but that’s Uley for you.

I’ve been trying to recall what the Blood Bay reminds me of, a bit of t’other Bury’s Nutshell, a bit of Cambridge’s Free Press, I guess.

Upstairs, a folk group are rehearsing, so we’re guided to the downstairs table behind the bar.

We have the best seats in the house.

Mrs RM abuses her press pass by using her phone rather than talking to her husband about the decor,

but I forgive her.

“You MUST visit the loos !” I say, urgently.

And you really MUST visit the Blood Bay.