July 2024. Ely.
Just looking at this map extract now,
I noticed the Roswell Pits and wondered if Donald Trump got told the TRUTH about the Roswell alien when he was sworn in as the best President ever and how he kept it secret when he left office.
Oliver Cromwell, whose house we passed (he was out) on on our second night in an Ely was the UK Trump of his age (discuss) but probably didn’t have UFO briefings to disturb him in 1653,
or a CAMRA GBG to tick.
A Cromwell (occasional brandy drinker) pub crawl is a bit unlikely, but on our second night in an Ely car park we walked from his house out west,
to the city’s other open Guide entry.
The West End House is one of few true backstreet pubs outside the centre, and had a spell in the GBG under Italian leadership 15 years ago. Nothing much has changed.
Not only back in the Guide for 2024, but also Ely Pub of the Year. Blimey.
Look ! Actual cask being pulled.
Oh, it’s my Boltmaker.
Mrs RM gets the peanuts and Proper Job, a cool and chewy NBSS 3.5, my Tim Taylor a little less cool 3.
Mrs RM is fiddling behind me, attempting to recharge her flat phone so she can bring a map up or something.
The landlord comes over and tells Mrs RM off, he doesn’t let anyone use their electricity as it costs £500 a month.
Mrs RM complies, though notably taken aback and wants to move on.
But I’ve always wanted to diffuse the tension in the air, and head back to the bar for a pint of Wherry and a chat with the landlord about trade and branded glasses, which seems to soften him.
It’s a Proper Pub, with proper beer, although stiflingly hot tonight and the other customers drift out to the garden to talk about obscure Olympic sports (“Any ****** can do BMX“).
Sadly, the heat has got to the Wherry a bit (2.5), but instead of cutting my losses I bizarrely decide to complete a quad of the four pumps, and find the Lacons Encore a redemptive 3.5, best of the lot.
Mrs RM chats happily with a landlord she was almost growling at half an hour ago, we’ve spent £20 in a backstreet pub and completed the cask lottery with credit in the bank, and return to our van next to the town’s fun pub for a sleepless night.
retiredmartin 
I’d have asked if he needs those lights on above the fireplace.
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That made Christine laugh !
It was uncomfortably hot, a fan would have been nice.
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Walked past it but never been in, it has that wildly attractive look on the outside that almost guarantees a disappointing experience, but it looks nice and there’s Proper Job so next time…
(The Real) Mark
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I had just done up our Ely pub crawl with this one on it. We’ll remember not to plug in. Are you scared at times when you take Mrs RM into places?
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Actually, Dave, I am. She often says the things in my mind I don’t say, e.g. telling young lads in Bognor to bag their dog’s mess or lads in Billingsborough to stop swearing or whatever. I only married her so she wouldn’t tell me off.
I think West end should stay on.
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I’ve always understood that the cost of the electricity used to charge a phone was minimal. Oh look, the consumer organisation Which agrees:
“Which? found that charging overnight cost around 0.5p per night or a total of £1.74 per year.” Perhaps you should go back to that pub and give the grouchy landlord £1.74, and then go in there every day for a year, plug your phone in and don’t buy any beer. And then buy him a book on customer service as a birthday present.
What a plonker.
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You’ve missed those B&Bs where the choice to start breakfast is orange juice [exclusive or] cereal, then, Will?
Lucky you.
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Etu,
I stayed in two dreadful guest houses forty years ago and haven’t been in one during my thousand nights away since.
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He said the electric bill was £500 a month, which sounds right. I guess 10 minutes charge of a phone to get map function working would be about 0.01p.
It’s the principle though, innit.
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Humphrey’s the one who could tell him a thing or two about principles.
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Indeed! I unplugged as instructed and he still kept banging on about it. Martin is too kind!
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