retiredmartin

August 2024. Cambridge.

“Did you want to stop for something to eat ?” ask Mrs RM.

“No” I say. This is, as men will know, the wrong answer, as the question is actually “Where are we stopping, I want to sit down NOW“.

The question is posed as we head into the heart of Cambridge tourism, the stretch from the Mathematical (US : Math) Bridge,

along the Backs,

with its iconic view and towards the one bridge (Kitchen Bridge) you can cross for free, heading to St Johns,

where I decide to cut my losses and head for the closest GBG pub.

It’s pure happy coincidence that the Maypole has (probably) Cambridge’s best beer and food combo.

It’s a bit plain, almost school canteen, but that’s part of its studenty charm, and on a day when Discourse is asking for GBG entries to be allocated objectively, let me objectively state that the Maypole has successive NBSS scores of 4, 3.5, 4 and an improbable 5.

Bit quiet, everyone is outside because that’s what you do on Bank Holidays, bit like sticking to dark beers on hot days.

Mrs RM takes pics of Prince Edward when he had hair,

I ask the question that needs no answer;

“Pint of Marcus ?”.

“Duh !”.

Some pubs (let’s call them the (NO) Pint Shop) won’t serve Milton’s Imperial beast in pints, but the young bar staff here know better than to argue with a Mrs RM compiling an Insta reel.

I can’t believe how infrequently we ate here, the Norma pasta and calamari are gorgeous,

and Mrs RM demands we stay for a shared second pint as we start up a conversation with the only other customers inside, “they’re on a Bumble date !” hisses Mrs RM, conspiratorially. And on reflection, they must be, as the man is talking about the GBG and hops, so I address my inquisition to his charming date.

I consider the Dutch keg,

but having started my interruption of a date with the question “What you drinking” it only seems right to take the chap’s recommendation rather than infer he knows nowt about beer.

Luckily, it’s sensational, cool but chewy (NBSS 4), but there’s nothing lucky about the quality in the Maypole.