
September 2024. Mexborough.
Mrs RM and I were discussing with the Southworths the lack of world knowledge of most of their countrymen. To prove my point, in a recent survey only 0 out of 1,123 Americans surveyed could place Mexborough (pop.15,244), that wise Uncle of the South Yorkshire mines, on a world map.

In fairness, I couldn’t have told you the town’s fame to claim before looking at Wiki just now.
“Blessed assurance“, as Fanny Crosby would have said, it’s Brian.

That’s him, celebrating the arrival of Mexborough’s new GBG entry in typically reserved style.

The Old Market Hall joins a diverse half dozen of GBG entries over the decades, including the most famous concertina club (RIP) in the Guide and a gorgeous brewery tap on the Meccie riviera.

I was absolutely convinced I’d already done Mex Spoons, but the spreadsheet never lies, and besides, who could resist a Monday afternoon on Mexborough High Street ?

Well, all of Mexborough, it seemed. Unless they were filming a 40th anniversary update of Threads while I was there.

I’ll shortly have some more in-depth analysis of dead pubs in Mex from my visit with BRAPA,

but it’s important to keep this blog in strict chronological order or Brian Blessed will shout at you.
So for now I’ll just say the Old Market Hall is a high class JDW, with cheery staff who bellow “What you ‘avin ?” even as you’re entering the door, and only a beer bore would complain about that.

Retired Martin, who’s just paid £1.49 for a gorgeously cool and rich NBSS 3.5 pint of Riggwelter due to Monday Club and CAMRA token, is NOT that beer bore.

Sadly, I was one of the 0s. Love Riggwelter. You see it often?
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Very rarely, Dave. Possibly only in Spoons.
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Few Americans can place Mexborough but, even with nearly twenty-four hours there in March 1991, I don’t know it from Conisbrough.
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I thought that they’d all heard of it.
“South of That Lauder, down Mexborough way” and all that.
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I’m assuming the local populace gave up on the concertinas?
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Yes, they moved on to the Stylophone after Rolf Harris popularised it in the 70s.
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Well yes, as the didgeridoo never caught on in that part of Yorkshire.
Not many people know that in more recent times Rolf Harris resided across the road from Stafford’s Greyhound Inn but never used it.
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What NBSS scores did Rolf give to the Vine ?
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He never used the Vine, and wasn’t seen out and about at all.
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After “Jake The Peg” that’s understandable.
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Not to mention “two little boys”!
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