retiredmartin

October (finally) 2024. Lincoln.

The US Southworths’ Grand Tour had reached Lincolnshire by last Tuesday, and a gaggle of UK pub men converged in the county town to assist them in the correct spelling of  “flavour” and advise beer scoring of schooners.

I had an early start from Sheffield to bag a pitch in the Lawn car park opposite the Victoria and Strugglers by 8:30.

Oh and not far from this.

Lincoln council let you park next to the city’s gems for 24 hours as long as you give them £9.80 and don’t set up a Barbecue, which is fair.

Arriving at 8:30 with a curated survey of public houses not starting till noon presented the issue of how to fritter away 3.5 hours.

Luckily, I needed half an hour to clear the steamy windows (not a Tina Turner reference) of the window screen so the council enforcement inspectors could see my ticket on the dashboard.

And then a near hour over breakfast at the marvellous Stokes at the Lawn, with whale,

eggs Benedict,

and filter coffee with free refills.

Folks, starting a day of beer with five cups of Joe is a big mistake, huge.

Luckily, the Museum of Lincolnshire life had loos, and much else besides.

It’s a gem of a social history museum in an old barracks, packed with tanks and tractors,

pottery and pub tat.

And Roland Rat, who was born in the cellar of the Sam Smiths pub on Steep Hill.

Actually, the pub section is a bit underwhelming, about half the size of the exhibition on Methodism,

but pubs are living things, not museum exhibits,

and I set off down that hill to meet some living exhibits now.