retiredmartin

November is the cruellest month.

I’ve started a little spreadsheet counting where I’ve spent every night this year, and it shows only two (2) days spent at home in Sheffield in November, twenty in Waterbeach looking after Mum and Dad, and a few down in Kent where Mrs RM’s parents are continuing their remarkable recoveries. I sense these stats on residence may be helpful for future tax returns.

So not surprising I didn’t get much travel, or ticking again, though I did complete Derbyshire.

But, once again, the travel map looks rather more exciting than the reality;

Thanks to Chung Hwa and The Sun for keeping me sane while in Waterbeach, but it was a trip to Bath to see Stafford Paul perform the sacred pouring of the Bass in the Star that kept spirits up.

That and a couple of trips to explore lesser-ticked London.

The statistics show fifty-six (56) pub visits, nearly all on the 30th November by the feel of it this morning, and only 4 of those were The Sun, so a lot of material to blog about in a good month for cask.

Pub of the Month – First In Last Out, Hastings. This one had just dropped out of the Good Beer Guide, so it was particularly pleasing to revisit on a quiet afternoon in autumn and find it better than ever, which makes it such a joy to find myself only 12 miles away staying in our Rye caravan.

Beer of the Month – Milton Prometheus, Rose and Crown, Histon. Milton Brewery have just added this sick looking Everards pub to their classy estate, and a chewy 6% Prometheus at the end of a 60 minute slog along the Roman Way was just what I needed after another day confined to The Beach.

And finally, the month’s MumsNet gem is a thread pondering how useless a job men would make of Christmas,

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5219116-if-men-were-left-to-organise-christmas-themselves

leading women to provide terrifying lists of festive “duties”.

If your December involves finding matching PJs (ugh) for your DH and dog, I feel for you you’re a t**t.

I’ve learnt enough these last few years not to make any plans that can’t be cancelled, but you will know that the 22nd December is a particularly important date in the Retired Martin calendar; perhaps you have your own family traditions ?