December 2024. Baldock.
You left me in Baldock at noon, the southbound train going nowhere fast and no idea about a route north and home.
Of all the places to be stranded, the Orange Tree was as good as it gets.
“Oi mate ! Put another log on the fire“.
Retired Martin only wishes to be useful. I managed my duty without burning the pub down.
Tori Amos sings,
the steak and stilton pie is expertly matched with a chewy Plum Porter NBSS 3+,
and the Orange Tree is an oasis of calm from the chaos at the station.
December us shaping up to be a landmark month for beer quality. Not that CAMRA folk, hiding from young people and their annoying ignorance of pub protocol, would know that.
My fellow traveller was draining his pint, looking for updates on routes to London. One after another the late cancellations came in. It’s the hope that kills you. “You need a bus to Bedford mate” says someone. NO-ONE needs a bus to Bedford.
There’s no sign of a train home for me, either, so at 12:45 I have a second pint. Who could resist Abbot with that classic 1990s pump clip ?
Blimey. I was only just writing about the Tand’s NBSS 5, and here’s another one, from those awful Big Brewery lot.
It’s cool, rich, chewy and I cannot fault it.
Such a shame, then, that Live Rail Times suddenly tells me there’s a train back to Cambridge leaving in 12 minutes. Finishing a pint of Abbot in 2 minutes is one thing, wolfing down that pie quite another.
retiredmartin 
I used to be a big fan of Abbot – this would have been around 1975. In recent years I’ve had it very infrequently, and when I do it’s nearly always in sub-optimal condition, so I’m very envious of you and your perfect pint.
The Orange Tree is a six minute walk from the station, unless you are taking bites out of a pie as you go. While supping from a beer glass.
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It took me four !
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