December 2024. Sheffield. Jim’s itinerary was a bit challenging by my more relaxed standards; I had a tentative plan to do some new GBG pubs in Leeds and Burnley but always good company over ticking, and Jim is always good company. I make a bit of a hash of guiding him from the Old Queens… Continue reading “SPLITTING THE G”. RETIRED MARTIN DAY EVE PUB CRAWL NO. 2 – THE GRAPES

December 2024. Sheffield. The Blake is a classic Sheffield ale pub and all, but it’s a new cocktail bar in Walkley you want. The Wobbly Dagger (nope, no idea) has just been opened in the old butchers-cum-post office by Mrs RM’s hairdresser. I like the styling a lot, and it’s very neighbourhood Sheffield with no… Continue reading NEW IN SHEFFIELD – THE WOBBLY DAGGER

December 2024. Sheffield. I had to leave Mum in the care of Council reablement staff for a day while we popped back to Sheffield to fetch her grandsons for Christmas. Pulling into Walkley I thought I must message Will and say “Fancy a pint“. Oddly, at that precise moment Will was composing his own 44… Continue reading BLACK EYE FRIDAY AT THE BLAKE

December 2024. Cambridge. Christmas shopping. For Mum, obviously, I haven’t bought a single Christmas present for 30 years and I haven’t been struck down dead yet. Five (5) shops I visited in Cambridge looking for size 12 velcro slippers, finally tracking them down in Marks & Spencers in the underwhelming market place. I popped in… Continue reading WINTER WARMERS

December 2024. Milton. Happy Retired Martin Day. On Tuesday I failed to get to London to celebrate Mrs Retired Martin Day, and was attempting to get home to Mum as trains ground to a halt. Services back to Waterbeach were successively cancelled, the only departure from Cambridge taking me the 2 miles to Cambridge North,… Continue reading FINALLY ! A GOOD LANDLORD

December 2024. Cambridge. I had to run to catch the 13:03 back from Baldock to Cambridge, a pint of NBSS 5 Abbot and a plate of pie sloshing up and down in my tummy. Safer than curry and mango lassi, but not by much. The train skilfully dawdles to a halt just in time for… Continue reading SANTA BANTER IN THE SALISBURY ARMS

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… Continue reading UNEXPECTED PERFECTION AT BALDOCK’S ORANGE TREE

December 2024. Baldock. The 17th December, Mrs RM’s birthday, a dress rehearsal for the main event five days later. Ideally both these birthdays will be spent somewhere new, foreign and exciting, or failing that Bathgate. But Mrs RM is down south attending to her infirm parents in Royal Tunbridge Wells (by taking them to drink… Continue reading STUCK OUTSIDE OF BALDOCK WITH THOSE TRAIN DELAY BLUES AGAIN

December 2024. Sheffield. 2 days “home” took in beer and octopus in Bradford, beer and curry in Manchester, and tears and worry at the Etihad. Across the road from the derby at the Co-op a young artist was warming up. You remember McCartney? Frog Chorus, 1984. Back in Sheffield, eventually, I decided I needed a… Continue reading DERBY DAY BLUES, BELGIAN BLUE