February 2025. York.
A Sunday night in York, but not here;
not in the Grand (£229 tonight), not when you can stay at a Travelodge 5 minutes walk from the walls for £32.99.
UK hotel prices have gone mad recently, just take a look at Premier Inn in London in April, and on a grey February Sunday before half-term York’s pubs were encouragingly busy.
Chat GPT had told Mrs RM to look for cats, and I delivered at the Black Swan,
an Instagrammable pub if ever there was one,
though sadly so popular I was unable to deliver Mrs RM that pint of Old Peculier with her name on it.
I left her at the Travelodge to plan her assault on the tourist traps, and made my own aimless way to the Minster.
Local legend Simon had kindly given me a concise list of pubs outside the GBG I ought to do, which I totally ignored, even though this one used to a Tap & Spile,
and within Monks Bar,
lies at least a dozen non-essential but strangely alluring boozers with that alluring orange light within.
Actually, does York have “boozers” ?
I followed the crowds, not to the Minster, but to the Dubliner.
There was much jubilation in local CAMRA circles (it says on ChatGPT) when York got an authentic Oirish pub just before Christmas to remedy those shortages of Britain’s favourite. Sadly, no room for me there, either, so my NBSS scores for the Guinness will have to wait.
With Mrs RM not yet within the walls, I took my opportunity for a pub tick. Can you guess which one ?
That’s a clue. Sort of.
retiredmartin 
In reach of the north, after ticking through the midlands, still no Bass.
Stockton Le Tees awaits…
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I’m sure Ye Old Star or whatever in the centre of York had a big Bass sign. You’re right, north Yorkshire resisting the march of the red triangle.
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Ye Old Star was definitely a Camerons pub fifty years ago.
I missed the pub two years ago as I was slightly behind schedule.
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So sad to see the Maltings is no more . We have friends who regularly go to York & they have told us that it is regularly uncomfortably busy in pubs over the weekend- we were surprised at all the Harry Potter rubbish around too . Pauline
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Yes, Harry Potter mad, and as we know he was actually from Barnsley.
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The gentleman (of the couple) by the fire is one of the owners of Brew York. Why am I telling you this?
Because you need to know.
Yep, shame about The Maltings.
Stu.
https://thekrausen.blogspot.com/
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Thought you had finally bailed on Man City and were going to follow The Minstermen up the league pyramid. You’re a braver man than I even contemplating linking a Lady with the words “old” and “peculier”.
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Lady ?
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Ah, sorry, confusing brave with suicidal.
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