February 2025. York.
We left Brew York after sharing a third of that inevitable Imperial Stout, conscious that, as the word below “Trust me you can dance” says,
too much beer is a very bad thing.
So, no trip across the road to the Blue Bell,
or to Ossett’s Hop, which as Mrs RM noted looked rather gorgeous.
Nope, just a visit to the Co-op for an undersized bar of Cadbury’s in the home of Rowntree’s and an aimless wander through the Shambles.
It’s the equivalent of The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells, King’s Parade in Cambridge or Estcourt Terrace in Goole.
Ask anyone where to go in York and they’ll say “The Shambles, it’s the place to go to get your wizarding potions,
Muggle soap and fudge samples“.
Perhaps 500 years ago you could get useful things here, like wizarding potions, fudge samples, and Bob Dylan albums, but it’s been comprehensively Harry Pottered of late, and everyone knows that Hogwarts is a suburb of Mansfield*.
There’s many great, or at least attractive, pubs in medieval York, but the couple in the Shambles may or may not be among them.
Another time, Shambles Tavern and Kings Inn.
Time for our Travelodge, and our less than artisan chocolate.
* I’ve been banned from BlueSky again for spreading false information or something.
retiredmartin 
Not sure why you get banned. Kind of strange. You weren’t posting excessively.
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I’ve hardly posted at all on BlueSky, just the same links to blog posts as on Twitter !
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We really do see the (very small) limits of AI* don’t we?
*Authentic Insightlessness
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Leo Sayer can dance.
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I realised that during early 1974 in Stafford.
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Old Shambles Tavern is fine as a pub both for its pub qualities and its beer. It’s probably better than you’d expect it to be considering its location but given you’ve a few better options within five minutes walk, I haven’t been in for several months.
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Just looking at Untappd reviews it does seem to have a good cask trade.
It just looks unconvincing from the outside.
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Unconvincing definitely the right word! When I first moved to York, walked past it several times thinking (dismissively) it looked like some Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe conversion with hand pumps installed.
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