March 2025. Sheffield. Back home from foreign fields, a man’s thoughts must inevitably turn to foamy beer in cosy English pubs. Let’s take a hike over the iron bridge to a Kelham gem, except the iron bridge doesn’t go anywhere and the Harlequin is more Wicker than Kelham. I’ve always liked the place, but it… Continue reading “Are ya one of them beer tickers?”
Month: April 2025
MARCH ’25 STOCKTAKE + APRIL PREVIEW
Quite a low-key month compared to the dramas of January and February, but it did include Mrs RM’s trip to Moldova (twice postponed due to family traumas) so not entirely dull. (Only) thirty-six different pubs, as I can’t count really count the ten in Iasi and Chisinau as “pubs”. Some classics in that 36, including… Continue reading MARCH ’25 STOCKTAKE + APRIL PREVIEW
1976 GBG PUB DESCRIPTIONS
A little bonus post before I go from Moldova to middle England. A look back at that golden summer of ’76 when a dodgy Retired Martin was forced to play outdoor sports at Milton Primary School in 33 degrees, and the new Good Beer Guide was at its peak. I had a read through this… Continue reading 1976 GBG PUB DESCRIPTIONS
SURVIVING BUCHAREST NORTH
March 2025. Bucharest. Not a bad sleep on the 13 hour overnighter from Chisinau, but Bucharest North brings you back to reality, reminiscent of Kings Cross 30 years ago. Our flight is at 3.30, we’ve got 5 hours to get explore the city by metro, but no one will sell us the Tourist Card for… Continue reading SURVIVING BUCHAREST NORTH
CHANGING THE BOGIES : 13 HOURS ON THE CHISINAU-BUCHAREST EXPRESS
March 2025. Moldova to Romnia. Right, Moldova ticked, let’s go home. Except flying home from Chisinau isn’t good enough for Mrs RM, oh no, she wants to take a 13 hour sleeper train to Bucharest and get back to Luton Mid Stay from there. Why ? We’ll soon find out. Our train sets off a… Continue reading CHANGING THE BOGIES : 13 HOURS ON THE CHISINAU-BUCHAREST EXPRESS
CRAFT BAZA, CHISINAU
March 2025. Chisinau. Well, Mrs RM has finally published her first (excellent) blog post on the Moldovan trip (here), typically for a woman it’s all about trainspotting. She was still planning the night train to Bucharest when I left her for a third and last night of craft beer check-ins. It started disappointingly, Keller Holz… Continue reading CRAFT BAZA, CHISINAU
“Can you eat the flower ?”. Wine tasting at Castel Mimi
March 2025. Castel Mimi. Moldova. One thing I should add about these Moldovan excursions; they weren’t cheap. Not surprising, as you’re basically hiring a private taxi for the day, and the vehicles weren’t shoddy Ladas. So it’s important you get your VFM from 50p pints and 10p donuts. Our fellow tourists (from Kazakhstan) had forgot… Continue reading “Can you eat the flower ?”. Wine tasting at Castel Mimi
TRANSNISTRIAN COGNAC FROM THE TAP
March 2025. Tighina Fortress. Transnistria/Moldova. If you’re reading these foreign posts* in search of history, you’ll be disappointed. And in fairness, our guide Lily wasn’t much interested in facts and figures either. She showed us supermarkets, sturgeon, fridge magnet stores and the Sheriff Tiraspol ground, while changing the tour to squeeze in an unscheduled wine… Continue reading TRANSNISTRIAN COGNAC FROM THE TAP
BACK IN THE USSR – A TIRASPOL UNTAPPD CHECK-IN
March 2025. Tiraspol. Transnistria/Moldova. The highpoint of our tour to breakaway state Transinistria now, as we reach the “capital” Tiraspol, home to the team that won in Real Madrid and more flags than you can possibly imagine. And more Lenin. And more tanks. Our estimable guide Lily had a dilemma. The couple from Kazakhstan had… Continue reading BACK IN THE USSR – A TIRASPOL UNTAPPD CHECK-IN
GOOD BEER GUIDE TO BE SLASHED
April 2025 sees the CAMRA Members Weekend head for that hot bed of real ale on the English Riviera, with Torquay hoping to enhance its reputation as a top Pub Crawl destination as successfully as Dundee and Coventry Warwick University in recent years. I intend to be there, if only to support the honourable member… Continue reading GOOD BEER GUIDE TO BE SLASHED
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