retiredmartin

July 2025. Skeeby. North Yorkshire.

It doesn’t look like I’ll complete the North Yorkshire chapter of the GBG this year but such is life.

The newbies tend to be rural pubs or brewery taps only open Fri-Sat (Guisborough), and I’ve still not found a way to get to the Crown in Middlemoor and back in the same day.

But a night in an actual hotel (extravagance) in the sparsely populated but beautiful bit of England below Scotch Corner (original border) gets a few ticks.

Gilling West is so posh it’s bought those wheatfields that Theresa May ran through.

I thought the Stable Yard Rooms looked familiar, and sure enough buried away in the yard I spy the actual sign for the White Swan (RIP),

a pub which 8 years ago I declared had “the best fish and chips in England”. Where we’re CAMRA when you want them ?

Gilling West had the Angel in the GBG last year, but with Richmond’s frenetic Guide rotation it’s Skeeby this year.

The Travellers Rest is a “community owned” pub, resurrected since COVID.

You know the type.

A pub centred on dog comfort, tables set for dining (pie night, mmm),

“Will you be dining with us ?“,

handmade walking sticks (can be shortened),

two real ales, one you’ve heard of and the Locale for the CAMRAs,

and games. Lots of games.

The problem with community pubs is that the community often don’t know what a pub is for.

Or perhaps they do. It was fully booked for tea.

Oh well, at least I can slag off the beer, scoring only one (1) pint pot (NBSS 2.5-2.9) on the CAMRA site.

But actually, the Black Sheep is cool and rich, a two pint pot pint.

You win, Skeeby.