August 2025. Coombe Bissett.
And so to my, though possibly not your, highlight of the year as we head to Cranborne Chase for a 4 day festival of sad girl pop, nu folk and slow core.
Mrs RM has decided she doesn’t much fancy 4 days or sad girl pop, nu folk and slow core, so I take James, having first confirmed he could put the “two second tent” up*.
Traditionally, after 3 hours drive we find a lone new GBG entry in a posh Salisbury village for posh burger and pint,
but this year the Hook & Glove is resolutely closed, despite James checking the door twice, so we press on to the last pub before the End of the Road.
“Is this in the Beer Guide ?” asks James, as we enter through a gaggle of dithering gentlefolk.
When your 26 year old lad is more interested in the Good Book than you, well, I dunno.
Actually the Fox & Goose is in the GBG, probably one of the first pubs we stopped at on our way down to Cranborne, a friendly gem.
It doesn’t look like a CAMRA pub, but the resolute pull through and perfect presentation of the Otter (a bellwether pint) remind me that it’s all about the beer (3.5/4).
Look ! We’d nabbed the last table in a sea of OAPs, none of whom were on their way to see C.O.F.F.I.N. in a field tomorrow.
It’s mainly about trad pub grub and Pravha here, in honesty.
I’m almost ashamed of cask these days, worried it’ll be warm and floppy (tech term), though I’m sure he’d have drunk the Otter as happily as the lager.
Burger and chips is a bellwether pub lunch, and while it lacks the finesse of the two Butcombe pubs near our festival it’s delicious.
As we leave, the floods descend. In half an hour young James will attempt to pitch his tent. I will be of no help whatsoever.
*up was easy, getting it back in the bag, less so
retiredmartin 
I don’t think I’ve ever had Otter that was NBSS 3.5/4. In fact I’m pretty sure I haven’t drunk Otter since I embraced the NBSS. In my experience it’s always been (what’s the technical term?), “warm and floppy”.
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Will, From holidays in the south-west about thirty years ago I remember Otters not drinking as well as Cotleigh, Exmoor or Butcombe and I don’t think it’s changed.
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Some Otter bottled beers are now labelled as “fresh”. Steer clear of them!
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I never drink bottled beer !
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“I never drink bottled beer !
Is Heineken 0% technically not beer then? 😉
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At 0% it’s water, surely ?
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You are correct good sir. And don’t call me Shirley! 🙂
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I agree that good Otter is rare.
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“…up was easy, getting it back in the bag, less so”
No!
That’s what the young ‘uns have been saying at Leeds Fest for a decade and a half. And now they’re doing it in the Lake District with their cursed fly camping by the shores of Ullswater. Good grief.
Don’t say “dump it and go” has started to happen in Cranbourne Chase too?
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Dumped in the back of the campervan and left for Mum to sort out.
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Blimey. The shot of the folk in the top pic may me feel young. 😉
“sad girl pop, nu folk and slow core,”
I’m hesitant to even Google that.
“having first confirmed he could put the “two second tent” up*.”
Not gonna reply to this one AT ALL (but curious to see what the * indicates).
“but this year the Hook & Glove is resolutely closed”
(sigh)
Google says 12-6 Sundays, closed Mondays and 12-10 the rest of the week.
“as we enter through a gaggle of dithering gentlefolk.”
I’d be the gent in the sweater; but with more (gray) hair, and no sweater.
“When your 26 year old lad is more interested in the Good Book than you, well, I dunno.”
Brung him up well you did. Good on ya.
“Actually the Fox & Goose is in the GBG, probably one of the first pubs we stopped at on our way down to Cranborne, a friendly gem.”
Where’d all the dithering gentlefolk go in the pic below?
“remind me that it’s all about the beer”
No argument here.
“Look ! We’d nabbed the last table in a sea of OAPs”
Ah. So that’s where they went! (no sitting at the bar for that lot)
“none of whom were on their way to see C.O.F.F.I.N. in a field tomorrow.”
Oh, that’s right. This blog is also about music.
“though I’m sure he’d have drunk the Otter as happily as the lager.”
And, conversely, I’d be just as happy to drink the lager vice the Otter. (only if the Otter wasn’t available).
“*up was easy, getting it back in the bag, less so”
Ah… a REAL tent. 🙂
Cheers
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I visited a genuinely awful GBG pub in North Somerset last week. Every single empty table was reserved at 5pm on a Friday, so the bar was blocked and small children were running about and crying. But I have to admit that my pint of Otter was very, very good.
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North Somerset, from the coast through Bridgwater to the hills, has a lot of that sort of pub.
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I’d expect some decent turnover in those Minehead pubs that still serve cask (Old Ship Aground ?).
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