CHOICES, CHOICES. 🔺 TICKING IN TICKNALL

October 2025. Ticknall.

2 miles from Calke, in the heart of the National Forest, is yet another of those “HOW had I not been here before ?” pubs that the Beer Guide continues to throw up.

Ticknall is a gorgeous little Derbyshire village, the sort of place recently retired footballers used to run pubs in, before they all turned to blogging.

3 pubs of different styles, the Chequers with the most enticing menu.

I mean, how has a pub looking like this avoided the GBG for so long ?

“Small Guide allocation, better beer elsewhere” you say.

Or perhaps it takes a microbrew alongside the Bass to earn the “independent beer” credentials that CAMRA craves these days,

I really couldn’t speculate.

At the bar, I join the other 80% of villagers on the Bass, which goes from slightly milky 3 to a dry 4 in the space of 10 minutes,

and plunge for the seat next to the fire amongst the village banter.

A great seat, but with that nagging fear that a group of three will tip up and stare as if to say “That’s OUR table !”.

I ask about cobs, but they never appear, the only minor disappointment in a pub with a touch of Holbrook’s Dead Poets about it.

And that’s praise indeed.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

9 thoughts on “CHOICES, CHOICES. 🔺 TICKING IN TICKNALL”

  4. “the sort of place recently retired footballers used to run pubs in, before they all turned to blogging.”

    (slow golf clap)

    “3 pubs of different styles, the Chequers with the most enticing menu.”

    (looks down)

    LOL! 😇

    “I mean, how has a pub looking like this avoided the GBG for so long ?”

    You’re just going by the BASS over the entrance.

    “Or perhaps it takes a microbrew alongside the Bass to earn the “independent beer” credentials that CAMRA craves these days,:

    Are they still holding the Great British Beer Festival then? I’ve got Michael Jackson’s Beer Hunter series downloaded (episode 2 has the GBBF in back in the 80’s). You can view all six episodes on YouTube:

    “which goes from slightly milky 3 to a dry 4 in the space of 10 minutes,”

    (looks down)
    You’re phone’s still acting up.

    “A great seat, but with that nagging fear that a group of three will tip up and stare as if to say “That’s OUR table !”.”

    That’s what ‘reserved’ signs are for.
    (aside: don’t know if you ever got it over there but in the TV series “Friends” there’s only one episode where ‘their couch’ is already taken when they go to their coffee shop)

    “the only minor disappointment in a pub with a touch of Holbrook’s Dead Poets about it.”

    Good thing you included Holbrook; my first search brought up Dead Poets in Hong Kong!

    “And that’s praise indeed.”

    I thought so but, to be honest, it helps if you specify, due to your (at times) writing ‘style’. 😎

    Cheers

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