PETER

I just heard the news that Peter Edwardson aka Old Mudgie aka Pub Curmudgeon has died.

Rather than be reflective or attempt an eloquent memorial I’ll just say, for now, that I’m going to miss Peter very much.

From reading and commenting on his blog to numerous pub crawls over the last decade I’ve always enjoyed his company, if not his music taste. Roxette were OK.

He was very helpful to me when I started my own blog, which has probably celebrated and poked fun at Mudgie more than anyone over the years, and he always took my appalling photos of him in good heart.

But I was glad to get him to smile here.

Thanks for the memories, Mudgie.

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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.

68 thoughts on “PETER”

  2. He will be missed, been reading his blogs as long as I have yours and found your adventures together very entertaining RIP

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  4. Very sad news. Never met Peter but I’ve enjoyed reading his blog for many years and exchanged numerous tweets on a variety of topics over the years.

    RIP

    AleingPaul

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  6. Sad news. Like, I suspect, many of your readers, I never met Peter but followed his blog for years. In fact, I think it was his blog which led me to yours. I always enjoyed his forthright opinions, even though I didn’t always agree and his accounts of Proper Days Out were a delight. He’ll be missed.

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  10. I’m shocked and almost lost for words, but Peter was a stalwart of “numerous pub crawls over the last decade” and a good friend with both Mudgies agreeing about pubs and beer, which is what matters, though maybe not politics.

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    1. A good example of the way folk of different politics and musical taste can get on in pubs. Although Peter was a fan of traditional beer I did see him drink keg in the Magnet and he was open to tasting all sorts of beer.

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      2. No, Peter didn’t make that recent trip, his craft in the Magnet was on a CAMRA stagger (are we allowed to say that) nearly a decade ago which I still bring up!

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      1. Yes indeed Martin, all very good friends and absolutely no need to discuss politics ( rather like on here ). I well remember our Bourneville friend without the “r” but our Stopfordian one was ALWAYS the full Peter.

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      2. Peter and I were absolute opposites politically, but few people were more welcoming to me in the beer community. Many people with views more inline with mine were insular about pubbing and beer. Peter was anything but. Peter’s greatest strength was how open he was to introducing outsiders into the English pub scene. I will always remember that.

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  14. Lovely words Martin, what sad news. Only just heard. I’ll be raising a glass to him and next time I’m in a Spoons, using one of the ‘Mudgie vouchers’ he kindly sent me each year ❤️ 🍻

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    1. From what I understand this news only emerged this afternoon, Si. Please make sure you use that Spoons voucher on a Boring Brown Bitter of maximum strength. Actually, why can’t you get Fullers ESB for £2.19 in London Spoons ?

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    2. Yes Simon, the vouchers weren’t used because Wetherspoons for Peter meant the meal deal.
      ( I posted my vouchers to Caroline of Kendal last year )

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  15. Very sad news indeed. Peter was one of a kind, and whilst I only met him 4 or 5 times, he was always good company, on visits to both new and old locations.

    I was a regular reader of Mudgie’s blog, and whilst I didn’t always agree with what he was saying, he always put his points across in a manner that was matter of fact, and well reasoned. He was quite a character, as well as being really clued up about the traditional beer and pub scene, here in the UK.

    Please keep us posted Martin, as and when further details of his passing come to light, and also the funeral arrangements.

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    1. I expect the local CAMRA branch will let us know the details in due course Paul.

      As is usual with male friends (women are very different), I know next to nothing about Peter’s personal circumstances, though I think his Facebook page may have had more detail of his day to day life.

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    2. John Clarke, Stockport branch chair has very kindly been keeping me in touch process post death and I’ll post what i know on here.

      I’m struggling with BluSky at the moment so any messages are best via Twitter or on here. It was so much easier when all we had was the penny post !

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  16. Oh no that’s so sad! He was a big supporter of my blog also and a breath of fresh air at times when craft writers got up on their high horses about some silly nonsense, he would just cut right through it with some blunt comment which always made me laugh. RIP Mudge
    Kirsty

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      1. Yes, from Runcorn to Stockport Peter was a proper Cheshire man and that might explain his love of cats. It’s that time of year and he’d probably expect a cask of Old Tom at his wake !

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      3. I’m free this Thursday and would be happy to accompany you if you’re not in Kent or Cambridgeshire instead.

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  18. There was a man, by Peter known… at least unto his kin,
    But on the Web, the Internet… a name worn like a skin.
    Our Peter was a blogger too… and what he blogged, was beer,
    Curmudgeon was his nom-de-plume… and pubs he did hold dear.

    He’d tacked the word ‘pub’ at the front… the reason very clear,
    He wrote about the world of pubs… not only just their beer.
    Oh sure, he was a CAMRA fan… but deep down I surmise,
    What mostly did concern this lad… was pubs, or their demise.

    He talked about the smoking ban… the laws about the ales,
    Was irked about the closing pubs… and all that that entails.
    For though Curmudgeon was his ‘name’… he liked to socialise,
    And pubs for him was just the place… to be amongst the ‘guys’.

    As well his social ways stood out… by mentoring in fact,
    New bloggers taken under wing… with kindness, interact.
    Regardless of the politics… of faith, or ‘truths’ held dear,
    On pub crawls was a welcome sight… whilst folks did quaff their beer.

    So known was he, a nickname coined… (his ‘handle’ was quite long),
    The nickname ‘Mudgie’ thus bestowed… to show he did belong.
    He posted, penned, and ranted on… some posts drew quite a crowd,
    And through it all, he held his ground… our Mudgie was quite proud.

    But in the end, some say too soon… on that I must agree,
    His card was punched, his time was up… last call, was called, for he.
    No more on pub crawls he’ll partake… no more his posts be penned,
    No more to mentor bloggers new… alas, this is the end.

    The world will be a sadder place…there’s no denying that,
    Our Mudgie was a gentleman… to that I’ll tip my hat.
    One final note before I end… my hat, I’ll note, did doff,
    I’ll raise my beer in memory…and have a mighty quaff.

    Cheers Mudgie
    (doffs hat, raises glass, quaffs)

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      1. Thanks Martin, and by all means; use away.

        I am embarrassed to say I ‘think’ I did one for Richard, but I definitely did one for Alan Winfield.

        Cheers

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      3. “Ah yes, it’s the Alan one I remember now.”

        Actually, you were correct, as well. I poked around the hard drive and found that I did one for Alan in July of 2018, and then one for Richard (incorporating Alan into it) in June of 2019.

        “I’ll use the Mudgie one later this month when I’ve had time to reflect.”

        I am humbled good sir.

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      5. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

        Good to be back!

        “Poetry was never my strong point. Canadian musicians are quite poetic, I think ?”

        It’s those long, cold, dark winters; with nothing to do but drink and ponder life. 😉

        Cheers

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    3. Excellent, Russ. a poem that really encapsulates Peter, and the line that sums him up, “What mostly did concern this lad… was pubs, or their demise”, really does describe what Old Mudgie was all about.

      It’s hard to believe he’s gone, and slightly concerning too, as I think Peter and I are of similar age.

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      2. Thanks for the kinds words gents. I never ‘knew’ Mudgie, but I knew of him, thanks to his blog and the other BBBs (Brit Beer Bloggers) that post about something dear to their hearts.

        Cheers 🍻

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  19. Such sad news,and also a lovely tribute to someone, I, like many readers of his blog Id guess, never met in real life , though I suspect our paths had crossed unknowingly once or twice.

    But still felt like I knew him well, just like a regular in a classic pub youd meet and chat with over a beer, and I would on many occasions just chat virtually via social media with him on his views on beer, pubs, CAMRA, cats or cricket, only last week sharing our memories of Robin Smith who had just passed away.

    Ill certainly be raising a glass of the finest bitter to him next time Im in a pub.

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    1. I think the fact we feel we knew him, despite actual not meeting him that often, or at all, says a lot.

      I probably only met him a couple of dozen times at most on pub crawls over the last decade, so it’s definitely through his writing that I feel I know him best.

      I am so, so glad I went for that last pint with him in the Wheatsheaf in Atherstone the other month.

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      1. I retired just before the Wheatsheaf. That makes my last memory of Peter being how impressed he was with the Hat and Beaver, “a possible highlight of the day” he said though that wasn’t recorded on his blog.

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      2. It’s never good to have regrets, and I’m very glad we managed to arrange that follow-up day out at Atherstone after the first date clashed with the Stockport station closure.

        It’s a shame that Peter wrote less about pub trips, and more about consumer issues, in latter years. His writing was always high quality.

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      3. And I’ve realised it was four times this year that I’ve seen Peter ;
        April, Wolverhampton,
        May, Stockport, his suggestion with Macclesfield postponed,
        June, Macclesfield,
        September, Atherstone.
        There were more Proper Days Out during 2018 and ’19, less with the pandemic and so maybe three dozen over nine years and every one of them enjoyable.

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      5. I’m not sure of those four, all good beer in proper pubs with great company – but the same can be said for ;
        January, Leicester,
        February, Chichester,
        February, Portsmouth,
        April, Hinckley,
        May, Derby,
        August, Atherstone,
        October, Market Harborough.

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      7. Sorry Martin, Yes, looking back over the years Huddersfield, Oxford and Bath gave some of my best memories.
        You’ve got me looking at my train tickets this year. Not surprisingly half of them are local ( as far as Shrewsbury, Birmingham Int and Stoke ) with Wolverhampton a dozen times mainly being visiting my wife in hospital. A quarter, and I wouldn’t have predicted it at the beginning of the year, were for the East Midlands – Atherstone six times as well as Derby, Hinckley, Leicester, Loughborough and Market Harborough. Several were northwards – Liverpool and Stockport twice each plus Macclesfield, Manchester, Chester and Skipton. My only proper distance trips this year were Torquay, Chichester and four days all over Wales. All in all about what you do in a month !

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      8. I know you’d get out even more if you could, Paul, but that’s not a bad return and we’ve enjoyed your company on every one of them.
        With parental issues we haven’t gone any further than you, in the UK at least ! It’s Kentish Paul who got as far as Devon.

        About time for a return to Burton ? I can’t believe I don’t visit from Sheffield.

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  20. I followed Peter on X, I never met him, I live in Heaton Moor but I feel like I’ve lost an old pal.
    Will miss his wit and sharp tongue, especially when discussing music. Will be partaking in a Bass in The Crown at weekend. I shall salute him as an old pal, albeit a digital one.
    Rest in ale Mudgie.
    Brian

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  21. Oh dear. That’s sad news.
    I never met the dear old chap but Peter was kind enough to print some of my travel ramblings over the years even though he quite forcefully disagreed with my theory that only crap pubs close.
    It was a mark of his good nature that he happily allowed comments on his blog that he disagreed with – something other bloggers should take on board. No-one likes an echo chamber.
    I had wondered why he didn’t print my finale missive from Ashes Brisbane before I arrived home heavily jet-lagged yesterday.
    Now I know.
    What a bummer.
    The old boy could write too.
    Mercurial. Dogmatic. Reliable. Reserved. No fuss. A proper Englishman.
    Go well Old Mudgie.

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    1. I knew instantly it was you Prof !

      Mudgie could disagree with most people, but he did it passionately and articulately and at least he cared.

      I think I tend to agree more with your theory about pub closures if I’m honest, but Mudgie always reflected on the impact of social trends on pub trade and viability.

      By the by, you’re more than welcome here, I appreciate different views and readers who make me jealous of their travels.

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    1. Not Old Tom but I raised a glass of Dizzy blonde to Peter today.
      That was at the wake for a 97 year old lady whose working life started with ploughing, by horse not tractor, and I again met mutual farming friends I knew before having to retire.

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  24. Shocked to hear this news. I met Peter a few times, on Beer and Pubs meetups in Bradford, Manchester, Huddersfield, and Preston and found him pleasant company.

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