December 2025. Cambridge.
For the first time in a decade, I found myself in Cambridge on the same day as the Mill Road Winter Fair, one of the Big events in a social calendar dominated by Shakespeare and cover bands and beer festivals . Only £2.10 return fare from Waterbeach, and a chance to drink a pint in a rarely visited pub getting maximum cask turnover. Possibly.
I was born at an early age on Mill Road, and while I’ve no nostalgia for the town I know that some of you rate the pubs.
But how about the White Swan ?
The Greene King Irish pub, trad music every Monday, big sports screens, a pub suffering an evacuation as local favourites The Woolwich Arsenal lose to Prince William’s Aston Villa.
On the screen below you’ll see CAMRA chairman and Arsenal fan Ash Corbett-Collins having swapped shirts with the Villa match winner.
It’s the pub I spent my last night before retirement, I suspect it was Guinness then, but I haven’t been back since. The GK IPA is entirely OK (NBSS 3), and that’s all I can tell you.
Across the road St Barnabas Church seems to be the main hub of activity, inside all toddlers activities under the stained glass,
while outside Deep Blue play traditional Christmas tunes “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.
You were expecting Pink Floyd covers, weren’t you ?
retiredmartin 
I assume the Midland Tavern no longer exists; what is it now??
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Very much still, there, just with very different smells ! Now called the Devonshire Arms, which is what I know it as, run by local Milton Brewery. Great pub.
https://capturingcambridge.org/petersfield/devonshire-road/themidlandtavern/
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“Only £2.10 return fare from Waterbeach, and a chance to drink a pint in a rarely visited pub getting maximum cask turnover. Possibly.”
I’d take those odds.
“I was born at an early age on Mill Road”
(slow golf clap)
“On the screen below you’ll see CAMRA chairman and Arsenal fan Ash Corbett-Collins having swapped shirts with the Villa match winner.”
(looks down)
I have no idea what any of that means but, it’s definitely indoor shots your camera is having trouble with.
“It’s the pub I spent my last night before retirement, I suspect it was Guinness then, ”
Me too! Well, technically I was only 50 and moving on to a whole new adventure in another province and way up north, deep in the Rocky Mountains.
“You were expecting Pink Floyd covers, weren’t you ?”
I should have known. You got your fill with the Nativity post, so you found a ‘Winter Fair’ (shoulda been a hint). 😉
Cheers
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Yes, you could imagine this is all carefully planned if you didn’t know better.
Ash Corbett-Collins is the 30-something, incredibly sensible, newish Chairman of CAMRA. I suspect Stafford Paul shares my admiration.
He looks very similar to the Aston Villa forward who’s just scored the winner against his team Arsenal. Quite why a Burton lad supports Arsenal is a different question.
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Yes Martin, and no only because Ash lived in Stafford and worked in my third nearest decent pub.
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I didn’t know that. Was he a barman ?
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Yes, while he was a student.
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Well he certainly had a proper grounding.
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Still in a bit of a fog after that so, I’m going to go with serendipity vice carefully planned.
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Are you confused by my using “football” rather than “soccer”. You know, the sport Trump won the peace prize for.
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“Are you confused by my using “football” rather than “soccer”. You know, the sport Trump won the peace prize for.”
Not at all. My folks emigrated to Canada in 1952, right after they were married. I’ve been steeped in all things Brit since I was a wee lad. Heck, my Dad never lost his accent. He was a also a big Chelsea fan, whilst my Mom’s Dad was a Fulham fan.
As for Trump, what hasn’t he won the peace prize for? 😏
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It’s been a while but a Swan Guinness is a fine idea at 1am.
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Yes it’s definitely a Guinness stronghold !
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