You’ve had the pub awards, now it’s time for Retired Martin’s highlights in travel, food and music. And possibly fashion. Though possibly not.
Two maps for you, domestic,
and international, with a heavy emphasis on countries nervously looking over the Ukraine and Russian borders.
Talking of Soviets, Tirasapol in Transnistria was the higlight of 2025. Lunch in “Back in the USSR“, weird coffee machines and an extraordinary supermarket.
We opted not to take him across the Moldovan border. Back home, Mrs RM stuck her penultimate pins in her (Ukraine made) European map. Only Belarus to go, Mrs RM.
Chisinau was great, and the 13 hour rail trip to Bucharest on an old rattler with a change of wheels on the border was an “experience”.
Bucharest became our base a second time in October as we did the full Romanian experience. Pork knuckle,
and bijou B & B.
Sighisoara was the travel highlight of 2025, despite a lack of tomato gose.
Just across the Black Sea, Tbilisi impressed with its dumplings, craft bars and wobbly clocks,
though Georgia also provided the culinary horror show of the decade,
though frankly everywhere else in eastern Europe these last few years the food has been great, and travel remarkably easy (bar Albanian buses). As Mrs RM will tell you.
Back home, 2025 often felt like a weekly slog between ever improving Sheffield,
unchanging Waterbeach, and the south coast, checking on parents and properties.
Goodness know how many times I’ve changed trains here,
Having driven (nearly) the whole of the UK once (“ticking YOUR bloomin’ pubs”) we’re a bit constrained in doing the longer revisits we’d want to, so there’s been more short overnighters of late.
Curry in Corbridge (with Karen and Jane) in Summer,
a re-evaluation of the merits of Norwich,
and lovely Leicester.
But you know all that, and it’s the unsung places, like Enfield (top) and Burgess Hill you really come for, isn’t it ?
OK, perhaps not Burgess Hill.
retiredmartin 
Martin, You had to go a long way to find those shriveled mushrooms for your most horrific picture of the year.
They reminded me of three shriveled bits of chicken in a “sandwich” seven years and two days ago at the Angel as the fifth of twelve Manchester pubs. I had though, thankfully, had a hearty breakfast in the Lost Dene as my second pub of that Wednesday.
The next day, Thursday 3rd, the Petersgate Tap hadn’t reopened from its Christmas closure but I subsequently learnt that that was no great loss.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy New Year, Martin.
I always thought that Darlington was in County Durham, but it turns out it’s in, er, Darlington. Like New York, so good they named it twice! ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s one of those places, like nearby Middlesbrough, I always have to check on. The GBG has it in County Durham which is good enough for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely not Burgess Hill! Apart from that, hearty congratulations on a year well travelled, despite the obvious constraints you refer to.
BTW, forget the mushrooms, that raw, uncooked, pork knuckle doesn’t look particularly appetising.
LikeLiked by 1 person
None of it was cooked, Paul, and as for the coffee !
And in a gorgeous old restaurant in Georgia, where the other food was fantastic.
LikeLike
I came across this blog whilst researching The Jemmy Hirst pub in Rawcliffe… I then scrolled to your latest postings and was pleasantly surprised to see Sheffield mentioned (where I currently live) Middlesbrough (my birth place) and pork knuckle (my fave scran when in Prague)… Having also retired I find I spend most of my time in Hornsea (at my caravan) where there is a splendid selection of independent bars that offer consistently good beers at reasonable prices… some nice Boutique’s for the Mrs… I’ll be sat outside ‘The Stack’ cheers…
LikeLike
I live in Sheffield, love Middlesbrough and Stockton (dozens of posts if you search on blog), and I’m planning a visit to Hornsea soon as the Stack is new in the Good Beer Guide. Been to Hornsea a few times over the years, Marine Hotel,Rose & Crown, Stackhouse Bar. Might see you outside Stack if not below freezing !
LikeLike
Yeah Stack is formerly the Stackhouse (same owners) but at a different location on Newbegin…. Landlord kicked them out to open his own bar at the address (Fettled) bit naughty so many locals boycott his bar and support the Stack in the new location.
LikeLike
Thanks, I did wonder about the connection. Folk like me who aim to visit all the Beer Guide pubs would be in torment about whether having been to Stackhouse they need to go to Stack !
NB My two Hornsea posts. Nearly 7 years since my last visit !
LikeLike
Thanks for the links…. Reading through them you referenced Middlesbrough yet again… =). There’s a lot more than 5 pubs/bars in Hornsea now… Marine, Lapries, Stack, Rage Quit, The Lounge, The Green Owl, Lucien’s, Rose and Crown, The New Inn, The Victoria, Fettled and 2 more due to open in 2026!
LikeLiked by 1 person