April 2026. Retford.
You left me at Lincoln Bus Station, waiting for the Number 56 to Wragby that never came.
There’s a sadness about missing out on a planned GBG tick that only the ticker knows. But if you can’t have an actual tick, have a pre-emptive tick in Retford on the way home.
First visit since 2021, and reassuring to see the ancient town map has aquired a Missing Cat sticker. You’re not a real town without a Missing Cat sticker.
My journey to Wragby Co-op bus stop thwarted, I start out from the old Retford Co-op, one of the few highlights apart from the smell of Spring blossom on the half mile to the edge of town.
An hour between trains, 40 minutes walking, I reckon that’s time for two (2) pubs, don’t you ?
I actually visited the Brew Shed in the week in 2018 that it was about to move next door. It’s possible the original is the one you see on the left; it definitely wasn’t Saucy Pizza on the right.
Some GBG zealotts would declare that move of the bar 12 feet northwards requires a revisit, but wouldn’t bother if, say, a Brewhouse & Kitchen changed to a Spoons if the bar stayed still. Odd folk, tickers.
A much bigger Brew Shed had diners, a group of Easter Monday Prosecco Women, one of whose screeching may have broken international rules on torture.
Harrison’s brewery tap, so you feel obliged to have their beer as you’ll never see it anywhere else unless they’ve done a deal with Spoons.
There’s a good range of seating, high and low, with a definite tool theme.
See !
The “Proof of Concept” was available on cask or keg for a quid more, and as the bloke in front paid the premium I felt duty bound to go cask,
and wished I hadn’t. Tasty, but not the crispest (NBSS 3).
AC/DC your soundtrack for the Bank Holiday in a chatty, buzzy pub where there is talk of “The middle Jimmy”, which makes no sense to me a week on.
Oh, the loos are spacious and entertaining. I like the idea of sticking pics of famous men on the door of the Gents,
though clearly the budget for the ladies ran out before they got to Ellen.
retiredmartin 
Cannot bear screeching ladies who have had two wines. It last happened in a Miller & Carter and my party could not hear ourselves because of THAT party. It was wonderful when they finally left.
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Mercifully, I’ve found that they often get fed up with themselves after a while, Lana.
It’s a pity that headline writers in the UK press apparently don’t though.
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