April 2026. Staithes. North Yorkshire.
I took this picture of Staithes High Street on a dreich day in 2017, when we oddly walked past the Royal George, oblivious to its GBG pre-emptive potential.
And this one last Thursday.
You get a better picture of the cobbles in the first one, so I’ll keep that in. Nothing much has changed in Staithes, and, I suspect, in the Royal George.
Cash is still king,
gentlefolk still dominate the lunchtime trade (the Helly Hansen crowd were outside the Cod & Lobster),
and there’s none of those micro beers (Helmsley Brewing down the lane) to interrupt the Theakston dominance.
30 years ago Theakston was everywhere, now it’ Landlord and Theakston rarely gets a look in outside the Dales. This was a superb pint, beautifully presented, cool and chewy, NBSS 4 in old money.
It’s not a classic interior, open and sprawling, but pleasant and unfussy and with a soundtrack wildly veering between 1983 (Matthew Wilder “Break My Stride“) and 1984 (Elton’s “I’m Still Standing“).
I always assume fish and chips will taste best in a cosy Yorkshire coastal pub,
but here the batter felt a tiny bit overcooked (though not quite Radcliffe). Nothing four (4) sachets of mayonnaise can’t sort out, mind.
Just for Will, a reminder that cheap beer is still available on the edge of Staithes…
Sadly the John Smiths is keg.
retiredmartin 
Would sing that Elton song after a few ciders, like some badge of honour at age 16.
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“30 years ago, Theakston was everywhere”. True, this was in the Scottish & Newcastle era, when a lot of the brewing was farmed out to the Tyne Brewery and the quality went downhill. It improved when the Theakston family bought the brewery back and as you say, it’s a pretty good pint now.
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A lunchtime fish, chips and peas at £8.95 was just what I needed today in the Barley Mow, nicely washed down with Abbots drinking well.
And it was a lovely walk there and back along the canal towpath with plenty of wildlife – fluffy little ducklings and goslings and all sorts of butterfly including orange tip, holly blue and brimstone.
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