MAY ’26 STOCKTAKE + JUNE PREVIEW

A month after the relief of selling Sunnyside, the joy of seeing Matt and Emma move to Stockport.

I am so jealous.

Forty-four pubs (plus whatever in Romania) in May, not a dud among them, though that heatwave was affecting cask quality this last week. Next week CAMRA scraps the centuries old beer scoring system, replaced by the scientific “Yuck”, “Meh, “Oh” and “Wow”.

Another odd looking map for May,

with that week in Romania that I’m still boring you with occupying most of the week since I’ve been back with attempting to condense a thousand photos in ten blog posts and failing.

Before Cluj, the highlight had been a pursuit of Joan and Dave through Yorkshire, comparing beer scores at every stop.

I reckon that pint of Black Sheep at the King’s was the standout pint, and that’s the first time a Chef & Brewer pub has ever won an award on my blog.

Just up the A1 Richmond suddenly made sense, helped by my namesake’s warm pork pies.

A tough call for Pub of the Month, as it’ll be a while before I get to the wonder that is the Throstle’s Nest in Congleton, so I’ll give it to the Star in Whitby, another pub I found hard to leave.

In breaking news Mrs RM has a significant travel project that doesn’t involve Wizz Air flights from Luton, so you’ll be getting a lot more of this place over Summer;

Oh yes, Martin’s Marvellous Melodies for May. You’ll love this, folks*.

5 points for identifying the pub (no cask).

*(You won’t)

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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.

29 thoughts on “MAY ’26 STOCKTAKE + JUNE PREVIEW”

      2. According to the CAMRA website there is planning permission to knock the pub down and build a block of flats – with a pub on the ground floor.

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  4. I like your version of the new CAMRA scoring system. I’ve already scored my first “Wow” at the Kelham Island Tavern yesterday.

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      1. There was a shot of some data on the “changes to beer scoring” thread, which showed Excellents at almost 10% of scores. Which I reckon is as it should be.

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      3. Martin, That’s precisely what I was thinking with my Holdens Milds in the Great Western yesterday lunchtime ( hardly any customers drinking anything else ), so a motion in Chester next April it is then ?

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  5. While wishing Matt and Emma all the very best in their Stockport home I’m wondering if they’ve bought Peter’s old house to have the Nursery as their local pub.
    And I’ve never understood why that “centuries old beer scoring system” made beer drinkers convert proper words like Excellent, Very good, Good, Acceptable, Poor and Undrinkable into numbers, and even into half numbers.

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    1. I suppose it’s easier if you type with just one finger, Paul?

      And then we’ve had decades of “We’re very sorry to see the Minister resign, as he was excellent…”

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      1. Etu, The last beer scoring I did was on those little white or green cards, back in those carefree years when typing was only done by typists in offices.

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      2. Yes, I suppose that since we’ve accepted being unpaid typists, the supermarkets etc. assume that we’ll be a pushover for being unpaid checkout operators too, Paul.

        They’re wrong though, aren’t they?

        (That said, Martin seems more than willing to do a waiter’s job when he eats out, or do I misunderstand?)

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      3. You’re not wrong. I will happily find my own menu, place my own order, pay on-line, and pick up the food from the counter if it eliminates the server. I won’t wash the plates, unless there’s a further price reduction.

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    2. Their house is the other (cheaper) side of the A6, still in Heaton Norris but closer to Beartown’s Navigation and not far to walk to both the Magnet and the excellent if small Heaton Hops.

      The beer assessment system makes perfect sense now, doesn’t it ?

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  6. I hadn’t realised how large Heaton Norris is. A very old friend of mine lives off Denby Lane near the Hinds Head.
    If the beer assessment system doesn’t make perfect sense now it’s a ten month wait until our motion at the Chester AGM !

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    1. My son had a Landlord in the Hinds Head at the weekend he described as a bit disappointing. The sooner our youngsters are put off drinking cask by disappointing pints the more there’ll be left for us old folk.

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      1. Landlord is meant to taste a bit disappointing when it’s served outside Yorkshire. It’s to encourage people to visit proper pubs nearer to the brewery.

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      2. and “the Health Lobby” don’t like to hear that “the Landlord’s drinking well”!

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      2. Leon of South Milford, who I think you’ve met on Proper Days Out, was in the Railway Tavern in Newtown at the weekend and found it as marvellous as ever.

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  7. Yes, I know Leon and was last drinking with him in York three years ago this month.
    A Martin from Stoke recognised me as a friend of yours in Stafford town centre yesterday afternoon. What a small world it is.

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