July 2026. Sawley. Derbyshire.
A really great day’s pubbing organised by Super Shawn of Leicester; half a dozen stops in suburban Derby close to the Trent.
The only issue is the anti-social inclinations of some pub crawlers surveyors. Folk who leave the main group to drink halves (ugh) off the main trail or, even worse, visit Grade I listed churches.
All Saints has the sort of “natural” garden* I appreciate,
and acoustics so good that folk travel from Maistone to sing there.
Talking of Maidstone, Kentish Richard was at that moment adding the nearby Railway Inn to his day’s ticks, while the railactual way line was stopping me from catching up with the main party as I had to wait eight (8) minutes for the freight to pass at the Lock Lane crossing. If there’s one thing I detest it’s standing still.
So they’d already left Pub 3 as I reached the Trent Lock, with its dramatic view of the old power stations near Ratcliffe-on-Soar, set for demolition by the end of the decade.
As someone once said, “When you have lost your last power station just off the M1, weep, for you will have lost the last of England“.
At least there are still turtle doves** in our wine gardens,
and black and white photos of “the good old days” in a Vintage Inn, my second in a fortnight after Apperley Bridge.
Where’s the promised Bass though ?
Oh well, a half of Citra*** will do. I suppose.
Actually, supped in about two minutes in a garden full of Madri drinkers, it was cool but a bit “meh”. But since CAMRA has yet to produce a cool but a bit “meh” rating, it’s a 3.
*It’s a designated wildlife area, like the garden at RM Towers
**Whatever
***At least, we thought it was Citra. How wrong we were
retiredmartin 
Hey Martin I’m surprised you can wall that far with that blasted gammy leg! Mavis says hi and wants to know what your second favourite omelette filling is by the way.
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I’ve learnt to hop, you can tell Mavis.
Second favourite? Well that would be wild mushrooms.
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Thanks. And your third favourite? I’m guessing nettle and porcupine but Mavis thinks it’s definitely lard
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Brilliant. The purity of the doves make up for the enormous grimy pots …
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Hi, I’m Eric Cantona and I like fish
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And kung fu.
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“Super Shawn” indeed. One of his best “day’s pubbing” was Richmond on Thames four months ago which gave me 46½ hours in a town that, despite family connections, I didn’t know.
That was ample time to walk along Terrace Gardens where my great great great great great grandfather had a brewery, have a morning walking through Richmond Park which he got reopened to the public in 1758, buy a bottle opener from the Robert Dyas shop that used to be the Brown Bear kept by my great great great grandfather, go out for lunch with my brother ( from St Albans ) and a 97 year relative who has always lived in the town, have two nights in the heritage Dukes Head, not to mention getting round Shawn’s fine selection of Richmond pubs.
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I think people like Shawn and Will and Jon who arrange these days out do more to promote pubs and beer than folk on Discourse who rant about bigger brewers.
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