retiredmartin

July 2026. Sawley.

You left me in the Steamboat (Pub 5), unaware that the queue averse crawlers had skipped Pub 4 due to a surge in demand for calamari and Madri.

Back at the Trent Lock, it transpired that Bass was indeed on, but being served through the Citra pump I’d picked half an hour ago. And you thought I was joking about knowing nothing about beer !

I was half tempted to have a pint of Bass and see if it scored better through the correct wicket (ugh), but even I have limits.

An advance search party had confirmed the absence of cask in the Golf Club, so we took the back street route to the Bell.

I’d popped in here quite recently, I remember the door handle that looks like a face,

and the photo of the works outing to Long Eaton’s micro pubs,

and the unchanging beer range.

I like CAMRA’s recent You Tube video, but I have reservations about an approach that confirms my son’s belief that CAMRA is all about weird beers you’ll never see again.

And as Paul will tell you, most folk want to see a beer they recognise on the bar.

Great to see so many pints being drunk here, and the Abbot was solidly in GOOD + territory, though it’s the sense of community local you come to the Bell for.

I’m sure someone from Leicester identified all 48 of those flags, you know.