August 2026. Newport.
The east side of Newport into Maindee doesn’t have the haute couture shops and artisanal delis of the city centre, but it does have the Chicken Man.
And it has a GBG newbie that’s been awaiting my visit for a while.
Weird Dad (“I know you are, Dad“, says Matt), plays to the stereotypes with a homebrew called CAMRA Man.
I have to have that, even though there’s a sour/IPA crossover from Waterbeach in the fridge that I never find.
It’s a micro, it’s a homebrew tap, it’s a craft bar, but it’s also wonderful (apart from the bloke in the window seats who never stops sneezing).
That’s mainly because of the interaction between Newport County, Rochdale and City fans, sharing travel horror stories (it took the Newport fan 22 minutes to get to Rodney Parade for their lunchtime win),.
Lovely staff, great beer (VERY GOOD) beating the heatwave, and board games.
OK, forget the board games.
Right, the second new Newport entry takes us back over the Usk, past the “mostly free of disease” terrapins,
and the improving street art.
It’s not for the fainthearted.
retiredmartin 
Can’t believe you didn’t have the Faked Alaska. Even though it’s really convenient for Rodney Parade, it never seems to get terribly busy before and after the footy (can’t comment around rugby matches). There’s extra seating upstairs (although not great) and a tidy beer garden at the side in the shadow of the railway line.
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