November 2026. Cottenham. Cambridgeshire.
Yes, that red P above Village College is a Good Beer Guide entry for Cottenham, which according to my spreadsheet is the first in at least a generation, whatever a generation is.
But I had been to the Chequers, nicely placed at the village crossroads next to the war memorial,
at least once.
Back in May of 1986 I did a “World’s End” style pub crawl for my (ex) brother-in-law Wayne’s stag do.
It couldn’t have been that epic a crawl, only five pubs on the trail, but I was teetotal and remember the midnight 3.9 mile walk home along Fen roads with something less than fondness.
Still, I know we finished (pre-kebab, stag dos were cheap affairs in the ’80s) at the Chequers, I probably drankl Snakebite, so I merrily coloured in the entry in GBG27, but let’s do it properly, shall we ?
It’s always seemed the smarter of the village’s 3 survivors comparee to the Hop Bind and Waggon & Horses, with a notable pizza trade, but felt quite pubby this Thursday lunchtime.
The genial landlord seems surprised (but pleased) by his Beer Guide entry; isn’t the GBG for pubs with lots of pumps ? Two is plenty etc. etc.
Regular readers may look at the features and discern what has belatedly got the Chequers into the GBG.
It deserves it.
A cosy, unfussy pub,
with a cool and tasty pint of Langton (VERY GOOD), a beer normally seen in south Leicestershire gastros. INXS, Carole King and Dire Straits (“Sultans of Swing”, obvs) your soundtrack; you could have had that in 1986.
The landlord tells me cold days means quiet lunchtimes, and I applaud him for a rare noon opening in the Fen Edge villages.
Love that painting.
Unusually for a Monday night I’m getting trollied. A double whammy celebration.
I knew Russell Brand from my days as a boulevardier on the London circuit and I loathed him then. He was renowned as a slug, not just for his treatment of women but anyone who was of no use to him.
Perhaps they’ll be celebrating at the Crown Inn in Pishill where the pub he bought to convert into a recording studio for his podcasts then sold earlier this year when he was turned down for planning is open again.
And in other matters the Australian cricket cheating is unravelling at the seams as it was always going to when players reached the end of their careers and there was one last book deal to be had.
Karma is warming up my bones nicely on this chilly night. A couple in the Star in front of the fire then home to a nice bottle of Tempranillo.
Marvellous.
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Respect to anyone drinking on a Monday, Prof.
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