July was the month when family responsibilities really kicked in, and I was just glad I’d managed to complete the GBG in 2022 rather than letting it drift. You never know when your carefully laid plans will be derailed; if I were Simon I’d try and knock off those last few (1,500) pubs in August.… Continue reading JULY ’24 STOCKTAKE AND AUGUST PREVIEW

July 2024. Watford to St Albans. Still on last Thursday, I’m afraid, as I opt to give the rail replacement bus back to St Albans that will undoubtedly get lost in Bricket Wood, and instead take a more direct Green line route. OK, it means an extra two (2) quid, but the bus is green… Continue reading 7 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT IN ST. ALBANS

July 2024. Watford. There’s a famous quote, probably on page 366 of the Good Beer Guide, something along the lines of “When a man is in Derbyshire he shouldn’t drink wussy wine, he must drink the local beer. And a pint’s a taster“. And a man in the national HQ of JD Wetherspoons must drink… Continue reading A SPOONS IN SPOONS HOMETOWN

July 2024. Watford. No new blogs about Watford since 2018, when “unimproved” pubs near the Junction were all the rage. But last Thursday was a first walk in many years down bucolic Vicarage Road, home to the cemetery, football club, hospital and, on last count, 28 fried chicken shops. And now the Two Trees micro… Continue reading HERTFORDSHIRE HAS FALLEN, THE TWO TREES STANDS PROUD

July 2024. Watford. Apologies for short posts but Chorley Travelodge (don’t ask) only give me 30 minutes free, but I knew you’d want to see what I made of Wonderful Watford as I homed in on completing Hertfordshire last week. I only just made the last train from St. Albans Abbey to Watford Junction, after… Continue reading WELCOME TO WATFORD

July 2024. Coleman’s Green. Wheathampstead. Hertfordshire was always one of the first counties to be completed when ticking the Guide really mattered, but it’s taken me till now to put my old home county to bed for GBG24. And the weird thing is, I’m absolutely certain I’d been to Coleman’s Green years ago, when Mrs… Continue reading THE TICKER’S PROGRESS – THE JOHN BUNYAN, COLEMAN’S GREEN

July 2024. Stamford. I didn’t have space for the tourist shots in that Stamford post, yesterday, which I realised would be a disappointment to fans of lil’ ol’ England‘s costume drama sites. Anyone who has seen such seminal TV series as “Eastenders“, “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum” and “Bagpuss” will be familiar with the gorgeous… Continue reading TELEPHONE KIOSK, STAMFORD

July 2024. Stamford. The journey back from Mum’s to Sheffield is well trodden, too well trodden for much enjoyment from a 100th stop in Grantham or Newark. But Mrs RMs Instagram post demands “content” and my tummy demands artisanal burgers beloved of Daniel Lambert, recently of Stamford. One of these days we’ll actually do the… Continue reading THE KING’S HEAD, STAMFORD

July 2024. Swaffham Bulbeck. A week in Waterbeach, but on the Wednesday we again gave the parents thatched cottage a swerve in favour of superior WiFi down the road. The Black Horse is Swaffham Bulbeck’s sole pub for 826 (mostly elderly) souls on the edge of racehorsey land, and the closest boozer to the National… Continue reading A NIGHT IN SWAFFHAM BULBECK

July 2024. Dereham. I’m not sure Dereham has any essential sights or pubs, but it has essential pub company in Charles and Julia, who was taking a morbid polite interest in our ticking exploits as we finally left the Cock in search of curry. The lovely chap at the Spoons had suggested the Romany Rye,… Continue reading I’ve seen the future and it’s blood orange