July 2024. Stafford. Pub 3 on the official Stafford stagger curated exploration of non-GBG boozers craft bars. The Butler’s Bell has been the most intriguing of the towns pubs, Stafford’s second Spoons sold to Davenport but seemingly never offering Davenport beers. The bottles out front lured me in, but faced with only keg two of… Continue reading THE BUTLER’S BELL BOTTLES IT

July 2024. Stafford. Pub 2 of our Stafford half dozen, my first newbie, and therefore a potential pre-emptive tick, if there’s a demand for sports bars with karaoke in the GBG. Will was keen to book the karaoke booth for a rendition of the official CAMRA song (something about cask breathers, I think), but curated… Continue reading IT’S COMING HOME

July 2024. Stafford. Culture ticked, I still had half an hour till the Official CAMRA unapproved North Stafford Pub exploration. Perhaps I could log all the sad pubs, or craft bars, or find out what sours “Hot Yoga” were pouring. Nope. Back to St Mary for half an hour of Bach. You can here a… Continue reading PIG ON THE WALL

I bet few of you could tell you where North-east Wales starts and stops; from that muddy bit south of the Wirral along the caravan coast to Rhyl (?), then down to posh Llangollen and east to Wrexham Industrial estates ? Yes. Something like that. Rolling beaches, dark clouds, flint villages, and the gorgeous Clwydian… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 56 – NORTH-EAST WALES.

July 2024. Stafford. An hour in Stafford before the Official Curated Pub exploration. Will had arrived early and decided to do an extra pub, which sounds like cheating. I stuck with culture. Stafford only really has the Ancient High House and its pubs, but the former is a corker (and, more importantly, free). The largest… Continue reading THE ANCIENT HIGH HOUSE, STAFFORD

July 2024. Stafford. Penkridge is your ideal campervan overnighter. Free parking, Wednesday and Saturday market with artisan deli, a choice of pubs, and a seven minute connection to That Stafford (£5). Stafford is home to the man who’s had more letters published in What’s Brewing than any other CAMRA member, but I’ve found the town… Continue reading COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF ST. MARY, STAFFORD

July 2024. Penkridge. Yes ! Get yourself down/up/across to Penkridge’s annual music festival NOW and catch Timmy Mallett. Forget your Cyndis and Shanias, Timmy is the “Heritage” (ugh) act that Glastonbury needs in 2025. I was a day too early for Penkridge Fest, arriving from Welshpool to stick the van in another free car park… Continue reading PENKRIDGE MARKET

July 2024. Welshpool. A Tuesday night in Powys; another chance to discover if I’ve underestimated Welshpool‘s charms. Sadly, not. I guess my expectations of a town of 6,764 souls are always going to be too high, even though it does stand out on the Philip navigator as a major Welsh town. Campervan settled down for… Continue reading A WELSHPOOL WANDER, BUT IS THERE WONDER ?

By coincidence, this blog has now reached Mid-Wales in 2024 AND also in the acclaimed “Half a dozen pubs” series, which will only omit that pub in Guilsfield as it’s too current. Quite a span covered in that Mid Wales (aka Powys) section, but one thing’s for sure, you’re guaranteed hills and thrills and no… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 55 – MID WALES

July 2024. Guilsfield. Welshpool. From Hollywood (Wrexham) I headed south back into England and then Wales again for a night in hilly Welshpool, my respite from weekends in the flatlands of Waterbeach. The 76 or T12 bring you to Guilsfield in 10 minutes. A pleasant village of 1,640, with a  picturesque bus station, manicured gardens,… Continue reading GUILSFIELD GREATNESS