April 2024. Cromwell. Newark. I don’t mind the weekly drives from Sheffield to Waterbeach and back, but it is a dull drive, and that’s despite Roger Protz’s excellent guide to the Great North Road. So great joy this week as, thanks to Maltmeister’s tip, I discovered the Milestone Brewery tap at Cromwell. Even more excitingly,… Continue reading A MILESTONE ON THE A1
Author: retiredmartin
Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.
ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – FOX AND PINE, OLDHAM
April 2024. Oldham. A flying to visit to Oldham to tick two of the entries in Matt Curtis’s epic Greater Manchester guide reached a critical point after the Ashton. The Eternal (post- Louise Redknap) question; Pub or curry first ? I should have said “curry, then beer“, but the Fox & Pine was literally round… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – FOX AND PINE, OLDHAM
ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – ASHTON ARMS, OLDHAM
April 2024. Oldham. Snooker finished just after 1pm due to a tense and tight final frame of the session, and Mrs RM just finished her own work in time to join me for Blackpool Jane’s latest exploration of the Manchester Beer Book. Oldham has become the centre of the Greater Manchester beer world of late,… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – ASHTON ARMS, OLDHAM
THE CO-OP v THE CRUCIBLE
April 2024. Sheffield. I guess Sheffield is known internationally for four (4) things; Despite attempts to move the Championships to another hotbed of the sport like China or Saudi because (checks notes) “it smells”, the players seems to love Sheffield. £500k for the winner must help. As in 2022, I’d booked a ticket for an… Continue reading THE CO-OP v THE CRUCIBLE
TAKING A PERCH
April 2024. Sheffield. From the Globe I headed determinedly home for, no doubt, an exceptional lunch expertly cooked by Mrs RM, except I knew there was no food in the house. Again. So, pizza in Perch it was. Tucked away in the steep back streets from the Cathedral down to Kelham, Perch has seemed a… Continue reading TAKING A PERCH
THERE IS POWER IN A CRAFT UNION. BUT NO REAL ALE (OR CIDER)
April 2024. Sheffield. After a week away from cask and a morning among the bluebells I was keen to enjoy some lovely “fresh ale” again, and left Mrs RM to her abstinence while I headed towards the station. Looks a bit of a mess, doesn’t it ? But there’s load going on there, and the… Continue reading THERE IS POWER IN A CRAFT UNION. BUT NO REAL ALE (OR CIDER)
BLUEBELLS LIVE, PUBS DEAD IN EAST SHEFFIELD
April 2024. Wincobank. Sheffield. Back in Sheffield, a Sunday without plans. Blimey. The Tribune, an on-line subscription newspaper, told us to go to see the bluebells in Woolley Wood. So we did. Tram from the bottom of our hill to the end of the line at Meadowhall Interchange, 20 minutes walk past Wincobank’s closed pubs… Continue reading BLUEBELLS LIVE, PUBS DEAD IN EAST SHEFFIELD
Хаджидрагановите изби – SOFIA COMPLETE
April 2024. Sofia. Another early night, and early start, to end our Bulgarian mini-break. Central Sofia seemed about the size of central Manchester, but with less Holt Bitter. I reckon there’s streets in Deansgate still unknown to me, but I walked every lane in Sofia. In truth, there’s probably less hidden gems, less This &… Continue reading Хаджидрагановите изби – SOFIA COMPLETE
KORNGOLD, BURGERS AND MURK. OUR LAST NIGHT IN SOFIA.
April 2024. Sofia. I’m sure we could have caught a Thursday flight home and managed 3 Bulgarian cities in 3 nights like Murray Head or something, but best not rely on Balkan buses, eh ? So Mrs RM had booked a second night in Sofia at the end of our mini-break (she’d happily have stayed… Continue reading KORNGOLD, BURGERS AND MURK. OUR LAST NIGHT IN SOFIA.
35p your Irish coffee, 65p for the loo.
April 2024. Veliko Tarnovo. For anyone still reading this Bulgarian blogging and thinking “Make it stop and give us English beer“, I reckon 4 posts to go and then a return to a treat in Sheffield, where the favoured beverage is this; Mrs RM had booked a 12:15 bus for our return from Veliko Tarnovo… Continue reading 35p your Irish coffee, 65p for the loo.
retiredmartin 