December 2023. Snaith. Pubs are fine, but what you really want (possibly) is a compelling reason to visit small, unsung, market towns on your UK holidays. Towns like Snaith (pop. 3,176 souls), an improbable 55 minutes by train from Leeds (not on Sundays, nothing happens on Humberside on a Sunday). Your reward at the rail… Continue reading SNAITH – BOUNDARY ISSUES, HERBERT NAPPY ASKE AND JACK PUNTON THE WALKING MAN
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.
A SNAITH SPEAKEASY
December 2023. Snaith. It was a already a joyous 59th birthday (I know, I don’t believe it either, but then I am an “old grump”), what with bench seats, jam roly poly and a sweaty Chris de Burgh in Beal, but things arguably got even better with a quick stop near Goole and Drax power… Continue reading A SNAITH SPEAKEASY
HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No. 3 – BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Let’s return to my festive series highlighting the pick of the pubs in each Beer Guide chapter, inviting you to make up the round half dozen. One immediate surprise; picking five (let alone 6) must visits in a county is tougher than you’d think. Obviously when we get to Sheffield there’ll be six within half… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No. 3 – BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
RETIRED MARTIN’S BIG GOOLE BIRTHDAY
22 December 2023. Beal, nr Goole. Thanks for all your birthday wishes, I really appreciate the love for Retired Martin Day. Mrs RM spared all expense, adapting a card for her nan that been sitting in a draw for 12 years; And of course Stockport’s own Phil Foden has just capped off the night by… Continue reading RETIRED MARTIN’S BIG GOOLE BIRTHDAY
ANOTHER SAM SMITHS REBORN IN ROTHERHAM !
December 2023. Ulley. Rotherham. The nights are getting shorter, Retired Martin is a year older, my reservoir of current blog material is now exhausted. Let’s hope I can get out today. There is rebirth in Rotherham, as Ulley’s Sam Smiths pub re-opened last Thursday after 4 long years looking for the right management couple. Ulley… Continue reading ANOTHER SAM SMITHS REBORN IN ROTHERHAM !
HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No. 2 – BERKSHIRE.
Happy Retired Martin Day (22/12), to those of you who celebrate. Back to my county-by-county trawl through UK pubs, and our second county alphabetically in the traditional GBG (the one I did), dispatched to an unfindable page since 2023. Five picks from me in Berkshire, you choose the sixth. A solid drinking county, with the… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No. 2 – BERKSHIRE.
FAGAN’S. AGAIN.
December 2023. Sheffield. You know where Fagan’s is. Next to that mural. No ! Not that one ! This is only my fifth visit to Fagan’s since that triumphant re-opening, but it may just be my second most visited pub after the Blind Monkey. There’s not a lot to say, the beer range seems to… Continue reading FAGAN’S. AGAIN.
HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No.1 – BEDFORDSHIRE
As I’m almost caught up with the blog now, and no idea where I’ll be tomorrow on my birthday, I’m starting a series listing my Top half dozen pubs in each Beer Guide county. It’s a bit hit-and-miss, as some of these will have been visited last month, some before Mary Earps was born. No,… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS FROM EVERY COUNTY. No.1 – BEDFORDSHIRE
PRIMARY SCHOOL REUNIONS AT THE BATH HOTEL
December 2023. Sheffield. The problem with living in Sheffield is that temptation is round every corner. And while new GBG entries require 3 days worth of supplies for your trek into the wilds of North Yorkshire and beyond, a half hour uphill stroll will take you to Guide perennials like the Bath Hotel. Yes, down… Continue reading PRIMARY SCHOOL REUNIONS AT THE BATH HOTEL
AIBU….TO GO TO THE PUB BY MYSELF ?
Just to prove I haven’t completely forgotten about Mumsnet, there’s some classic of the Am I Being Unreasonable ? genre at the moment, mostly concerning Christmas gravy to be fair. But this one caught my eye. A lady asking the internet whether it was reasonable to go to the village pub by herself. Mumsnet has… Continue reading AIBU….TO GO TO THE PUB BY MYSELF ?
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