October 2025. Tutbury. As BRAPA will tell you, half the fun of GBG ticking is sitting down with the new Guide and working out legal routes to get to an isolated village by public transport. Then giving up and getting your dad to drive you. I’d forgotten Tutbury (& Hatton) had a station, just one… Continue reading TUTBURY TICKING
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.
WHEN YOU JUST NEED AN ORVAL
October 2025. Sheffield. Up in Sheffield for a couple of nights before heading back down to see Dad, who barely recognises me now, but “stole Colin’s chicken” in the care home today, which shows fighting spirit. Two days to at least confirm our two lads were OK. On Saturday night they went out in Sheffield… Continue reading WHEN YOU JUST NEED AN ORVAL
THE VIEW FROM THE BLAKE
October 2025. Sheffield. It’s approaching five years since we escaped Cambridgeshire for The North, only to spend every week since driving back. That first six months in Lockdown Sheffield was spent gazing longingly at the Blake and Blind Monkey, impatient for their reopening. In 2020 the Blake was as famous as the Tap and the … Continue reading THE VIEW FROM THE BLAKE
A RARE STOP ON THE GREAT NORTH ROAD. YE OLDE BELL IN BARNBY MOOR
October 2025. Barnby Moor. North Notts. “Barnby Moor ? Wherezat ?”. Well, if you’d read Roger Protz’s marvellous book on the Great North Road (£7 + postage) you’d know all about (Ye) Olde Bell in the posh bit of Bassetlaw (the bit that’s not Worksop, Retford or central Donny). One of the grandest staging points… Continue reading A RARE STOP ON THE GREAT NORTH ROAD. YE OLDE BELL IN BARNBY MOOR
A RAINY NIGHT IN ST ALBANS
October 2025. St Albans. One of my favourite campervan stops is St Albans, about £7 overnight on a Sunday with no diggers (not that I’d recognise a digger if one licked me) and a quick train into St Pancras. After a quiet decade there’s also the occasional new GBG entry, and I arranged to meet… Continue reading A RAINY NIGHT IN ST ALBANS
THE FUSSPOT OF FANCOTT
October 2025. Fancott. Toddington. Oooh look ! An actual hamlet, comprising some woods, a stream, a miniature railway, and a pub, your second on the exciting “Pub Crawl from Toddington Services”. A debut Good Beer Guide dining pub, too, looking exactly as you’d expect. I love those figures in the back of the fireplace. Sorry… Continue reading THE FUSSPOT OF FANCOTT
TODDINGTON PUTS THE BANNERS OUT
October 2025. Toddington. A slightly different route from north to south last week, with an ultra-rare visit to bucolic Bedfordshire. Toddington (nice village sign) is your gateway to the mysteries of Central Beds, including the birthplace of my Mum and last home of Bob Monkhouse. And now there’s a modest pub walk from the M1… Continue reading TODDINGTON PUTS THE BANNERS OUT
SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
October 2025. Sheffield. I don’t do beer festivals (or tasters, or dimpled mugs) but I also don’t turn down invites from Pub royalty, either, so put principles aside and joined Alfie/Ian/Mr Chelsea on his Sheffield overnighter, starting with a quick half in them Two & Six. As I said this week “when you qualify for… Continue reading SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
WATERBEACH OR BRADFORD ? WHICH IS THE CAPITAL OF CURRY ?
October 2025. Waterbeach. Can I get the blog up-to-date before month-end ? Worth a go. While BRAPA reminds me of that glorious Summer of 2022 as he conquers the Scottish isles, I’m condemned to an eternal journey betwixt Sheffield and Waterbeach, wondering which is truly home. I’m alternating the 3 hour trips between train and… Continue reading WATERBEACH OR BRADFORD ? WHICH IS THE CAPITAL OF CURRY ?
A SURPRISE GBG WINNER IN COVENT GARDEN
October 2025. Covent Garden. London. My first London ticking of the new GBG season, always a joy, and as I leave the corner pubs of Bloomsbury it’s time to “Do the culture“. Five minutes from the Lady Ottoline to Sir John Soane’s house, immortalised by Maria McKee on my melancholy melodies post*. Surely it’ll be… Continue reading A SURPRISE GBG WINNER IN COVENT GARDEN
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