10th January 2023. More mini-posts; go to BRAPA for your long reads. His Scottish diary is great stuff. Good luck to Simon when he reached Oxfordshire; the rural Oxon pubs take some effort, though more in the getting there as the pubs themselves are pretty good. The George in Sutton Courtenay requires a swim across… Continue reading SUTTON COURTENAY LOVE
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.
TOP 100 PUBS – THE BROTHERS ARMS, SHEFFIELD
9th January 2023. Sheffield has been looking gorgeous this new year, so I can’t be too unhappy about being stuck near home due to rail strikes and a fair few GBG pubs (micros, obviously) deciding to shut for the month. Can’t blame them. I’ve rediscovered cinema*, might even get a season ticket to The Light,… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE BROTHERS ARMS, SHEFFIELD
MOSSLEY’S GILLERY – A GBG BANKER
6th January 2023. The new Good Beer Guide is packed with surprises, not least three (3) new entries for Prestwich. There’s the usual smattering (?) of newbies in East Manchester this year, and after an overdue haircut at Matt’s place I made an emotional return after seven years to marvellous Mossley. Matt’s bijou salon is… Continue reading MOSSLEY’S GILLERY – A GBG BANKER
A SHEAF VIEW
3rd January 2023. Looking at the photos for today’s blog I was wondering why there weren’t exciting ticking trips to Birmingham and Tamworth and Newcastle at the start of the year. Then I remembered the train strikes. So you’ll have to make do with some more Sheffield, as I explore the area south of the… Continue reading A SHEAF VIEW
HI HO SILVER LINING
2nd January 2023. Or “New Year’s Day (observed)” as the hipsters call it. Among the many things I’ve taken for granted over two years in Sheffield are the theatre (just missed the Richard Hawley musical at the Crucible), the local football teams, and the New Barrack Tavern. In fact, only one visit to the Barrack,… Continue reading HI HO SILVER LINING
MELTHAM MAGIC
1st January 2023. At last ! 2023 arrived with the traditional Sheffield New Year’s fireworks, best viewed from our upstairs bedroom window as displays on six hills compete for attention. I’m really no fan of fireworks, but the scale and beauty came as quite a shock when we spent our first New Year in Sheffield… Continue reading MELTHAM MAGIC
(BELATED) DECEMBER ’22 STOCKTAKE + JANUARY PREVIEW
I thought I should try and keep some semblance of order with the blog, now I’ve finished the 2022 posts. So here, belatedly, are the highlights from the most important month of the year, the one that contains Retired Martin Day. Google kindly records (most of) my travel, but has an unusual idea of how… Continue reading (BELATED) DECEMBER ’22 STOCKTAKE + JANUARY PREVIEW
BASS IS BACK IN CHESTERFIELD
and Maltmeister (Newmarket’s own Martin) couldn’t be more delighted. 30th December 2022. A last pub of the night (and (spoiler) the year), for Mrs RM and me anyway, as we straggled our way up to the Chesterfield Arms, via a glass of Deya or Verdant in the Crafty Dog, where our little group trebled the… Continue reading BASS IS BACK IN CHESTERFIELD
THE BRAMPTON MILE – PUB MASCOTS COLLIDE
30th December 2022. Possibly THE iconic pub photo of 2022. Baa Baa Toure, Alfie the Alpaca and Colin the Cauliflower fighting over a pint of Abbeydale’s “Through The Hophead Galaxy” in Chesterfield’s Anchor, cheered on by Mrs RM and Eddie, who had finally removd his Hi-Vis jacket. Simon messaged us to say he’d gone straight… Continue reading THE BRAMPTON MILE – PUB MASCOTS COLLIDE
GBG TICKERS AGM – WAITING FOR BRAPA IN THE RECTORY
30th December 2022. Unfortunately, due to Mrs RM’s belated shopping spree in Chesterfield, and my determination to get a shot of “the infant BRAPA” (not a Teesside micro), I arrived at the tickers AGM in the Rectory too late to give the keynote speech, or to buy everyone a pint. Never mind. As it was… Continue reading GBG TICKERS AGM – WAITING FOR BRAPA IN THE RECTORY
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