June 2025. Macclesfield. Apologies for the absence of a blog post yesterday, due to a combination of family drama, 30 degree heat and Blackpool Jane’s punishing Newcastle pub schedule. Two more from an excellent Friday session in Macclesfield, a reminder how much enjoyment can be had by putting your phone away and just talking to… Continue reading ROBBIES IN MACCLESFIELD
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.
FOUND IT ! THE MACC BASS HUNT
June 2025. Macclesfield. A slight change to the “written in stone” itinerary as rumbling tums necessitated a lunch stop, and the Hyde’s place from 2021 hadn’t been great, though at least the Mandarina offered a straight glass. Rumours that Jon had travelled the 4 hours from Frome just for a pint in a Wetherspoons were… Continue reading FOUND IT ! THE MACC BASS HUNT
THE CASTLE, MACCLESFIELD. ALMOST PERFECT
June 2025. Macclesfield. The Macclesfield Proper Day Out (none of your “curated exploration nonsense here”) heads for Pub No. 2 via the steep incline of Back Wallgate. Regular readers may remember that bollard; the one that extinguished my chances of late fatherhood (two is plenty). I’d already done a recce on the barrels outside the… Continue reading THE CASTLE, MACCLESFIELD. ALMOST PERFECT
THE MACC LADS KICK OFF AT THE WATERS GREEN TAVERN
June 2025. Macclesfield. Less tickin’, more talkin’. That’s the story of my pub life post GBG completion. And that’s how it should be. The shy Unretired Martin of 40 years ago is now a social creature seeking out company on pub crawls to discuss hopping rates, CAMRA regional reviews, and the correct spelling of Church… Continue reading THE MACC LADS KICK OFF AT THE WATERS GREEN TAVERN
A STAR IN GLOSSOP
June 2025. Glossop. A favour for Matt (who turned 24 on Sunday !) meant a quick pint in Glossop, home to some of the Dark Peak’s best views, and a classic pub right on the door of the station. The publican of The Star had expressed some astonishment I could buy Jaipur in Spoons cheaper… Continue reading A STAR IN GLOSSOP
MILD PERIL IN WEST WICKHAM
June 2025. West Wickham. South-East London. The struggle is real. A 2:15 hour train trip to Boring Beckenham in the June heatwave to tick two GBG micros that could have been anywhere. Anywhere in Kent or South London, specifically. You’re expecting me to say “It’s not you, Beckenham, it’s me“, aren’t you ? But it’s… Continue reading MILD PERIL IN WEST WICKHAM
A DAY TRIP TO BECKENHAM
June 2025. Beckenham. It’s not cheap getting to London from Waterbeach during the week, but it’s cheaper when you’re old. £25.50 day return to Beckenham, with two (2) new GBG pubs as I bring London ticking to a crescendo. A train to Beckenham isn’t as straightforward as a train to Kings Lynn. How many stations… Continue reading A DAY TRIP TO BECKENHAM
MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
June 2025. West Haddon. Northamptonshire. Edging towards at least completing the Midlands and East (my old NHS region) in the GBG, and a rare new entry in what can only be described as “Northamptonshire – Posh“. Close to the county’s top attractions; Althorp Hall, Watford Gap Services and the freight terminals of the A5. With… Continue reading MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
BASS IN A SEA OF CARLING. IBSTOCK’S WAGGON AND HORSES
June 2025. Ibstock. Have a Good Beer Guide map. Yes, a fully pinked-in GBG map, you’d forgotten what they look like, hadn’t you ? Ibstock (pop. 7,615) is very much Greater Coalville, a plain old East Mids mining town with a long and occasionally attractive high street with a bit of new housing and two… Continue reading BASS IN A SEA OF CARLING. IBSTOCK’S WAGGON AND HORSES
FROM CHEETHAM TO CHETHAM
June 2025. Cheetham Hill. Manchester. More notes from a sober night in north Manchester. If you can identify the only pub I did go on (for a “comfort break”) from this; then you probably win a pint of Firebird Heritage in a Sam Smiths pub of your choice. The sun shone on the 1 righteous… Continue reading FROM CHEETHAM TO CHETHAM
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