2 February 2020 So to the highlight of the year, attempting to make Surrey look like an attractive pub destination for our American readers. With a Sunday night in Walton-on-Thames to come (calm down, calm down), I start in Staines. Perhaps not the most startling town in England, but you’re surrounded by runways and reservoirs… Continue reading PRIDE DRINKING WELL IN BAR BLOCKING STAINES
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.
BROWNHILLS IN THE RAIN, LA LA LA LA LA
31st January 2020 You STILL on January, retiredmartin ? Well, I left you on a cliffhanger last post, which feels a lifetime ago. Would I find somewhere to eat on the Cannock/Walsall border or starve to nothing a mere 472 pubs short of completing the Beer Guide. Since that last post I’ve actually finished Kent… Continue reading BROWNHILLS IN THE RAIN, LA LA LA LA LA
BURNTWOOD BONANZA
31st January 2020 Shortest post ever, but putting Burntwood and Brownhills in the same blog post still carries the metaphorical death sentence. I won’t lie, Burntwood is just a large Morrisons, a miniature railway round a lake, and the lowest ranked football team ever to reach the 3rd round of the FA Cup (akin to… Continue reading BURNTWOOD BONANZA
RUGELEY’S CATHEDRAL OF BASS
31st January 2020 (ring a bell ?) Another day, another underrated Midlands mining town of about 25,000 souls. With daylight to help, you get the whole tourist package with Rugeley. Cancel those holidays in Rome and Runcorn and come to Rugeley this summer. Best known for the cathedral to rival Lichfield, I’ve given the town… Continue reading RUGELEY’S CATHEDRAL OF BASS
“ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOO FIGHTERZ ?”
30th January 2020 A last pub of the night, sadly not one of the trad Wolves classics. “Very quiet for a Thursday night” I thought, before realising it was Thursday, the night before Brexit. Easy to lose track when Wolves are still in 1990 musically. I could have walked to Bilston at a push, but… Continue reading “ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOO FIGHTERZ ?”
WOLVERHAMPTON – MOLINEUX, MICROS AND MARILYN
30th January 2020 Typical ingratitude. Last January I award Wolverhampton my City of the Year and their team does the double over City, surely putting an end to our title chances. A proper football club, bang in the heart of the city, and a proper pub town as we’ve seen many times over the last… Continue reading WOLVERHAMPTON – MOLINEUX, MICROS AND MARILYN
PLAYING A PEAKY BLINDER AT MERRY HILL
25th January 2020 Tick No. 2 on the return to Wolves, a rare newbie in Brierley Hill, home of you-know-what. This post will mainly be of interest to Curry Charles, who’s had an office base at the Waterfront since before Simple Minds wrote a song about it. GOOD TO KNOW (as the Yanks say) :… Continue reading PLAYING A PEAKY BLINDER AT MERRY HILL
STAGGERING COINCIDENCES IN STOURBRIDGE
30th January 2020 A couple of days in lovely Wolverhampton to finish the West Midlands GBG. A quieter year for WM with less new micros, but I won’t gloat. Tonight’s budget (well, £33) accommodation comes courtesy of Barons Court, which is a bit of a national treasure. Still takes forever to get down to Stourbridge,… Continue reading STAGGERING COINCIDENCES IN STOURBRIDGE
COMPLETING WEST YORKSHIRE
25th January 2020 More random diary entries from Calderdale as Duncan departs for obscure non-league grounds, North Lancs League Div 1 Millhead (2) 4 Burton Thistle (0) 1 att 18hc at the extraordinary Iodine Park #groundhopping pic.twitter.com/JA6xX09uOL — Duncan Mackay (@mackay_duncan) January 25, 2020 and I ended up at a pub with a Subbuteo pitch… Continue reading COMPLETING WEST YORKSHIRE
TOP 100 PUBS – THREE PIGEONS, HALIFAX
24th January 2020 A last half on the West Yorkshire trip saw us back in one of those “classic, or is it ?” places. Rather like the Beehive or Fanny’s, you’re never quite sure if it’s what it was in its ’90s heyday. I’d been in the Three Pigeons a fair few times over the… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THREE PIGEONS, HALIFAX
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