December 2025, Tankerton. Kent. A short break from pubs as Mrs RM and I head to North Kent. Don’t worry, it’s the posh bit, we’re not savages. Six (6) posts coming up from Whitstable, with a night in Tankerton, where the MoHos were circling. None of those is ours, which is a small, incognito (apart… Continue reading TANKERTON SLOPES
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.
THE WAITING ROOM
December 2025. Sheffield. 2 nights in Sheffield, 2 laundry washes, 1 trip to Manchester, 3 meals of Sang Lungs Singapore Rice and Crispy Beef (thanks to Chat GPT for the reheating advice). And then back to Rye on the greyest day of the year so far. Quite why I turn up at the station 90… Continue reading THE WAITING ROOM
MURK, MATES, MANCHESTER
November 2025. Manchester. Back in Piccadilly Gardens from Sale only slightly later than hoped, I admired the Manchester Christmas markets, apparently only second to Nuremberg, who are therefore the Arsenal of Christmas tat. All you need for Christmas is a pint of Holt in the Hare & Hounds, but I reckoned Matt would like to… Continue reading MURK, MATES, MANCHESTER
PRAY TELL, IS THE CASK DRINKING WELL IN SALE ?
November 2025. Sale. Greater Manchester. A 3pm Saturday kick-off against Dirty L**ds, and just time before the match to meet Matt and tick off one GBG newbie in Greater Manchester with a half hour metro trip down into Trafford. There’s a good cricket team in Trafford, I understand. I’d made a fruitless journey to Sale… Continue reading PRAY TELL, IS THE CASK DRINKING WELL IN SALE ?
THE 18:48 FROM RYE IS CANCELLED
November 2025. Rye. “At least the trains from Rye are reliable” I tell Mrs RM, as I head for the bus into town to start my latest 3:15 hour rail trip north (Sheffield not Waterbeach this time). “18:48 cancelled” flashes the sign, followed by an excuse that roughly translates to “can’t be bothered. So, a… Continue reading THE 18:48 FROM RYE IS CANCELLED
A TRIP DOWN LITTLE TRODGERS LANE. MAGICAL MAYFIELD.
November 2025. Mayfield. My mystery trip into the Sussex Weald took us from Batemans to Mayfield, a village half an hour from the in-laws; a journey that Mrs RM made far too regularly when her mum drove my brother-in-law to the Catholic Boys School on Little Trodgers Lane when she couldn’t be trusted to be… Continue reading A TRIP DOWN LITTLE TRODGERS LANE. MAGICAL MAYFIELD.
MAYFIELD’S ROSE & CROWN. A WEALD PUB
November 2025. Mayfield. East Sussex. My penultimate East Sussex Beer Guide tick takes us deep into the Weald, but only half an hour from Mrs RM’s in-laws (and Kentish Paul, coincidentally). Mayfield lies deep in the teenage Miss Spencer consciousness, for reasons we’ll see shortly, but first it’s lunch at the white boarded Rose &… Continue reading MAYFIELD’S ROSE & CROWN. A WEALD PUB
T’OTHER BATEMAN’S. DON’T ASK FOR AN XB
Quite a lot of the essential (i.e. pubbed) Sussex and Kent is doable by train from Rye, but there’s a few new Guide entries, and lots of National Trust properties, miles from a station. Good luck, Si. I took Mrs RM on a “mystery trip” just before the Trust cards ran out, and enjoyed her… Continue reading T’OTHER BATEMAN’S. DON’T ASK FOR AN XB
MRS RM IS UNABLE TO WALK PAST RYE’S QUEEN’S HEAD. IT’S A GOOD DECISION
November 2025. Rye, Odd to think we’ve had a caravan in Rye Harbour for 3 years and I hadn’t been to all the town pubs before this last week. Heading back to Landgate from the Globe, Mrs RM had stopped a few yards short, staring at the Queen’s Head, about which I knew nothing. “What’s… Continue reading MRS RM IS UNABLE TO WALK PAST RYE’S QUEEN’S HEAD. IT’S A GOOD DECISION
NOVEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + DECEMBER PREVIEW
Your brief monthly highlights package. Only forty-five pubs, 21 new GBG entries, in a month of high quality and variety. I almost caught up on the blog, too, though with reading Russ’s comments (thanks Russ) occupying 35% of my time I may never have time to go to the pub again. Amongst all that quality,… Continue reading NOVEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + DECEMBER PREVIEW
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