August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. Obviously Skegness isn’t the most newsworthy east coast seaside resort this week, what with alien bins* competing for our attention, but I was genuinely keen to discover why the trains from Sheffield and buses from Lincoln seemed so packed in Summer. Previous visits I remember had been Autumn ’94, Winter ’99… Continue reading VIVA SKEG VEGAS
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 JOLLY FISHERMAN
August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. A Sunday night in Skegness, my first ever Summer visit, and no better time to see the real heart of the seaside choice of the entire East Midlands. I’d been looking at a train from Sheffield but a) it’s £54 before railcard, b) takes over 3 hours, c) the carriages are… Continue reading THE JOLLY FISHERMAN
LINCOLNSHIRE HAS FALLEN
August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. As you’ll know I’m not intending to complete the Beer Guide again, once in a lifetime is scary enough, as David Byrne sang. But I still like visiting the new GBG pubs, and colouring in the maps, and a lone micro had prevented me licking Lincolnshire for too long. So, after… Continue reading LINCOLNSHIRE HAS FALLEN
A SAWTRY REDEMPTION
August 2026. Sawtry. Near Huntingdon. This was the view from our motel window last Saturday, near the lowest pub in the country*. Redwings Lodge, on the B1043 (Ermine Street) alongside the A1(M) at Sawtry, was the only place (well) under a hundred quid we could stay near Dad last Saturday night. This weekend is actually… Continue reading A SAWTRY REDEMPTION
JULY ’26 STOCKTAKE + AUGUST PREVIEW
A belated highlights package for July, the stand-out of course being the English demolition of the French in Miami. No-cared about the final. With Mrs RM taking a break from exploring the Caucasus, there’s a bit more local travel in July, even a trip (sort of) west to Whitchurch. Sixty-two different pubs in thirty-one days… Continue reading JULY ’26 STOCKTAKE + AUGUST PREVIEW
IS CHESTERFIELD A LOW-ALCOHOL BEER HAVEN ?
July 2026. Chesterfield. An aimless afternoon in Chesterfield, and there’s nothing wrong with aimless. Those two pints in the Rutland Arms and Royal Oak saw a town in rude health, and once it gets that museum open this year it’ll warrant a revisit. The pubs around the market looked particularly lovely with their hanging baskets;… Continue reading IS CHESTERFIELD A LOW-ALCOHOL BEER HAVEN ?
TOP 100 PUBS – ROYAL OAK, THE SHAMBLES, CHESTERFIELD
July 2026. Chesterfield. “A Top 100 pub ! ANOTHER one ?“. Why not ? The Royal Oak was the highlight of July, a “Wow” moment that Thursday afternoon in floral Chesterfield. The Shambles may not have the fudge and Harry Potter tat of York, but the Royal Oak has always looked the part, without the… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – ROYAL OAK, THE SHAMBLES, CHESTERFIELD
WELCOME TO CHESVEGAS
July 2026. Chesterfield. One more trip to write up and then I’ll do that July highlights post you’re all clamouring for. Mrs RM’s ongoing rehabilitation had meant a postponement of our Big (but largely sober) Trip to Chesterfield with Blackpool Jane, so I popped there myself last Thursday to explore the no/low scene, and to… Continue reading WELCOME TO CHESVEGAS
PINK LANE
July 2026. Newcastle. One thing about Tyneside; just like London or Genoa, you’ll always find something new on a trip. This time, it’s Pink Lane and the Catholic cathedral. St Mary’s is a NCSS 4 joy, the highlight the stained glass showing Newcastle’s heritage (microbreweries oddly missing). A rare venue without Untapped check-in, though I… Continue reading PINK LANE
PUBS ON THE TYNE, THEY’VE ALL GONE, ALL GONE
July 2026. Newcastle. A night out in Tyne & Wear, always a joy, but one where it’s easy to overdo it very quickly. With 3 hours till my £33 return back to Sheffield, I left the Posada till next time, saved the museums for a rainy day, and set off west along the Tyne, pausing… Continue reading PUBS ON THE TYNE, THEY’VE ALL GONE, ALL GONE
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