April 2025. Ely. Weekly trips down to Waterbeach to see Dad in his care home, finding a cosy place to park up the campervan and give Tumble, Ginger Tom and Buzzy Bee a break from the monotony of Sheffield life. Buzzy Bee had spent (we think) two decades hidden in the back of Mum’s cupboard… Continue reading A SEARCH FOR ABBOT IN ELY
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 NEW FACE OF HOLT BITTER
April 2025. Manchester. On the way back from the Etihad to town after City’s unexpected comeback against Palace, Mrs RM calls me. “Fancy meeting Matt and me at a pub ?“. Mrs RM asks the daftest questions. “I’m at the Hare and Hounds. Do you know it ? Lovely White Rat ?” Do I know… Continue reading THE NEW FACE OF HOLT BITTER
GOODNIGHT, BOLTON
April 2025. Bolton. Our intrepid trio decided six (6) pubs in Bolton would do, what with Jane having to catch a train to the wild, untamed lands of Blackpool. The night might have ended earlier, if the Ukrainian Club had had vodka, or we’d succumbed to the liquor in the Old Man and Scythe. I… Continue reading GOODNIGHT, BOLTON
YE OLDE MAN & SCYTHE
April 2025. Bolton. Coming to the end of the Bolton crawl now; a very new one and a very old one. The Old Man & Scythe dates back to at least 1251, when it was first entered on the WhatPub listings. Tucked in the cobbled street of Churchgate, opposite the fun pubs, it’s the heritage… Continue reading YE OLDE MAN & SCYTHE
INTO THE VAULTS
April 2025. Bolton. Pub no. 4 on our trio’s mini-Bolton crawl, and following the old indoor market bar we head for the one in the new shopping centre. Great Ale at the Vaults does most of what it says on the tin, tucked away in the basement next to mini-golf and Nandos and the slightly… Continue reading INTO THE VAULTS
THE BIG BOLTON BANQUET DECISION
April 2025. Mr and Mrs RM and Blackpool Jane do Bolton. Our route back into central Bolton from Dibnah’s birthplace takes us past St Peter’s, and into Churchgate, the start of the town’s, er, compact nightlife scene. A glance at Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe reminds us we’re 3 pubs, if not pints, into The Medium… Continue reading THE BIG BOLTON BANQUET DECISION
FRED DIBNAH
April 2025. Bolton. Blackpool Jane had expertly curated a pub crawl tour of Bolton’s artisanal public houses, expertly blending GBG entries with heritage pubs, and a visit to the closest bar to Fred Dibnah‘s house. Fred has the sort of adulation in this country reserved for national heroes like Bobby Charlton, the Queen Mum and… Continue reading FRED DIBNAH
THE SWEET GREEN TAVERN
April 2025. Bolton. A big, hard, Paddington bear stare for Blackpool Jane, before we moved on to her special Bolton pick, seemingly in the middle of nowhere across from the station. I remember the Sweet Green Tavern as a Tetley stronghold 25 years ago, but even with a couple of £4 Bank Top beers it… Continue reading THE SWEET GREEN TAVERN
CHASING LAST ORDERS AT BOLTON’S ONE FOR THE ROAD
April 2025. Bolton. To save reader Spinko guessing, here’s our Bolton itinerary; A joint effort with Blackpool Jane drawn from the essential Matthew Curtis Manchester Guide and those curious “locals tip”. I’d done them all before years ago; Jane was a Bolton debutant. Would it end like this; We all made a bit of a… Continue reading CHASING LAST ORDERS AT BOLTON’S ONE FOR THE ROAD
BOLTON MUSEUM – CURATED PUBBY HIGHLIGHTS
April 2024. Bolton. A Friday night in Greater Manchester’s most underrated town (after Leigh), requested by ace pub ticket and curry Queen Blackpool Jane. Which reminds me, I must catch up with Curry Charles. First time in Bolton since pre-COVID, and nothing new since then. But it’s always good to revisit and re-evaluate any town,… Continue reading BOLTON MUSEUM – CURATED PUBBY HIGHLIGHTS
retiredmartin 