November 2024. Rye. Time for a breather, 20 minutes walk from The Mint away from the pubs, time for a bit of culture. In 2016, cult (sure that’s the word) pub blogger Retired Martin titled his post “Rye – The Well of Low NBSS“, a play on Radclyffe Hall’s finest work*, and scandalously failed to… Continue reading MINT ! A WALK ROUND RYE
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.
“No problemo, brother”
November 2024. Rye. A few days in Rye Harbour with Mrs RM, starting with a rather unwise but welcome ESB and Bishop’s Finger to kick off the afternoon. Mrs RM had also taken the £2 bus in from the caravan park, but was determined not to get ****** after last week, and she so nearly… Continue reading “No problemo, brother”
THE CINQUE PORTS
November 2024. Rye. Just like Red on the night before Andy escaped from Shawshank, my rail journey from St Pancras onto Ashford was fraught with anxiety. I only seemed to have one bit of card. Where (oh where) was my return ticket to Waterbeach ? Would I be stranded in Rye with Mrs RM forever… Continue reading THE CINQUE PORTS
WHAT WOULD BRAPA DO ?
November 2024. King’s Cross Station. Mum came home from Addenbrookes, for a second time in a month, with “reablement” carers popping in four times a day to oversee her rehab. I sensed all she wanted was peace and quiet and a Chinese takeaway. I also sensed I needed to pop off and see Mrs RM… Continue reading WHAT WOULD BRAPA DO ?
ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – NORTHERN MONK REFECTORY
November 2024. Manchester. Yes, a third “tick” in the Mancunian beer book in an evening ! This one is the closest to Matt’s flat a minute’s walk from Piccadilly and 25 from the Etihad, which sounds like the perfect place to be in your early 20s. Rather than Milton. I get my True North (they… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – NORTHERN MONK REFECTORY
ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE CITY ARMS
November 2024. Manchester. Three hours till kick-off on Tuesday night, what on earth do you do in a rainy Manchester to kill the time ? Good idea. I’d actually fancied visiting Mulligans, the “Irish pub” in the Matthew Curtis book, but Matt reckoned it would be packed with Feyenoord fans happy paying £8 for Guinness,… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE CITY ARMS
ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE GREY HORSE
November 2024. Manchester. Last Tuesday saw ward C4 still under quarantine due to an infection outbreak, and Mum no closer to a discharge, honourable or otherwise, from Addenbrookes. I took my opportunity; driving back to Sheffield to check the house was still there, turning the boiler back on, doing a round of laundry, then hopped… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – THE GREY HORSE
NOVEMBER ’24 STOCKTAKE AND DECEMBER PREVIEW
November is the cruellest month. I’ve started a little spreadsheet counting where I’ve spent every night this year, and it shows only two (2) days spent at home in Sheffield in November, twenty in Waterbeach looking after Mum and Dad, and a few down in Kent where Mrs RM’s parents are continuing their remarkable recoveries.… Continue reading NOVEMBER ’24 STOCKTAKE AND DECEMBER PREVIEW
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 71 – NORTHERN IRELAND
Only three in this series to go, and I really want to leave December free for posts on “The best pub Christmas decorations” (only available to Patronised readers), so let’s crack on. Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and, to magnificently conclude, the Isle of Man, have some of the very best the GBG has to… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 71 – NORTHERN IRELAND
HOUNSLOW – MOON, MARKET PLACE, CULTURAL MELTING POT
November 2024. Hounslow Three (3) pints in new GBG London pubs, not quite BRAPA standards, but not bad for me in 2024. Time for a curry. I know nothing about Hounslow, but goodness me it’s multi-cultural. Think Wembley rather than Southall perhaps, all the chains are there, but I’ve rarely seen as many Asian restaurants.… Continue reading HOUNSLOW – MOON, MARKET PLACE, CULTURAL MELTING POT
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