October 2024. Waterbeach. “Shall we get Chinese ?’ says Mum in Addenbrookes car park. Mum had her priorities right, 10 minutes after an honourable discharge after two tough weeks in hospital. The second thing she did was phone Mrs RM’s parents to thank them for the giant chair with remote control they rescued from their… Continue reading WINNING THE BEST TEAM NAME AT SUN QUIZ NIGHT
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.
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 67 – KINGDOM OF FIFE
Well, my spreadsheet says just “Fife“, but the GBG is insistent on the Kingdom, and the GBG is definitive when it comes to county names. It only took three trips up the A1 and over the Firth of Forth to tick Fife, a county most folks will only know from St Andrews and the chippy… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 67 – KINGDOM OF FIFE
OCTOBER ’24 STOCKTAKE + NOVEMBER PREVIEW
Any month that starts (in Lincoln) with Paul Mudge, Sheffield Hatter and the Southworths, and ends with Lizzy McAlpine singing “Soccer Practice” can’t all be bad, but in-between came three weeks of elderly parent traumas which saw Mrs RM and I confined to Waterbeach (again). Not all bad, but a house about 10 degrees too… Continue reading OCTOBER ’24 STOCKTAKE + NOVEMBER PREVIEW
“And the circle, it goes round and round”. LIZZY McALPINE AT BIRMINGHAM O2.
October 2024. Birmingham. October 28th had been the highlighted date in my calendar all year, the day I finally get to see my hero(ine) after two (2) failed attempts due to parental disasters and a tour cancellation. It had looked very likely Monday would see another disaster with Mum still recovering in Addenbrookes, but Mrs… Continue reading “And the circle, it goes round and round”. LIZZY McALPINE AT BIRMINGHAM O2.
WELCOME BACK TO THE WOODMAN
October 2024. Birmingham. It wasn’t my actual reason for being in Brum on Monday night, but I’d been wanting a return to the Woodman ever since a legendary pub trip on World Cup Semi-Final Day 2018, and not just because of the promise of a new Bass outlet. Actual Bass, not just a Wrexham industrial… Continue reading WELCOME BACK TO THE WOODMAN
Now THAT’S how to do a cheese and onion cob !
October 2024. Leicester. And this is the problem/joy of having completed the Guide. Before completion, you break a journey in Leicester, have a rushed weakest half in the new GBG tick, run back to the next train, plan how you’re going to do all four (4) West Midlands newbies before your gig when none (0)… Continue reading Now THAT’S how to do a cheese and onion cob !
LEICESTER – FILBERTS AND OTHER NUTS
October 2024. Leicester. Leicester looked splendid, if a little quiet before the Diwali and Christmas rushes. Odd to get a completely new pub in the Guide, particularly one as central as the Castle, tucked away in a rather underappreciated part of a rather underappreciated city. Honestly, pubs apart, Leicester is far more interesting than, say,… Continue reading LEICESTER – FILBERTS AND OTHER NUTS
LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN
October 2024. Waterbeach to Birmingham. Mum’s stay in hospital dragged on into a second week*, insufferable to her and challenging to us as we’d left the heating on awaiting her return and were melting in the heat (though the lack of WiFi is the bigger issue). I grabbed a night’s long planned respite in Birmingham,… Continue reading LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN
WONDERFUL WYMONDHAM
October 2024. Wymondham. You’ve seen the pubs. but what else has Wymondham got ? Well, an Abbey too dark to see, and the UK’s highest per capita collection of Prom boutiques. Did I tell you the men all wear waistcoats ? I don’t know if all the stuffed dolls are Wymondham’s contribution to Halloween, but… Continue reading WONDERFUL WYMONDHAM
GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 9 – THE GREEN DRAGON, WYMONDHAM
October 2024. Wymondham. I’d dragged Mrs RM two hours east to rural Norfolk on a Sunday evening because a) the alternative was another night in my parents house Waterbeach without internet, b) I knew the Green Dragon would make her a good Instagram reel. A good day already, with Goose Island at the station, Doom… Continue reading GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 9 – THE GREEN DRAGON, WYMONDHAM
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