October 2024. Smithfield. London. New Guide entry No. 2 (of 2) in the City of London, only 5 minutes from the Bishop’s Finger but with a millennium of history on the way. How inviting does Beppe’s look ? I noted the absence of City suits in the Bishop, but there were plenty outside the Viaduct,… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – VIADUCT TAVERN, SMITHFIELD, EC1
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 BISHOPS FINGER
October 2024. Bishopsgate. Or is it Smithfield ? Or Farringdon ? A first visit to the City of London in the GBG25 ticking year. As Simon so eloquently notes, that first trip to the City is always a joy, particularly with a visit to a place owned by a company who seem to have given… Continue reading THE BISHOPS FINGER
THE THEORY OF PORK SCRATCHINGS RUINATION OF BEER HEADS DEBUNKED IN KILLAMARSH
October 2024. Killamarsh. These posts are brought to you from the excitingly named Emergency Admissions Unit 3 at Addenbrookes, sadly NOT a new craft bar. Guzzle in Killamarsh IS a craft bar, my penultimate Derbyshire newbie leaving just a (you guessed it) brewery tap in Little Eaton to finish the set. 50 minutes on a… Continue reading THE THEORY OF PORK SCRATCHINGS RUINATION OF BEER HEADS DEBUNKED IN KILLAMARSH
PEVERIL AND THE PEAK
October 2024. Castleton. Derbyshire. Some genuine touristy ticks now, as Mrs RM joins me on a trip to the only new GBG entry in the Peak. Only 33 minutes from Blind Monkey to Castleton, as honeypot as it gets, but oddly not a place I’ve ever warmed to beyond Winnats Pass on the way to… Continue reading PEVERIL AND THE PEAK
UNSUNG NOTTINGHAM PUBS
October 2024. Nottingham. The bus back from the Blues Dawg was comfortable, but also late. You pays ya money (£2) etc. What annoys me is how long it takes folk to buy bus tickets these days, digging out their phone, forgetting the password, the Google Wallet failing. Other passengers must hate me. Still, a missed… Continue reading UNSUNG NOTTINGHAM PUBS
BLUES DAWG, MAPPERLEY
October 2024. Mapperley. Not the most exciting urban exploration of the year, but the mere fact I could tell you nothing about Woodthorpe and Mapperley in Nottingham’s northern suburbs made it worthwhile. And a double espresso in the Chinese run One Little Room was a gem. With half an hour till my micro opens, I… Continue reading BLUES DAWG, MAPPERLEY
IN PRAISE OF NOTTINGHAM BUSES
October 2024. Sherwood. Nottingham. I mentioned last time how the new GBG entries seem chosen to cause maximum irritation to the noble band of Guide tickers without the luxury of a chauffeur like BRAPA has. I guess the suburbs are more likely to have cheap units that can easily be converted to a Spoons or… Continue reading IN PRAISE OF NOTTINGHAM BUSES
THE POTTLE – A BOON TO BEESTON
October 2024. Beeston. Nottingham. I planned to bring you a long, scholarly analysis of the new GBG; winners (Chesterfield) and losers, emergent themes (one pump bozzers), notable omissions (Briton’s Protection) etc etc So expect that in 2026. One thing that sticks out is how few new entries are in urban areas accessible by rail; Simon… Continue reading THE POTTLE – A BOON TO BEESTON
THE HALFWAY HOUSE, A CLASSIC HOLT
October 2024. Edge Lane. Manchester. CAMRA published a guide to classic pub crawls in the late 90s with some basic Holt houses. A lack of Holt is the only gap in Matthew Curtis’s excellent guide to Manchester beer. Spying a Holt pub on the tram back from Droylsden to the Etihad, it seemed daft not… Continue reading THE HALFWAY HOUSE, A CLASSIC HOLT
A DART TO DROYLSDEN
October 2024. Droylesden. “Fancy a cut tomorrow before the City game ?” asks Matthew. Such a nice lad. Well, if your children won’t take you to the pub I guess a monthly haircut is second best. An 11am slot gives me time for a pint or two before the Etihad. Very few new entries anywhere… Continue reading A DART TO DROYLSDEN
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