June 2024. Portsmouth. With the in-laws tucked up in bed at Gosport by 7pm and Mrs RM left bereft by the early closure of Aldi (“Bring me back wine”), I had a night in Portsmouth to myself. A bus from the vandalised stop at Gosport Leisure Centre to the barely more attractive ferry, where I… Continue reading IT’S SO HARD – TICKING POMPEY
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THE OBLIGATORY MARSTON’S DINING PUB NEXT TO A GOSPORT PREMIER INN
June 2024. The long, long, weekend entertaining octogenarians approached 8 hours of driving fun as we pulled into Gosport’s Premier Inn. Wow. An awful lot going on in this Google Maps extract, to distract you from the sad reality that our hotel is nowhere near Portsmouth. Or even Gosport, come to that. But it’s under… Continue reading THE OBLIGATORY MARSTON’S DINING PUB NEXT TO A GOSPORT PREMIER INN
BACK TO BOTLEY
June 2024. Botley. Hampshire. A birthday trip to Portsmouth for my father-in-law, but still time to sneak in a few new Guide ticks on the way, which is how we ended up in Botley, on the premise of “looking for ice creams“. Oddly, while Botley, just above the Hampshire cricket ground was described as “the… Continue reading BACK TO BOTLEY
ROMSEY – 1947 AND ALL THAT
June 2024. Romsey. Hampshire. Day 1 of Michael’s Big Birthday Bash. Father-in-law wanted to return to Romsey to see the primary school he left in 1947, a simple request. If I never see anything from my youth ever again I’ll be delighted. We turned up on what felt the first sunny day of the year,… Continue reading ROMSEY – 1947 AND ALL THAT
THE JOY OF 6X IN CHANDLERS FORD
June 2024. Chandlers Ford. Childhood home ticked, posh Sunday lunch skipped, I headed to the western suburbs of Chandler’s Ford for a roast and a GBG tick. See ! I am still getting an occasional Guide tick ! What even is Chandler’s Ford ? It can’t be a suburb of anywhere, too big for that… Continue reading THE JOY OF 6X IN CHANDLERS FORD
“Spencer is a very scared spaniel x”. My father-in-law returns to Ampfield.
June 2024. Ampfield. Hampshire. Just because I’m making such poor progress with the ticking doesn’t mean I’m not clocking up the miles. This was the first leg our first long weekend of June (where’s my Summer gone, by the way), popping on my parents before heading to the coast for Father-in-Law’s 86th birthday, present. He’d… Continue reading “Spencer is a very scared spaniel x”. My father-in-law returns to Ampfield.
A LONG WAIT FOR WATERBEACH NEW TOWN
June 2024. Waterbeach. Another Waterbeach weekend, with a bit of south coast in the middle, a chance to let Dad escape the house and admire the work of the council lawnmower. It’s been TWICE (2 X) this week, confirming that a neat lawn is more important than pothole repair in the Fens. I’ve been taking… Continue reading A LONG WAIT FOR WATERBEACH NEW TOWN
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 53 – GLAMORGAN
After what washed-up pop stars call “a hiatus”, it’s back to “Half A Dozen Pubs In Every County“, though down to the Cost of Living Crisis/Shrinkflation you only get five from me and pick one yourself. Glamorgan is a vast county of Brains, beaches, and bottomless brunches. I was tempted to include the Roost, my… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 53 – GLAMORGAN
CLASSIC, BASIC, UNSPOILT PUBS – THE PEYTON ARMS, STOKE LYNE, OXON
May 2024. Stoke Lyne. Oxfordshire. A slightly risky clamber over barbed wire, Great Escape style, from the M40 service station at Cherwell into a spooky (and chilly) Stoke Wood, and then to one of the UK’s last surviving Classic, Basic, Unspoilt pubs. This paper version of the list is even older than some of the… Continue reading CLASSIC, BASIC, UNSPOILT PUBS – THE PEYTON ARMS, STOKE LYNE, OXON
GREAT PUB WALKS FROM MOTORWAY SERVICE STATIONS – BICESTER CHERWELL VALLEY M40
May 2024. Bicester. Last day of May, one pub down, surely an evening of Oxford ticking ahead, time to pick a hotel; Not at those prices ! I tried Travelodge, and came up with a double room for £30.99 on the M40 services at Bicester. Oooh, futuristic food court with Greggs, KFC and those inedible… Continue reading GREAT PUB WALKS FROM MOTORWAY SERVICE STATIONS – BICESTER CHERWELL VALLEY M40
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