December 2023. Great Grimsby. Not only does Elton John’s “classic” 1974 album contain “Grimsby”, it also has “Ticking”, a Taupin tale of a chap frustrated by micro pub opening hours. “Don’t ever ride on the devil’s knee,” Mama said. Remember Mama said . Ticking, ticking“ I wasn’t riding the devil’s knee to New Waltham to… Continue reading LINCOLNSHIRE HAS FALLEN
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“Oh, oh, Grimsby, a thousand delights couldn’t match the sweet sights of my Grimsby”
December 2023. Great Grimsby. Those are actual lyrics there, from an actual UK and US Number 1 album. I only know about “Grimsby” because Caribou is currently in the Top Albums on Tidal, along with “Guts” and, er, “Rumours”. Possibly only because they’ve added “Step Into Christmas” onto the CD, mind. Bing’s new AI function… Continue reading “Oh, oh, Grimsby, a thousand delights couldn’t match the sweet sights of my Grimsby”
…AND A BOXING DAY TRADITION STARTED
Boxing Day 2023. Sheffield. As one tradition dies, another one starts. With both lads disinclined to a) watch TV, b) play Monopoly, c) start their own blogs, Boxing Day became the day for a long walk. Yes, a two hour slog west past the University residences into posh Ranmoor and Fulwood, the places without a… Continue reading …AND A BOXING DAY TRADITION STARTED
A CHRISTMAS TRADITION RUINED…
Christmas Day 2023. Royal Tunbridge Wells and Sheffield. You’ll know I’m not one for Christmas, or celebrations of any kind, really. We spent our 25th wedding anniversary in the Letchworth Spoons, and the best 25 Decembers I remember flying home from somewhere distant after a curry. This 25 December was spent at the in-laws in… Continue reading A CHRISTMAS TRADITION RUINED…
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 10 – DORSET
I fear that if I fail to give you your daily instalment of “Half A Dozen Pubs…” before midnight then something dreadful will happen, so here’s Dorset. A very lovely county, but not always a great one for pubs, particularly since the fall from grace of a certain pub in Wareham. I’m sure there used… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 10 – DORSET
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS GO FOR THE BEER WITH THE FLASHING PUMP CLIP
Christmas Eve 2023. Tonbridge. Finally, at 20:24, (almost) appropriately, we headed back to our Premier Inn ahead of the ordeals of a family Christmas. Blimey, don’t some folk make an effort ! It looks like Mrs RM almost wandered into the Somerhill by mistake. I remember that fondly from the short-lived Hooden Horse chain that… Continue reading YOU SHOULD ALWAYS GO FOR THE BEER WITH THE FLASHING PUMP CLIP
THE PUNCH AND JUDY
Christmas Eve 2023. Tonbridge. An impromptu Christmas Eve crawl with the lads reached its crescendo (?) as we headed back to the Tonbridge Premier Inn for an early night ahead of “Ordeal by Turkey”. So on leaving the Station we resisted the undoubted charms of the Constitutional Club (Abbot, I think). But, on turning the… Continue reading THE PUNCH AND JUDY
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 9 – DEVON.
A special treat, with your first five from all corners of Devon. In truth, I could have picked all five from Plymouth, which is really a suburb of Bristol, isn’t it ? But I start in the M5 corridor with the Properest of Proper Pub. Cullompton – Pony & Trap (last visited in 2022) Blimey,… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 9 – DEVON.
TONBRIDGE’S BRO-COUNTRY PUB
Christmas Eve 2023. Tonbridge. You learn something new every day. On Christmas Eve I learnt my two sons were quite capable of choosing a third Tonbridge pub of the night without my steer, though the only possible reason for picking the Station House would have been that it was there. Unmistakably a Craft Union place,… Continue reading TONBRIDGE’S BRO-COUNTRY PUB
TOP 100 PUBS – THE NELSON ARMS, TONBRIDGE
Christmas Eve 2023. Tonbridge. The great Taylor Family Christmas Eve pub crawl headed aimlessly south from Fuggles, their tummies full of toastie and “hot dog”, without a clue what to now we weren’t hanging about for a family curry. Harvey’s in a Tudor hotel ? Looking after suspicious packages outside the fun pub ? Nope.… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE NELSON ARMS, TONBRIDGE
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