October 2025. Newark. A final new tick in GBG for “Naughty” Nottinghamshire (there were only two), that naughtiness exemplified by the 2019 BRAPA Newark Northgate public urination scandal from which the town is still recovering, though the continued closure of the castle is apparently coincidental. Remarkably, this was our first pub stop in Newark since… Continue reading A LOOSE CANNON IN NEWARK
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A BASS AND POPPADOMS HALT IN CHADDESDEN
October 2025. Chaddesden. Derby. Back at Derby station from Tutbury, I reckoned it was worth chancing a dash to the Hoppy Place, Derby’s lone new GBG tick a couple of miles east. Out the station’s back entrance, through the grim light industry and Tier 2 football of Pride Park, over the Brian Clough expressway via… Continue reading A BASS AND POPPADOMS HALT IN CHADDESDEN
TUTBURY TICKING
October 2025. Tutbury. As BRAPA will tell you, half the fun of GBG ticking is sitting down with the new Guide and working out legal routes to get to an isolated village by public transport. Then giving up and getting your dad to drive you. I’d forgotten Tutbury (& Hatton) had a station, just one… Continue reading TUTBURY TICKING
WHEN YOU JUST NEED AN ORVAL
October 2025. Sheffield. Up in Sheffield for a couple of nights before heading back down to see Dad, who barely recognises me now, but “stole Colin’s chicken” in the care home today, which shows fighting spirit. Two days to at least confirm our two lads were OK. On Saturday night they went out in Sheffield… Continue reading WHEN YOU JUST NEED AN ORVAL
THE VIEW FROM THE BLAKE
October 2025. Sheffield. It’s approaching five years since we escaped Cambridgeshire for The North, only to spend every week since driving back. That first six months in Lockdown Sheffield was spent gazing longingly at the Blake and Blind Monkey, impatient for their reopening. In 2020 the Blake was as famous as the Tap and the … Continue reading THE VIEW FROM THE BLAKE
A RARE STOP ON THE GREAT NORTH ROAD. YE OLDE BELL IN BARNBY MOOR
October 2025. Barnby Moor. North Notts. “Barnby Moor ? Wherezat ?”. Well, if you’d read Roger Protz’s marvellous book on the Great North Road (£7 + postage) you’d know all about (Ye) Olde Bell in the posh bit of Bassetlaw (the bit that’s not Worksop, Retford or central Donny). One of the grandest staging points… Continue reading A RARE STOP ON THE GREAT NORTH ROAD. YE OLDE BELL IN BARNBY MOOR
A RAINY NIGHT IN ST ALBANS
October 2025. St Albans. One of my favourite campervan stops is St Albans, about £7 overnight on a Sunday with no diggers (not that I’d recognise a digger if one licked me) and a quick train into St Pancras. After a quiet decade there’s also the occasional new GBG entry, and I arranged to meet… Continue reading A RAINY NIGHT IN ST ALBANS
THE FUSSPOT OF FANCOTT
October 2025. Fancott. Toddington. Oooh look ! An actual hamlet, comprising some woods, a stream, a miniature railway, and a pub, your second on the exciting “Pub Crawl from Toddington Services”. A debut Good Beer Guide dining pub, too, looking exactly as you’d expect. I love those figures in the back of the fireplace. Sorry… Continue reading THE FUSSPOT OF FANCOTT
TODDINGTON PUTS THE BANNERS OUT
October 2025. Toddington. A slightly different route from north to south last week, with an ultra-rare visit to bucolic Bedfordshire. Toddington (nice village sign) is your gateway to the mysteries of Central Beds, including the birthplace of my Mum and last home of Bob Monkhouse. And now there’s a modest pub walk from the M1… Continue reading TODDINGTON PUTS THE BANNERS OUT
SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
October 2025. Sheffield. I don’t do beer festivals (or tasters, or dimpled mugs) but I also don’t turn down invites from Pub royalty, either, so put principles aside and joined Alfie/Ian/Mr Chelsea on his Sheffield overnighter, starting with a quick half in them Two & Six. As I said this week “when you qualify for… Continue reading SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
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