All these trips to Merseyside over the years and I never thought to use Suzanne’s classic (and it is). “If you lie on the groundIn somebody’s armsYou’ll probably swallow some of their history” Suzanne Vega, “In Liverpool”. Perhaps no town outside of New Mills has inspired such great music over the years. Having just returned… Continue reading IN LIVERPOOL
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MILL ROAD, OVER THE BRIDGE
July 2023. Cambridge. Reference to “Barbie” yesterday has no doubt had you wondering, “Has Retired Martin been to see Barbie yet ?“. Interestingly, ONE of our family has seen it. And Oppenheimer, which I reckon is the same length as a BRAPA blog but with fewer toothless drunks. Matt went to watch the one about… Continue reading MILL ROAD, OVER THE BRIDGE
FRED, BUT NOT PAUL AND BARRY
July 2023. Maltby. Matthew joined us on our latest trip south to check on Mum and Dad, and we opted for a posh breakfast in Maltby’s Spoons. The journey south takes 2:20 hours now the A1 barrier repairs at Stamford are complete, which is a shorter trip than Waterbeach to Cromer in Summer. It’s generally… Continue reading FRED, BUT NOT PAUL AND BARRY
SHAKELINES
July 2023. Sheffield. More of that modern music you folk love as we plough on through Kelham Island on Friday night in search of the next Arctic Monkeys Airport Dad. Always interesting to see the gentrification of Kelham, where we noted a rather more upmarket crowd in the wine bars and Sardinian restaurants than you… Continue reading SHAKELINES
AIRPORT….DAD !
July 2023. Hillsborough, Sheffield. Last weekend the rain arrived, but the M.O.R. crowd at Tramlines lapped it up (literally), dancing along in their designer wellies to middle-aged indie pap*. “Embracing” ? Who says “embracing” in 2023 ? We were escaping Sheffield on Saturday morning, but popped along to the Fringe on Friday night. Virtually every… Continue reading AIRPORT….DAD !
THE MECCIE RIVIERA
July 2023. Swinton and Mexborough. Planning your pub visits is as much a joy for the ticker as the beer and the banter, especially when it suddenly hits you on your exploration of the keg wastelands of Yorkshire’s former mining towns that you could do Mexborough from Swinton and save yourself a separate trip. An… Continue reading THE MECCIE RIVIERA
MOORTHORPE GETS A STATION PUB
July 2023. Moorthorpe, West Yorkshire. I can’t claim the South Kirkby is as exciting as Kirkby, Merseyside, or even South Elmsall across the rail bridge with its occasional Guide entry in the Barnsley Oak, but at least I’d been. And you haven’t. Moorthorpe is hardly noticeable on that map extract, seeming to exist only as… Continue reading MOORTHORPE GETS A STATION PUB
SOUTH KIRKBY – A MEMORIAL TO TIMES PAST ?
July 2023. South Kirkby. Apologies for the unexplained absence. I’ve just had an emergency removal of a painful part of my person by a skilled professional in Liverpool. But then, if you’re one of my patronised readers, you’d have seen the delicate operation in real time already. On Friday lunchtime I was debating my options.… Continue reading SOUTH KIRKBY – A MEMORIAL TO TIMES PAST ?
THE WORLD IS A ROSE
July 2023. Walkley, Sheffield. Mrs RM has been hard at work keeping me in the lifestyle to which I have long become accustomed, but joined me for a bottle of thrillingly expensive red wine and moussaka at the Greek Grill House on Barber Road in Commonside. Must have been a strong bottle of wine, because… Continue reading THE WORLD IS A ROSE
25 MINUTES BEFORE THE TRAIN FROM WOLVERHAMPTON. WHAT TO DO ?
July 2023. Wolverhampton. With West Midlands GBG in the bag, I reckoned one more pint before home (slowing down, old age). Colmore in Brum ? Not after Si’s withering assessment at the weekend. How about Wolves ? Perhaps the Chindit on the walk back ? Haven’t been there for a decade. Sign advertising for a… Continue reading 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE TRAIN FROM WOLVERHAMPTON. WHAT TO DO ?
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