The lone Belfast Spoons was boisterous, filthy and showed little signs of food trade, so I ignored the temptation top check out the Bridge House’s Norn Irish specialities and headed for some authentic Lebanese felafel in the heart of the student quarter. Next door, Molly’s Yard remains the upmarket choice for your scallops, potted venison… Continue reading MURKY TICKS ON THE ORMEAU ROAD
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JUST A NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL TOWN
Thursday night in Belfast. One GBG tick down, one to go. It’s a decade or more since I was in Belfast, when the town already looked shinier than at end of the ’90s. As William Bragg noted in ’96, it’s just a Northern Industrial Town, full of grand Victoria architecture, culture, and dangerous hotels. It… Continue reading JUST A NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL TOWN
YOUR ACTUAL BELFAST CASK. ASK FOR IT BY NAME.
We checked into the Princetown Guesthouse in Bangor (NI), a 40 minute train ride from Belfast. It’s very pleasant, though no longer the bargain you might have expected. Turns out, Ed Sheeran was in town (well, a football pitch in the Belfast suburbs) that weekend, and we were lucky to get a room. How unlucky… Continue reading YOUR ACTUAL BELFAST CASK. ASK FOR IT BY NAME.
THE THINKER. AND OTHER GREAT REASONS TO VISIT NEWTOWNARDS.
“Time for a Spoons in Ards before we check-in to Bangor, Mrs RM ?” Do Ards, and there’s only 3 (plus Donaghadee just in case it restores cask) left to do and I can pink in the whole of N.I. ! Why not, it’s on the way, we’ve never been to Ards/Newtownards/N’ards and there are… Continue reading THE THINKER. AND OTHER GREAT REASONS TO VISIT NEWTOWNARDS.
THE “INTERNATIONAL SIGN OF THE HANDPUMP” USED TO NO EFFECT AT STRANGFORD LOUGH
Day 1 of the Northern Ireland Tickathon, and while my son hit the Dublin Guinness factory, Mrs RM and I wobbled round Strangford Lough trying to find cask. Strangford Lough has some cultural resonance, I’m sure Van Morrison wrote about a light snack of two pounds of potted herrings or similar, but I bring you… Continue reading THE “INTERNATIONAL SIGN OF THE HANDPUMP” USED TO NO EFFECT AT STRANGFORD LOUGH
BANG BANG (CHICKEN) THE IRISH TICKS FALL, BANG BANG WHEN RETIRED MARTIN CALLS
I know you’ve been patiently waiting for an obscure B.A. Robertson reference (especially Scott), and there it is. Pub No. 2 on the Norn Iron Tickaton, and the first one actually in the Guide. It’s the White Horse in Saintfield (pop. 3,381), which looks promising when framed by bodies of water either side on the… Continue reading BANG BANG (CHICKEN) THE IRISH TICKS FALL, BANG BANG WHEN RETIRED MARTIN CALLS
A PRECAUTIONARY TICK IN THE HILLSIDE
Although it’s not on the GBG App anymore, I popped in the Hillside in Hillsborough anyway. A) It looked great. B) I’d have always wondered what it was like inside. C) Just think how annoyed I’d be if it re-enters the Guide, like that Goat In The Garden (first rule of entry to Goat In… Continue reading A PRECAUTIONARY TICK IN THE HILLSIDE
T’OTHER HILLSBOROUGH
Let’s start the Northern Ireland posts, then. If you don’t like the foreign travel blogging, best come back here in July sometime. We were woke from our slumbers onboard the lovely Stena Edda at 06:00, dumped Matt and Emma at the railway station so they could tick Dublin (kids, huh ?) and set off to… Continue reading T’OTHER HILLSBOROUGH
THE VIEW FROM BIRKENHEAD
May 11th 2022. Eight pubs needed in Northern Ireland, and a nagging feeling that I hadn’t done the Antrim coast justice. meant a long weekend in Belfast. Even better, Matt and Emma joined us, their first holiday since the You-Know-What. We picked them up at Stockport station’s shiny new drop-off area and headed to Birkenhead… Continue reading THE VIEW FROM BIRKENHEAD
GRACIE !
Let’s get the music entries out of the way, then. You’ve had too much fun reminiscing about Rory Gallagher and The Who; it’s time for some more American “fuzzy bedroom pop”. I made that genre up, you can buy it for £2.10 (£1.60 with CAMRA discount). Between Alix Page and Gracie Abrams I nipped next… Continue reading GRACIE !
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