You join me in Leith on the day before Hogmanay (cancelled) as we’re 3/4 of the way through my Beer Guide tick, and up to 90% of Mrs RM’s walking limit (and 132% of my bladder limit, to be fair). Leith looks best from the air, and Si may choose to approach by his private… Continue reading MRS RM’s MICRO MOVES IN LEITH
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TAKING OUR SUNSHINE TO LEITH
The third pub of our quartet of new Edinburgh ticks took us to Leith, which you’ll know from the Proclaimers song “Throw the R away” (“r” is real ale scoring less than NBSS 2). The seaside suburb is a scintillating mix of seagulls, sand and sewage works. A mix of high rise, high church, and… Continue reading TAKING OUR SUNSHINE TO LEITH
TEUCHTERS
“Teuchters” is Gaelic for “Tickers”, of course, but you knew that. I neglected to give you the map for the Medium-sized Scottish Tickathon, so here it is now; About 8.4 miles, or “not that far” if you’re trying to convince Mrs RM she can walk to Leith and back (she did 30,000 steps that day,… Continue reading TEUCHTERS
PRINCES STREET
On the penultimate day of 2021, with the tickers clock ticking, Mrs RM and I headed to Edinburgh on the 11:17 from Durham, after a quick walk round the majestic cathedral and the dullest High Street in the country. No, it really is; Mrs RM fought hard to defend it, even finding a little Christmas… Continue reading PRINCES STREET
NOT A SPENNYMOOR, SEVERAL PENNIES LESS
“What ! You didn’t WALK to Spennymoor ?” I hear you say. “It’s only six miles, you wimp“. In honesty, Mrs RM was a bit exhausted and I didn’t want to abandon her too long. And the bus (No.6, Sapphire), electric sockets and irritating juvenile behaviour free, had me outside the Little Tap in 20… Continue reading NOT A SPENNYMOOR, SEVERAL PENNIES LESS
OLD DURHAM TOWN
Looking at my review of 2021 it’s full of personal highlights but lacks completely new discoveries, due to the unattractiveness of overseas travel. But I always reckon that the more you visit a place, the more you learn*. And so with Durham, on perhaps a tenth visit over the last 20 years, and whose Queen’s… Continue reading OLD DURHAM TOWN
BEAMISH – PATIENCE REWARDED
The last trip out of the year, which produced a nerve-settling eight ticks to end the month (though not the year) ahead of BRAPA. I know you think us pub tickers live in a commune near Halifax from which our ticking taxis depart each weekend, but in truth I’ve got Baa Baa sticking needles in… Continue reading BEAMISH – PATIENCE REWARDED
BOXING DAY OBSERVED AT THE WORLD’S OLDEST FOOTBALL GROUND
Enough of awards and retrospectives, back to the blog. Tuesday 28th December, another day stuck at home, another Bank Holiday. Boxing Day (observed), as the Vistaprint calendar would have it, since 26 December fell on a Sunday. Americans don’t have Boxing Day, of course, they’re all required to work 364 days a year to pay… Continue reading BOXING DAY OBSERVED AT THE WORLD’S OLDEST FOOTBALL GROUND
THE 2021 AWARDS ISSUE – MOTORING, MONKEYS & MATILDA MANN
I’m not one to look back, in anger or in joy, but according to that Patronised contract that Dave reminds me of I’m legally obliged to bring you an annual awards issue that won’t be as good as BRAPA’s. And unlike Simon, who works full-time, I’m far too busy to go through all my year’s… Continue reading THE 2021 AWARDS ISSUE – MOTORING, MONKEYS & MATILDA MANN
DECEMBER ’21 STOCKTAKE + JANUARY ’22 PREVIEW
It seems I don’t always do a separate December review, but as you know I like order, and it gives me a few more hours to think about the awards issue. HIGHLIGHTS A more exciting travel map than a year ago, anyway, even if it looks a bit squeezed into the middle. I did see… Continue reading DECEMBER ’21 STOCKTAKE + JANUARY ’22 PREVIEW
