More Boring Brown Bitter for you, direct from the city responsible for at least 99.2% of the BBB produced in the UK. Having walked past the Clarendon on our Big Banks’s Bender last Spring, resisting Stafford Paul’s call to “stop in the Tap for one ?“, I felt a bit daft when it finally made… Continue reading BANKS’S BREWERY TAP
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BANKS’S, BAPS & (PEAKY) BLINDERS
As Dick and Dave will confirm, the area of the Midlands west of the M5 and over to the Shropshire hills is as good as it gets in terms of beauty, Balti, and, er, bostin’ beer. And there’s still much to be discovered; only last year the Lion O’Morfe near Bridgnorth appeared as if from… Continue reading BANKS’S, BAPS & (PEAKY) BLINDERS
STOURBRIDGE TAKES IT TO THE BANK
You can bank on Stourbridge. Another year, another excellent new GBG entry to add to the classic Batham’s pubs in the town’s suburbs. Perhaps it lacks an absolute classic like the Cooper’s or Great Western, but I can’t think of many towns with the same consistency. Just pray it doesn’t get completely overrun by brewery… Continue reading STOURBRIDGE TAKES IT TO THE BANK
PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF – EDGBASTON EXCESS
A rare outing for Luke 4:23 on the blog as I return to the UK for those pubs you all love. High tables, foliage, irrelevant tat on the walls. Yes, I’m sure you’ve identified Brunning & Price disease already. A miserable drizzled walk out from confusing New Street Station, but at least I remembered my… Continue reading PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF – EDGBASTON EXCESS
PORCELAIN, PIS & POECHENELLEKELDER
“Oh no, not more foreign muck !” I hear you cry. ‘Fraid so. Part 2 of my 2015 Belgian holiday snaps come from Brussels, just in case Pauline needs any ideas or gets bored of shopping for chocolates and pashminas. Obviously we were catching Eurostar back from here in the afternoon, so goodness knows why… Continue reading PORCELAIN, PIS & POECHENELLEKELDER
BELGIAN BOOZE-UP
Being up-to-date, I can bring you a few highlights from my recently discovered cache of Google photos. Starting with a pre-blog 2015 trip to Ghent and Bruges, just for regular reader and pashmina expert Pauline. Ghent is one of my favourite cities, just behind Manchester, Nuremberg and Wolverhampton. Plenty of great pubs here, but you’ll… Continue reading BELGIAN BOOZE-UP
POTTERIES, PHIL POWER, PEDIGREE & PODS
Yes, I know Hollington near Uttoxeter isn’t strictly in the Potteries, but anything past the JCB factory counts as Stoke to me. So cut your pedantry. Attractive part of the world, underrated despite or because of Alton Towers. The weirdness of Cauldon’s Yew Tree to the north, the simple pleasures of Pedi to the east.… Continue reading POTTERIES, PHIL POWER, PEDIGREE & PODS
PEAK PRACTICE
You’ll be delighted to know the French posts are over; it’s all rural England for a while now. Starting with a walk from gritty urban Ashbourne out to Mapleton in a stretch of the White Peak that rarely troubles the Guide (more to do with scant GBG allocations than shoddy beer). In fact, you really… Continue reading PEAK PRACTICE
PISSOIRS & PARISIAN PUBS (SORT OF)
Last post from France before I head toward Alton Towers. Phew. Two myths to debunk first. First, Paris didn’t stink (come back in Summer though), it was perfectly pleasant, bar the risk of stepping in newly laid dog mess; don’t they have laws ? And the French were courteous and efficient in the face of… Continue reading PISSOIRS & PARISIAN PUBS (SORT OF)
PARISIAN MICROPUB HUNT
I made Mrs RM walk all the way round central Paris while we were there, 15 miles on the Monday alone (she tells me, bitterly). After all, you can’t see backstreet pubs from the metro, can you ? From the lower Mousse we ambled back to Montmartre via the Louvre and Les Halles, guided only… Continue reading PARISIAN MICROPUB HUNT
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