What times we live in ! Mrs RM has ditched the plane for the train, so I get to escort her up to Peterborough while her contract in Melrose lasts. I’m very excited. There might even be a pre-emptive tick to alert Simon to before he starts Cambridgeshire, or at the very least some unexpected… Continue reading FLAT DOOM BAR IN PETERBOROUGH
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THE LONELINESS OF THE LONE OTTER DRINKER
Oh, look. Oxfordshire has fallen. Yawn. Not a great county, for sights or suds, and to be honest I did the best of it (Stoke Lyne, Lewknor, Hook Norton itself) years ago. The new entries tend towards the gastro these days. Anyway, the moral from the last tick, the Crown in Marcham is…don’t follow the… Continue reading THE LONELINESS OF THE LONE OTTER DRINKER
WORRIED IN WANTAGE
Well, not quite Wantage, exactly, but Letcombe Regis,which I predict only Tim Thomas and Duncan have ever heard of. It feels daft to say it’s the posh suburb of Wantage, which isn’t exactly Wigan, but that’s how it feels. What Pub tells me the closest pub is the all-conquering Royal Oak, as good a… Continue reading WORRIED IN WANTAGE
THE QUIET LANE TO PEPPARD
Apart from his other obsessions specialist areas of GBG pubs and moths, Duncan “Pubmeister” McKay is a non-league football expert, which may be handy for BRAPA soon. He may remember Peppard FC, a team from a quiet Oxfordshire village which won the Combined Counties League in a 1993/94 season that went well into June,… Continue reading THE QUIET LANE TO PEPPARD
SCHLEPPY IN SHEPPEY
Bet you’re rushing for your OED right now to find out what Schleppy means, aren’t you ? Actually, you’re probably looking at your battered Philip Navigator to see where Sheppey is. Just here, north of Sittingbourne (note old and new A249 routes). I was sure I’d written about Sheppey before, but it seems my exciting… Continue reading SCHLEPPY IN SHEPPEY
THE TAYLOR’S TALE – MICROS IN CANTERBURY
I like Canterbury. If it’s good enough for my niece Emily (4th year at Uni and still no trip to Thanet) it’s good enough for me. This was my first visit since 2014, when I stayed in the Premier Inn on opening night for £29. Same room next Saturday is £115.50. Premier Inn have… Continue reading THE TAYLOR’S TALE – MICROS IN CANTERBURY
KENT GASTROLAND – SERVIETTES FOR BEER MATS
Next stop, lovely Kent*. No arguments about the quality of this county, anyway ! And you never know quite what you’re going to get in the Beer Guide entries, which is something I like a lot. East of Canterbury, the topography has a similar quality to the Somerset levels, though possibly less celebrated. Mrs… Continue reading KENT GASTROLAND – SERVIETTES FOR BEER MATS
SPRINGING INTO 11.30am IPA ACTION
Being retired means I can do my duty to Greene King gastro pubs by drinking their IPA at 11.30am on a Wednesday. Yes, we do have pubs, such as the Old Spring , that open that early in the day. And stay open so folk can run their businesses using free internet. So a brisk walk… Continue reading SPRINGING INTO 11.30am IPA ACTION
EVENTUALLY, EPSOM EXCELLENCE
It’s always good to end a county on a high. Particularly an unsung one like Surrey. So a nice little trip out on the E10 to the bucolic bit of Epsom, probably labelled as “Stamford Green” next year. By huge coincidence, the Cricketers is next to the cricket green. Which was about to turn… Continue reading EVENTUALLY, EPSOM EXCELLENCE
WHAT’S THE POINT OF SURREY ?
That’s a genuine question, not an invitation to a duel on Woking High Street, or whatever is the epicentre of Surrey culture. I just can’t see it as a proper county. There’s no League teams (the support is all for Chelsea), their cricket team plays in South London, their breweries are tiny, all the… Continue reading WHAT’S THE POINT OF SURREY ?
