An Ibis in central Reading for £11.85 with loyalty points, and that included a free bottle of Moretti, which isn’t the worst lager ever. Life doesn’t get much better. Folk from Newbury as well as Reading insisted on meeting up at the Nag’s Head, which I’d visited before, but on rare occasions I’ll do the… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – NAG’S HEAD, READING
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LUTON AIRPORT OO-EE-OO & THE ENGLISH ROSE
On Saturday we had to drop our son at Luton Airport for his flight to Krakow. It’s a bit of a building site, but at least not as manic as Stansted these days. My 90 minute short stay while I helped him check in cost £14, or 7 pints of OBB and 3 bags of… Continue reading LUTON AIRPORT OO-EE-OO & THE ENGLISH ROSE
ROTHERHAM’S CHANTRY – THE KING OF NEW YORK
Rotherham, like Doncaster, has had bad press over the last decade because of the activities of a few of its citizens. They’re two of the friendliest places in the UK though, and each with quite a bit to commend a visit. Fans of Wetherspoons and Social Clubs will be particularly impressed. In my last job… Continue reading ROTHERHAM’S CHANTRY – THE KING OF NEW YORK
STOCKPORT’S WILD WEST
When I first started visiting Stockport in the ’90s, the attraction was as much the wild (relative to Cambridge) countryside as much as the idiosyncratic Robinson’s pubs. We’d stay in the Little Mill at Rowarth when it was a great pub and walk round Werneth Low and Etherow, just as appealing as the tourist honeypots of… Continue reading STOCKPORT’S WILD WEST
STOCKPORT’S HOPE
I’d wanted to combine my trip to Stockport with some proper walking in the Dark Peak, but urgent teenage haircuts limited me to a night at the local CAMRA Branch meeting and some meandering in Hyde. Both were worth the journey. I stayed at the Heaton Chapel, an Innkeepers Lodge with attached Toby Carvery. Before… Continue reading STOCKPORT’S HOPE
ALL WELL BEHAVED VISITORS WELCOME
While walking in Thetford Forest I had an interesting experience in the Eagle in Great Hockham. This is a typical Norfolk village local, exceptionally well run and welcoming and with a better Adnams (NBSS 3.5) than I’d had in their Cambridge flagship the night before. Fresh flowers, proper seating, small interesting food menu, the works.… Continue reading ALL WELL BEHAVED VISITORS WELCOME
THETFORD – MORE THAN JUST BIG TREES
My idea of hell is a week at Centerparcs. I always struggled to show the required enthusiasm for colleagues trips to resorts at Thetford and Penrith, particularly when they never left the site all week. Pontins in Southport is more my style; access to the world from that one. Some people don’t even know they’ve gone to… Continue reading THETFORD – MORE THAN JUST BIG TREES
CAMRA BRANCH MEETING -AN APPRECIATION
Just occasionally I have to spend a day at home, so I had no reason not to finally get to the local CAMRA branch meeting last night. I’ve no excuse for non-attendance, apart from rarely being around on meeting nights, and having something of a blind spot where Beer Festivals and breweries are concerned. 30… Continue reading CAMRA BRANCH MEETING -AN APPRECIATION
HEXHAMSHIRE – FOLLOW THE WALL
One of my favourite songs is “Fareweel Regality” sung by The Unthanks, an ode to the beauty of old Hexhamshire that gets me every time. The real Hexhamshire magic comes south of the ancient county town, following the River Allen down to the Pennines and some magical pubs along the A689, where you’ll find the products… Continue reading HEXHAMSHIRE – FOLLOW THE WALL
NEWCASTLE – NOT STANDING STILL
Sadly perhaps, I’ve given the pubs visited (9,000+) over the last 25 years a simple score for beer quality, which isn’t at all the same as pub quality. Tyne & Wear, and Newcastle in particular, has had more top scores from me for quality than any other CAMRA region outside Greater Manchester, which gets nearly three… Continue reading NEWCASTLE – NOT STANDING STILL
