Christmas Eve 2024. Cambridge. You left us outside King’s College Chapel as the first notes of “Once In Royal David’s City” signalled the official start of Christmas, at least if your name is Gerald or Maggie and you live in a £2m townhouse in Newnham. I thought we should go full-on tourist and make a… Continue reading CHRISTMAS EVE. A TIME TO LIVE AND LET LIVE

Christmas Eve. December 2024. Cambridge. Just noticed this blog has become a bit too pub-heavy of late and in danger of getting shifted from the “weird bloke on travels” category into “beer”. And that would never do. I coaxed Mrs RM out of Waterbeach on Tuesday to explore an exciting city 5 miles south. No,… Continue reading A FESTIVAL OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS AT KING’S

December 2024. Cottenham. A flying day visit to the in-laws on the 23rd; over four hours on packed motorways and a tortuous delay at Dartford tunnel. Mrs RM had a mysterious aching arm which meant I drove; luckily she’d recovered by the time the gin came out in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Back “home” (not sure… Continue reading 38 YEARS LATER…THE HOP BIND, COTTENHAM

December 2024. Cambridge. Rather too stressed last Sunday evening with parental worries to enjoy a proper celebration, but at least Mum was settled, and at least I had the family together as we left the Blue Moon after a crafty half. And there’s nowhere I’d rather be, not even Hillingdon, than in a pub with… Continue reading TALLY-HO

December 2024. Cambridge. With Mum safely tucked up for the night I rejoined Mrs RM, the boys and Emma in Cambridge. We’d really pushed the boat out for what some folk insist is a “significant” birthday; I’ll remind you that every day till you stop breathing is significant and should be celebrated equally. Yes, we… Continue reading TALKING RETIRED MARTIN BIRTHDAY BLUES

December 2024. Cambridge. “Hope you have a lovely birthday (22/12)” said the messages. In all honesty, not only my worst birthday but one of the worst days of my life, and I sat through a Polish midnight mass 8 years ago. The Retired Martin family arrived in Waterbeach to find Mum sitting on the floor,… Continue reading SAVING RETIRED MARTIN’S BIRTHDAY

And so we reach the 73rd and final, and possibly best of the GBG chapters. No, really. I had it at No. 5 on my list of the best GBG chapters in 2020, and I can’t wait to get back and enjoy that astonishing coastline, magical bays, scriptural verse, and reminders of musical legacy. Oh,… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 73 – THE ISLE OF MAN

I know you know I don’t do Christmas, or tradition, with one notable exception. But with an enforced roast dinner being cooked by Mrs RM at my parents house today I was charged with “getting the **** out of the way while I cook the veg”. Matthew and James were ready on 14.03 seconds, oddly… Continue reading KEEPING THOSE CHRISTMAS DAY TRADITIONS ALIVE

December 2024. Sheffield. Ticker Jim had set himself an ambitious schedule; but was still on track as we left the Crow. I almost joined him for an afternoon of Northern Premier League action at Worksop, but Jim suddenly threw a pre-match brewery trip into the mix, and you know what I think of brewery taps.… Continue reading PAPPADUM, DIP & PALE. RETIRED MARTIN DAY EVE PUB CRAWL No. 6 – THE OLD SHOE

December 2024. Sheffield. Not yet 1pm and onto a fifth pub, and a seventh tick for Jim, who clearly has the stamina of youth. Living in the UK’s top pub city means I’m often required to drop the crochet I started up in retirement and escort Pub Men round the new classics, and the Crow… Continue reading RESISTING THE 14.03% BOURBON STOUT. RETIRED MARTIN DAY EVE No. 5 – THE CROW