retiredmartin

June 2024. Manchester. Encroaching on Chris Dyson territory now, with a gig, curry and unexpected new pub in Manchester. The curry comes on the city’s most unprepossessing street, Back Piccadilly a bit off-putting to all but the more adventurous of tourists. But Cafe Marhaba remains the real deal, even more so than the Rice &… Continue reading A MANCUNIAN WELCOME TO THE RAT AND PIGEON

June 2024. Sheffield. It wasn’t my fault. Mrs RM insisted I take her and James, who’d enjoyed us at the shiny new, to a second pub and apparently the Brown Bear wouldn’t do, so the Old Shoe it was. New openings in Sheff have eased off a bit this year (I think), but it’s easy… Continue reading MRS RM SUCCUMBS TO THE 13% IMPERIAL STOUT IN THE OLD SHOE

June 2024. Sheffield. Back in Sheffield from the cold, grim, South, we’re seeing a fresh spurt of regeneration in the centre of town. The main pedestrian shopping street renewed, posh Scandinavian shops, even the Sam Smiths has found a new management couple. But the Big Thing is Cambridge Street Collective, Europe’s BIGGEST purpose built food… Continue reading NEW AND “EXCITING” IN SHEFFIELD

June 2024. Oxted. Surrey. Last leg of “Operation get the in-laws back to Kent“, and a minor detour off the M25 into deep, dark, Surrey, where I was surprised to find they remembered a 2021 visit with me, but then I suppose they visit fewer pubs (it is “fewer”, innit ?) than me. “I remember… Continue reading “Ladies, would you like to see the wine list”. CASUAL SEXISM IN OXTED

June 2024. Gosport to Selborne. A break from pubs, on this blog and IRL (as the Mumz say), so if you’re after pubs you’ll need to come back in, ooh, 6 hours time. Our two-nighter down in Hampshire concluded on Father-in-Law’s 88th birthday with a “no expense spared” breakfast from Gosport Lidl, £5.04 feeds 4,… Continue reading GILBERT WHITE

June 2024. Gosport. My work for this 3 days of in-law entertaining nearly done, it was time for a walk; At last, a decent step count. Blackpool Jane did a very similar trip recently, but she only claimed 19,317 steps, though possibly more meat raffles were clocked up. From Queens you head towards the marina… Continue reading THE POWDER MONKEY (well, one of them, anyway)

June 2024. Gosport. The rubbish buses had scuppered my plans to attack central Gosport’s craft glories (probably not open anyway since it’s a Monday), so I cut my losses and walked the 10 minutes through Newtown to the town’s second GBG perennial. At least, the Queen’s Hotel used to be, as the window revealed on… Continue reading THE QUEENS HOTEL, GOSPORT – OK WITH JOE, OK WITH ME

June 2024. Gosport. It’s amazing how quickly you can fall behind on this blog; I’m still on Monday a week ago (is that how say it ?), so let’s get on to the trad boozers Gosport is famous, perhaps world-beating, for. Blackpoool Jane raved about Gosport recently, highlighting the craft in Katie’s, 33 Green Bottles,… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE JUNCTION TAVERN, GOSPORT

June 2024. Portsmouth. Two things were recommended for our Pompey trip. The Spinnaker Tower, and the D-Day museum. Wot ! no green tiled pubs ? Father-in-law had chosen to have his birthday the week of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, which on the one hand made parking in Southsea an operation on a… Continue reading PRIDE DRINKING WELL AT GUNWHARF QUAY