retiredmartin

4 July 2024. Sheffield, Manchester, Salford. Independence day, in more than one way. Our first general election since moving to Sheffield. Our polling station was empty at 11:30, but later that afternoon I saw a queue of young folk stretching almost out of Manchester’s Central Library in the direction of the Briton’s Protection, appropriately. Great… Continue reading ELECTION DAY

July 2024. Penkridge. Stafford. Back at the campervan, my guards had done a sterling task protecting my artisanal deli items from Penkridge criminals, and I intended to reward them by infusing the van with the aroma of crispy beef and Singapore rice from over the road, once I’d had a nightcap in one of the… Continue reading PONDERING PENKRIDGE

July 2024. Stafford. Half a dozen pubs is a sensible length for a pub crawl curated exploration of craft bars, and 5pm is a sensible time to finish, just in time for “The Chase” and a Chinese takeaway. “Sensible” isn’t a word normally applied to CAMRA, but there’s a first time for everything. Almost exactly… Continue reading A RACE TO THE GREYHOUND

July 2024. Stafford. “Don’t get too drunk with Paul and Will“. Mrs RM’s loving last words as I left for Stafford. She needn’t have worried. This was a CAMRA approved artisanal exploration led by an experienced group leaders. It was possible we’d only be sipping thirds, though oddly my notes say “Not had a half… Continue reading PLANS DERAILED AT THE WAGGON AND HORSES, STAFFORD

July 2024. Stafford. Finally on our Stafford stumble, an actual bit of walking as we head towards a trio of northern pubs beyond the prison reserved for folk who asked for a top-up on a half. Will decided to impede our progress by stopping to take pics of pubs live and dead; I retaliated by… Continue reading THE KING’S ARMS, STAFFORD – REGAL BASS

July 2024. Stafford. Pub 3 on the official Stafford stagger curated exploration of non-GBG boozers craft bars. The Butler’s Bell has been the most intriguing of the towns pubs, Stafford’s second Spoons sold to Davenport but seemingly never offering Davenport beers. The bottles out front lured me in, but faced with only keg two of… Continue reading THE BUTLER’S BELL BOTTLES IT

July 2024. Stafford. Pub 2 of our Stafford half dozen, my first newbie, and therefore a potential pre-emptive tick, if there’s a demand for sports bars with karaoke in the GBG. Will was keen to book the karaoke booth for a rendition of the official CAMRA song (something about cask breathers, I think), but curated… Continue reading IT’S COMING HOME

July 2024. Stafford. Culture ticked, I still had half an hour till the Official CAMRA unapproved North Stafford Pub exploration. Perhaps I could log all the sad pubs, or craft bars, or find out what sours “Hot Yoga” were pouring. Nope. Back to St Mary for half an hour of Bach. You can here a… Continue reading PIG ON THE WALL

I bet few of you could tell you where North-east Wales starts and stops; from that muddy bit south of the Wirral along the caravan coast to Rhyl (?), then down to posh Llangollen and east to Wrexham Industrial estates ? Yes. Something like that. Rolling beaches, dark clouds, flint villages, and the gorgeous Clwydian… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 56 – NORTH-EAST WALES.

July 2024. Stafford. An hour in Stafford before the Official Curated Pub exploration. Will had arrived early and decided to do an extra pub, which sounds like cheating. I stuck with culture. Stafford only really has the Ancient High House and its pubs, but the former is a corker (and, more importantly, free). The largest… Continue reading THE ANCIENT HIGH HOUSE, STAFFORD