retiredmartin

April 2024. Oldham. Snooker finished just after 1pm due to a tense and tight final frame of the session, and Mrs RM just finished her own work in time to join me for Blackpool Jane’s latest exploration of the Manchester Beer Book. Oldham has become the centre of the Greater Manchester beer world of late,… Continue reading ALL THE PUBS IN THE MANCHESTER BEER BOOK – ASHTON ARMS, OLDHAM

April 2024. Sheffield. I guess Sheffield is known internationally for four (4) things; Despite attempts to move the Championships to another hotbed of the sport like China or Saudi because (checks notes) “it smells”, the players seems to love Sheffield. £500k for the winner must help. As in 2022, I’d booked a ticket for an… Continue reading THE CO-OP v THE CRUCIBLE

April 2024. Sheffield. From the Globe I headed determinedly home for, no doubt, an exceptional lunch expertly cooked by Mrs RM, except I knew there was no food in the house. Again. So, pizza in Perch it was. Tucked away in the steep back streets from the Cathedral down to Kelham, Perch has seemed a… Continue reading TAKING A PERCH

April 2024. Sheffield. After a week away from cask and a morning among the bluebells I was keen to enjoy some lovely “fresh ale” again, and left Mrs RM to her abstinence while I headed towards the station. Looks a bit of a mess, doesn’t it ? But there’s load going on there, and the… Continue reading THERE IS POWER IN A CRAFT UNION. BUT NO REAL ALE (OR CIDER)

April 2024. Wincobank. Sheffield. Back in Sheffield, a Sunday without plans. Blimey. The Tribune, an on-line subscription newspaper, told us to go to see the bluebells in Woolley Wood. So we did. Tram from the bottom of our hill to the end of the line at Meadowhall Interchange, 20 minutes walk past Wincobank’s closed pubs… Continue reading BLUEBELLS LIVE, PUBS DEAD IN EAST SHEFFIELD

April 2024. Sofia. Another early night, and early start, to end our Bulgarian mini-break. Central Sofia seemed about the size of central Manchester, but with less Holt Bitter. I reckon there’s streets in Deansgate still unknown to me, but I walked every lane in Sofia. In truth, there’s probably less hidden gems, less This &… Continue reading Хаджидрагановите изби – SOFIA COMPLETE

April 2024. Veliko Tarnovo. For anyone still reading this Bulgarian blogging and thinking “Make it stop and give us English beer“, I reckon 4 posts to go and then a return to a treat in Sheffield, where the favoured beverage is this; Mrs RM had booked a 12:15 bus for our return from Veliko Tarnovo… Continue reading 35p your Irish coffee, 65p for the loo.

April 2024. Veliko Tarnovo. A reminder where this blog is up to, somewhere in central Bulgaria on the penultimate night of a whizz (or is it wizz ?) round Bulgaria’s highlights. I suspect we may have only scratched the surface of this great country, though Veliko Tarnovo would definitely be my tip if you only… Continue reading I RECOGNISE THAT CAN DESIGN !

April 2024. Veliko Tarnovo. Heading back round the west side of the Tsaravets fortress the heavens opened, and Mrs RM demanded a pub, while at the same time making unnecessary stops to take soggy photos for her own blog. Untappd has two categories of entry, yellow dots for “verified venues”, the sort of place that… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – Снек-бар “Малкия Интер” , VELIKO TARNOVO