June 2024. Portsmouth. Mrs RM messaged me as I left the Vaults in pursuit of a third Pompey pint of the night, reminding me to bring back wine and chocolate. I didn’t need a third pint (but then Mrs RM didn’t need wine and chocolate, either), with my two newbies ticked, but I’d been chauffeuring… Continue reading QUIZ NIGHT IN THE PEMBROKE
THE VAULTS, SOUTHSEA
June 2024. Southsea. A sunny Sunday evening in Portsmouth as I got the ticking done while the Old Folk (not Mrs RM) had an early night. Good to see Pompey getting down wiv the kidz with a cutting edge musical line up this year, though the Southworths may be surprised by Mr Zimmerman’s latest name… Continue reading THE VAULTS, SOUTHSEA
IT’S SO HARD – TICKING POMPEY
June 2024. Portsmouth. With the in-laws tucked up in bed at Gosport by 7pm and Mrs RM left bereft by the early closure of Aldi (“Bring me back wine”), I had a night in Portsmouth to myself. A bus from the vandalised stop at Gosport Leisure Centre to the barely more attractive ferry, where I… Continue reading IT’S SO HARD – TICKING POMPEY
THE OBLIGATORY MARSTON’S DINING PUB NEXT TO A GOSPORT PREMIER INN
June 2024. The long, long, weekend entertaining octogenarians approached 8 hours of driving fun as we pulled into Gosport’s Premier Inn. Wow. An awful lot going on in this Google Maps extract, to distract you from the sad reality that our hotel is nowhere near Portsmouth. Or even Gosport, come to that. But it’s under… Continue reading THE OBLIGATORY MARSTON’S DINING PUB NEXT TO A GOSPORT PREMIER INN
BACK TO BOTLEY
June 2024. Botley. Hampshire. A birthday trip to Portsmouth for my father-in-law, but still time to sneak in a few new Guide ticks on the way, which is how we ended up in Botley, on the premise of “looking for ice creams“. Oddly, while Botley, just above the Hampshire cricket ground was described as “the… Continue reading BACK TO BOTLEY
ROMSEY – 1947 AND ALL THAT
June 2024. Romsey. Hampshire. Day 1 of Michael’s Big Birthday Bash. Father-in-law wanted to return to Romsey to see the primary school he left in 1947, a simple request. If I never see anything from my youth ever again I’ll be delighted. We turned up on what felt the first sunny day of the year,… Continue reading ROMSEY – 1947 AND ALL THAT
THE JOY OF 6X IN CHANDLERS FORD
June 2024. Chandlers Ford. Childhood home ticked, posh Sunday lunch skipped, I headed to the western suburbs of Chandler’s Ford for a roast and a GBG tick. See ! I am still getting an occasional Guide tick ! What even is Chandler’s Ford ? It can’t be a suburb of anywhere, too big for that… Continue reading THE JOY OF 6X IN CHANDLERS FORD
“Spencer is a very scared spaniel x”. My father-in-law returns to Ampfield.
June 2024. Ampfield. Hampshire. Just because I’m making such poor progress with the ticking doesn’t mean I’m not clocking up the miles. This was the first leg our first long weekend of June (where’s my Summer gone, by the way), popping on my parents before heading to the coast for Father-in-Law’s 86th birthday, present. He’d… Continue reading “Spencer is a very scared spaniel x”. My father-in-law returns to Ampfield.
A LONG WAIT FOR WATERBEACH NEW TOWN
June 2024. Waterbeach. Another Waterbeach weekend, with a bit of south coast in the middle, a chance to let Dad escape the house and admire the work of the council lawnmower. It’s been TWICE (2 X) this week, confirming that a neat lawn is more important than pothole repair in the Fens. I’ve been taking… Continue reading A LONG WAIT FOR WATERBEACH NEW TOWN
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 53 – GLAMORGAN
After what washed-up pop stars call “a hiatus”, it’s back to “Half A Dozen Pubs In Every County“, though down to the Cost of Living Crisis/Shrinkflation you only get five from me and pick one yourself. Glamorgan is a vast county of Brains, beaches, and bottomless brunches. I was tempted to include the Roost, my… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY No. 53 – GLAMORGAN
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