January 2024. Darwen. Two east Lancashire ticks to complete the county meant a first opportunity in 2024 to take the campervan out for the night. Parked in the posh bit just outside Burnley, it felt a real night out. Darwen isn’t really posh Burnley, or Blackburn, but I have enjoyed its renaissance over the last… Continue reading DARWEN DAWDLING, DARWEN DELIGHTS
MOMOS @ FREAK STREET, WALKLEY
January 2024. Walkley. Sheffield. You may be wondering why there’s been no mention of “Poor Things” on this blog. You’ll recall that Emma Stone was hotly tipped to play the role of Mrs RM in the biopic of my life, but having watched her traumatising performance in Poor Things in the Light cinema last week… Continue reading MOMOS @ FREAK STREET, WALKLEY
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 39 – STAFFORDSHIRE
If memory serves me right, I declared Staffordshire our No.1 Midlands pub county recently. So it’s only fair picking half a dozen pubs should be tricky, and divide families. But here’s five pubs to give you a flavour of Staffordshire, a county of beautiful scenery, “challenging” post-industrial landscapes, oatcakes and Robbie Williams. I expect my… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 39 – STAFFORDSHIRE
GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 2 – WIGAN CENTRAL
If you’re wondering where “Half a dozen pubs…” has got to, the next edition is Staffordshire, the toughest so far, and I’m absolutely terrified of upsetting Stafford Paul so I’m planning to be in hiding for a few days after that post comes out later. Before that, the second in my award winning Pub Revisit… Continue reading GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 2 – WIGAN CENTRAL
PRESCOT – TO BARD OR NOT TO BARD
January 2024. Prescot. Six months ago I hadn’t been to Prescot in 20 years; now I’m planning a third trip in rapid succession. Geographic boundaries are dangerous, but I think this map shows Knowsley. But can that be right ? 10 minutes on the train from St Helens, just before you hit the motorway that… Continue reading PRESCOT – TO BARD OR NOT TO BARD
GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 1 – THE TURK’S HEAD, ST HELENS
January 2024. St Helens. Now I’ve “completed” the Guide I can afford to take GBG24 at a leisurely pace and throw in a few revisits along the way. In 2021 a trip to Merseyside would have seen a BRAPA-ish attempt at all six (6) ticks; today I target a couple of newbies, finally visit the… Continue reading GREAT PUBS REVISITED No. 1 – THE TURK’S HEAD, ST HELENS
ST HELENS – A HEART OF GLASS
January 2024. St Helens. St Helens doesn’t haven’t much for the tourists, bar a glass museum on the Pilkington site, two award-winning ale houses, a raft of basic boozers and a rugby league team of some repute. I’ve never been to a rugby league match, saving my debut for Castleford’s Jungle. There were coachloads of… Continue reading ST HELENS – A HEART OF GLASS
BY GEORGE ! A ST HELENS STUNNER
A Friday in St Helens. Is this Woollybackland ? Let’s assume it is and offend someone. The folk heading back to Merseyside from Victoria were upset enough on Friday lunchtime, the toothy messiah having announced his departure from Anfield this summer. At Wigan, I had to run faster than Jurgen encroaching on the pitch to… Continue reading BY GEORGE ! A ST HELENS STUNNER
A HOLT IN THE VICTORIA TAP
January 2024. Victoria Station. Manchester. Some Universities teach pointless subjects, like philosophy, and French, and football studies. The very best of them run courses on Pub Blog titles, where I learnt you can substitute halt for Holt when you order a pint of Cheetham Hill’s finest. After than disastrous Saturday afternoon in Preston (never mind… Continue reading A HOLT IN THE VICTORIA TAP
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 38 – SOMERSET
I’m a big fan of Somerset, and so is Baa Baa Toure. He accompanied me on a never-ending series of campervan adventures in 2021-22 to the South-West, stopping in car parks from Exmoor to the Somerset levels to Cheddar Gorge. I still don’t think I’ve got the hang of the county, but I did make… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 38 – SOMERSET
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