THACKLEY MICRO v “THE SMITHS”

October 2023. Thackley, Bradford. One more in West Yorkshire and it’s a rare GBG county completion. Still a thrill, even when you’ve completed the Guide, a bit like Amundsen completing a circumnavigation of Oslo IKEA the year after ticking the North Pole or something. Where are we ? Thackley, north Bradford. Near the Isle Working… Continue reading THACKLEY MICRO v “THE SMITHS”

“Kev left his pound at the swimming pool”

October 2023. Shipley. You can’t actually see the dividing line between Saltaire and Shipley, but you certainly know when you’ve crossed it. And the Crafty Kernel meets every requirement of the “modern micro” playbook, though at least it has a nice protruding sign so you only walk past it 3 times, rather than the median… Continue reading “Kev left his pound at the swimming pool”

HALIFAX MINSTER – MY FIRST NCSS 5

October 2023. Halifax. I’d actually come to Halifax for a gig, and you’ll be astonished to know this wasn’t a 22 year old Californian singing about duff boyfriends with sportscars. Lisa O’ Neill sings about the Irishwoman who shot Mussolini in the nose, which I guess is a marginally more serious topic, unless you’re a… Continue reading HALIFAX MINSTER – MY FIRST NCSS 5

PUBS YOU DON’T EXPECT TO SEE IN THE GBG. No. 27, HALFWAY HOUSE, BIRKENSHAW

October 2023. Birkenshaw. I’d heard of Birkenshaw, just south of Bradford, but I couldn’t tell you anything about it, except that Simon says the Halfway House is an extraordinarily Proper Pub. And I still do can’t tell you anything about it, except that the Halfway House is an extraordinarily Proper Pub. But that’s OK. Mrs… Continue reading PUBS YOU DON’T EXPECT TO SEE IN THE GBG. No. 27, HALFWAY HOUSE, BIRKENSHAW

What’s that on the bench outside Sawley’s Bell ?

October 2023. Long Eaton. The train from Matlock arrived at 17:04, and I caught the 18:04 back to Sheffield. So I make that an hour in total to walk the 2.7 miles to Rowells and back (52 minutes say lazy Google), 15 minutes for the pint, 10 minutes wait for the crispy beef and Singapore… Continue reading What’s that on the bench outside Sawley’s Bell ?