October 2023. Leeds. Beer, music, curry. Two out of three ain’t bad. Two gigs in two nights, actually, as we stopped off on the way back from Newcastle at the Brudenell. Pub Curmudgeon did the pubs this week, Mrs RM and I did the music and curry. And street art in Leeds most colourful neighbourhood.… Continue reading THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF LAURA J MARTIN
THE COORS TASTES A BIT “EGGY” IN NORTHALLERTON
October 2023. Northallerton. One more post from a successful raid on the North-East/Yorkshire sections of the GBG, with what felt like an overdue return to Northallerton after a three pub tickathon back in 2018. Five (5) years ago I wrote of “a solid blue-rinse town, generally resting on its laurels by virtue of being better than… Continue reading THE COORS TASTES A BIT “EGGY” IN NORTHALLERTON
RICHMONDSHIRE REVISITED
October 2023. Hunton. Richmondshire. Mrs RM kindly agreed to taste the beer on our two North Yorkshire ticks on the way back from Newcastle. Some of you will be horrified to learn I consider “a swig of the dregs is a tick” but as the latest GBG completist I get to set the rules, at… Continue reading RICHMONDSHIRE REVISITED
THE ANGELS OF GATESHEAD
October 2023. Gateshead. Gateshead is brilliant, isn’t it ? Cheap hotels, proper fry ups, and in Saltwell Park it has one of the great public spaces. We spent Sunday morning in Saltwell, a wondrous rambling place with little zoo, eco shop, artisan coffee and rose gardens. In Guildford you’d pay £12.50 for such a park;… Continue reading THE ANGELS OF GATESHEAD
THE QUEUE FOR THE JAPANESE HOUSE
October 2023. Newcastle University Students Union. Young American women make all the best music these days. Back in September I heard 22 year old Alix Page cover Sunshine Baby, a new song by The Japanese House that sounded like an instant classic; even without that contribution of Matty Healy of the 1975. So I booked… Continue reading THE QUEUE FOR THE JAPANESE HOUSE
STUDENTZ, SPOONS, NEWCASTLE. HOW CAN IT POSSIBLY FAIL ?
October 2023. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Here’s the updated map from that Saturday Stagger on Tyneside. Stop (G) is Newcastle Uni, stop (H) is Newcastle Hospital. I was regretting those “bonus” stops at the Bridge and the Free Trade by now; this bloke on the approach to Chinatown seemed to be admonishing me. 8.30pm now. I ought to… Continue reading STUDENTZ, SPOONS, NEWCASTLE. HOW CAN IT POSSIBLY FAIL ?
THE HOLY TRINITY IN THE THREE BULLS HEADS
October 2023. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Here’s a little map showing you the pubs I’d been to on that epic Saturday night in Newcastle. You can walk it in a mere 6:11, so it’s a good job the Tyne & Wear metro is such a joy. But I left the metro behind at the Free Trade, inspired by… Continue reading THE HOLY TRINITY IN THE THREE BULLS HEADS
DRINK BEER SMOKE TABS
October 2023. Byker. Newcastle. Back on the tram, just about to pass Byker, when the Americans pop up. I really shouldn’t have stopped at the Free Trade Inn., with one (1) more Newcastle pub to tick (a Bass tick at that) and a need for pre-gig scran. But Dick had asked, sort of, and I… Continue reading DRINK BEER SMOKE TABS
LEFT LUGGAGE, LEFT OUT OF THE GBG
October 2023. Monkseaton. Tyneside. Having ticked the annual (and inevitably excellent) North Tyneside Beer Guide newbie I walked the ten minutes to Monkseaton Metro, admiring the roadside pubs (and opticians), and wondering what the Front Street Tap had done to lose out on GBG glory this year. Or, come to that, the Left Luggage Room… Continue reading LEFT LUGGAGE, LEFT OUT OF THE GBG
REV JAMES DRINKING WELL IN MONKSEATON
October 2023. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I’d obviously lost track of time as it was past 5pm when I left the Bridge Hotel in search of two Newcastle ticks, the first of them right out on the coast. The skies were looking angry as I descended to the bowels of the metro, but it was the bladders of… Continue reading REV JAMES DRINKING WELL IN MONKSEATON