April 2023. No hurry, here’s Sturry. That would have been the best title. 10 minutes out of Canterbury, we arrive in the land of weatherboards and lamb samosa (£1.20, 20% up on a year ago). Broad Oak has its own heading in the GBG so I guess it’s a bit more than a suburb of… Continue reading “Presented to the bat & trap team of The Golden Lion by the Grand Association of Fun Kings 12th July 1969”.
Seven (7) Italian tourists, all asking for tasters.
April 2023. You left me at Canterbury, heading towards the Bell & Crown for an ultra-rare tick in an increasingly charming but touristy Cathedral city. Somewhat surprisingly, Cathedral’s GBG entries have been quite earthy over the years, solid back street boozers called “Dolphin” and “Unicorn” and “Thomas Tallis”. The Bell & Crown wears its ancient… Continue reading Seven (7) Italian tourists, all asking for tasters.
TO CANTERBURY !
April 2023. Everyone is visiting Kent these days. BRAPA, Paul Bailey, Pauline, the bloke doing every GBG pub in the county… I was in good company as we went down to Rye Harbour to make sure our caravan was ready to receive a few visitors. 3 days; enough time to get a few ticks. And… Continue reading TO CANTERBURY !
LOOK WHAT WE FOUND IN KENT !
April 2023. I had to leave Sheffield to visit assorted parents, in-laws and caravans on the Sunday of the CAMRA AGM and therefore missed an (I’m sure) riveting debate about paper and whether opening times should be in the GBG, even if they’re wrong. By the time that was being argued we were in Sevenoaks,… Continue reading LOOK WHAT WE FOUND IN KENT !
THE 2023 CAMRA AGM FRINGE PUB CRAWL
April 2023. Notice how Mrs RM hangs on Paul’s every word. If only she gave me that much rapt attention*. We had the pleasure of Paul’s company during the CAMRA AGM, which started at Sheffield Uni where Paul was able to add a goodie bag I may well have filled myself that week. Now I… Continue reading THE 2023 CAMRA AGM FRINGE PUB CRAWL
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WELCOME, AND THE GOODBYE, IN THE OSWALDTWISTLE VAULTS
April 23. Oswaldtwistle looked rather lovely when I left the White Bull just after nine. Not spooky at all, that view from the campervan, though I’d tragically left Baa Baa Toure in Sheffield and felt a bit vulnerable. And a bit hungry, after staring at the gastro menu in the Bull. Luckily ‘Twistle isn’t short… Continue reading IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WELCOME, AND THE GOODBYE, IN THE OSWALDTWISTLE VAULTS
A NIGHT NEXT TO A GRAVEYARD IN OSWALDTWISTLE
April 2023. I had my Blackburn tick, I had my free bed for the night next to a graveyard in Oswaldtwistle*. To be fair, a very nice graveyard. But what to do now ? It’s only 20:45, the night is still young, even in greater Accrington. Oh look, there’s a pub. Last time here it… Continue reading A NIGHT NEXT TO A GRAVEYARD IN OSWALDTWISTLE
WHERE THE **** IS KNUZDEN ?
April 2023. In my dotage, I imagine I’ll re-read my own blog and reminisce about the magic night when I slept in my campervan in Oswaldtwistle (pronounced Os-twit). Oswaldtwistle is the mysterious land between Blackburn and Accrington best known for the eponymous Mills visited by coachloads of gentlefolks on the lookout for fragrant candles and… Continue reading WHERE THE **** IS KNUZDEN ?
BURNLEY, BURNLEY
April 2023. “If I was a Lancs GBG compiler, I’d make ‘Briercliffe’ a separate place, but I don’t make the rules” wrote illegal pub photographer Simon in January, during an epic blog catch-up I might soon need to replicate. And I agree with Simon. While CAMRA argues about how thick the paper should be in… Continue reading BURNLEY, BURNLEY
RESIST THE BANANA COOKIE-DOUGH CHEESECAKE STOUT, RESIST
April 2023. Attendees at CAMRA’s Sheffield AGM raising some issues with the beer quality at the members bar would have been well advised to take a short walk out towards the town centre, where the University Arms and Bath Hotel offer high quality local cask. Walk another 5 minutes past approx. 372 (excellent) Asian restaurants… Continue reading RESIST THE BANANA COOKIE-DOUGH CHEESECAKE STOUT, RESIST
