As we headed into June this year I still needed two hundred and sixty-five (265) pubs to complete the Good Beer Guide, and a dozen islands. So summer was always going to be a bit manic, as leaving completion to the autumn is fraught with potential risks; war, pestilence, strikes, covid resurgence, pubs shut to… Continue reading KICKING OFF IN THE QUANTOCKS
SATURDAY NIGHT AT RYE HOLIDAY PARK
The in-laws came down to visit us at Rye Harbour in July; this time they didn’t stay for fourteen (14) nights. Rye looked pretty stunning, and a seal performed for us in the estuary separating sandy Camber from pebbly Rye. What does seal taste like ? The local pub was growing on us, particularly the… Continue reading SATURDAY NIGHT AT RYE HOLIDAY PARK
A SCOOP IN STEEP, AND HAMPSHIRE FALLS
And so to the last Hampshire tick, one I actually failed to do in GBG21, which tells you how destructive Omicron was to tickers’ dreams. In early July I actually wondered if the Harrow in Steep might be my FINAL triumphant Guide tick, but you know how that ends. I’d have gone past the Harrow,… Continue reading A SCOOP IN STEEP, AND HAMPSHIRE FALLS
WHO OR WHAT IS PARK GATE ?
I have mixed feelings about following BRAPA’s tweets from Kent today; On the one hand, I’m overjoyed to have finished the Guide now, free to do non-GBG pubs if I like, but on the other I’m really envying Simon his daily discovery of the riches of the Guide, even if in recent years the bulk… Continue reading WHO OR WHAT IS PARK GATE ?
THE ISLE OF WIGHT HAS FALLEN
Well, in July, really. An uneventful Southern Vectis bus journey brought me back to Cowes (the Western one), leaving me a tiny bit sad I hadn’t allowed myself a day to pack in crazy golf at Blackgang Chine and the Needles, but this was the Summer of Ticking, and I ran to the Painters Arms… Continue reading THE ISLE OF WIGHT HAS FALLEN
A BEER GUIDE TICKER’S FEAR OF THE SOUTHERN VECTIS BUS (AND THE PUB TAKEN OVER BY A WEDDING)
Finally conquering the Good Beer Guide meant cramming in ferries or flights to a dozen or more offshore Guide territories, and meticulous planning. And huge amounts of luck with opening hours, Covid closures and transport strikes. The Isle of Wight is one of the easier offshore chapters, and also one of the easier to get… Continue reading A BEER GUIDE TICKER’S FEAR OF THE SOUTHERN VECTIS BUS (AND THE PUB TAKEN OVER BY A WEDDING)
WINCHELSEA BEACH’S MYSTERIOUS PUB 31
Back in July, deep in the heart of the rush to Guide completion, I was wasting time and effort visiting NON-GBG pubs, like an unprofessional ticker. It’s Mrs RM’s fault. She insisted we explore the joys of Winchelsea, a mini-Rye about which I and the GBG know nothing. The road to Winchelsea along the coast… Continue reading WINCHELSEA BEACH’S MYSTERIOUS PUB 31
SEAGULLS AT THE GATES OF RYE
More holiday snaps from the Sussex coast, where Mrs RM has come to terms with the fact that Rye Harbour’s sole pub is a Sheps house, and the Inkerman will never again dispense Greene King IPA. But fear not, it’s only a couple of miles walk (did it in 33 minutes last month) through the… Continue reading SEAGULLS AT THE GATES OF RYE
SUNSET OVER CAMBER SANDS
Our American readers may have noticed an absence of news in the UK at the moment, so I’m pleased to bring you the item that has kept Brits glued to their televisions this weekend; Luckily, Mrs RM and I don’t watch any television (now Better Call Saul has finished, anyway), though we’ve had to buy… Continue reading SUNSET OVER CAMBER SANDS
GOAT IN THE GARDEN, WHAT AM I GONNA DO ?
Well, this was weird. Or wierd, if you’re Reg. And let’s face it, there’s not much weird around Farnborough, apart from the pricing at Fleet Services. And the Pub Men there like Tony Lea and Citra are the finest anywhere. The GBG Goat in the Garden became a cause célèbre when licensing issues meant it… Continue reading GOAT IN THE GARDEN, WHAT AM I GONNA DO ?
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