I owe Curry Charles a pint, that was his suggested title. Charles, my Pub Man of 2020, had joined me on the second leg of my West Norfolk tickathon, providing double entendres of the third order. But first he provided me with a late gourmet lunch. I’d have preferred his famous white haggis. New entries… Continue reading TASTERS TORMENT NEAR TORRID THETFORD
CONSIGNED TO THE SMOKING HUT
Some real oddities new to Norfolk’s GBG collection this year, like the Foldgate, a roadside diner I’d passed on the A1122 heading to Dereham a hundred times and thought “That’ll NEVER get in the Guide“. And yet it has. Blimey ! Nice sign, Labatts isn’t it ? Stradsett is a hamlet of 60 people, not… Continue reading CONSIGNED TO THE SMOKING HUT
NORFOLK – AN ACQUIRED TASTE
I think I’ve been banned from MumsNet. After a year of raiding their treasure trove of accidental ludicrousness as a lurker I can’t load the latest articles about Christmas dilemmas and nitpick collagues without signing up, and who knows where that leads. So I may miss out on Pashmina Petra from Parson’s Green telling us… Continue reading NORFOLK – AN ACQUIRED TASTE
LOVELY LYNN
Now I’ve moved north the wilds of Norfolk are three hours away, which is no loss till we get to GBG ticking time. An overnight stay in Dereham, the very heart of Norfolk, and four new ticks to kick-start a slow month. Starting with a FOURTH trip to King’s Lynn in 2 years . What’s… Continue reading LOVELY LYNN
SOUTH NORMANTON ROLLS IN THE BARREL
South Normanton isn’t a place you go to by accident. Unless you’re after a cheap chippy, only the GBG will drag you there. BRAPA wrote “suddenly South Normanton became very ‘real’ very quickly with hooded kids on bikes stinking of weed, dark eyed fat ladies in tattoo parlours, fried chicken shops and nail bars a plenty“. Several… Continue reading SOUTH NORMANTON ROLLS IN THE BARREL
MARITAL ADVICE IN MULTI-ROOMED SPONDON
The new GBG hadn’t yet arrived but young BRAPA (wait till you see the old one) had sent me details for Derbyshire and I used the first week of November doing the “low hanging fruit“. A dreadful phrase which somehow makes South Derbyshire sound quite attractive. Half an hour to Derby Station, 16 minutes to… Continue reading MARITAL ADVICE IN MULTI-ROOMED SPONDON
THE BEER GUIDE PUB OPEN SIX (6) HOURS A WEEK
My “tick”, the Rock Mill in New Mills only opens two evenings a week. On Mondays and Tuesdays. I’m OK, I live a 45 minutes train journey, don’t work, and it was a Tuesday. But won’t someone think about the children BRAPA ? I’d spent the whole of Tuesday afternoon counting down to opening at… Continue reading THE BEER GUIDE PUB OPEN SIX (6) HOURS A WEEK
HALT (AT) DISLEY
A quick post showing how I filled the gap between lunch and opening time at my New Mills new tick. After admiring the Torrs, and confirming that the micropub wasn’t opening especially for me, I hit the canal. Note the Cambridge United ultras sticker. I guess Cambridge fans are used to scary cows outside the… Continue reading HALT (AT) DISLEY
THAT’S THE WAY YOU SPELL NEW MILLS
I was recently thinking of UK places that have become iconic in the last few years, and came up with Halifax’s Piece Hall, the Ouseburn Valley, and the Millennium Walkway in New Mills. For all I know The South has some iconic places of its own, but it’s a while since I went to Aldershot.… Continue reading THAT’S THE WAY YOU SPELL NEW MILLS
A DODWORTH DAWDLE
My final GBG tick for South Yorkshire (there was only two !), came in Dodworth, which you probably know better than I do. 37 minutes on the train from Sheffield, population 5,900 (Waterbeach size), a former mining village that’s now in the posh end of Barnsley. Yes, that one. It’s most famous feature is the… Continue reading A DODWORTH DAWDLE
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