You might think that the new entries in the GBG are all micro pubs, brewery taps, Wetherspoons and community restaurants pubs, but you’d be wrong, so wrong. There’s a real mixed bag, with unprepossessing village boozers, Marston’s new builds and upmarket rural hotels, like the Beaufort Arms in little Raglan, your pashmina refuge before you… Continue reading Raglan mourns the end of the Château d’Yquem 1969
MAKING A DENT IN GWENT – No.1, MONMOUTH
Oh you tease, retiredmartin, we all know there’s no Bass in Wales as they’re hogging it in Derbyshire. You’ll have your own thoughts on signs that promise but don’t deliver, and I was to be disappointed in my search for good Brains (post-Marston takeover) on my 3 nights in South Wales this week. This was… Continue reading MAKING A DENT IN GWENT – No.1, MONMOUTH
WITH EVERY HERTS (GBG PUB) BEAT
A steady start to 2022, with just 42 pubs saved in the first 12 days. I should have saved more. The highlight is, of course, putting a GBG county to bed (particularly when it’s Beds), and it was good to see off Hertfordshire as the county is a funny shape and requires skilful colouring. The… Continue reading WITH EVERY HERTS (GBG PUB) BEAT
ALL THAT’S HOT IN ALDERSHOT
An important day for blogging, as Runcorn Kirsty returns (here) and I get onto Aldershot. In fact, he highpoint of my Great Southern Tickathon, a night at a the Westy Beer Festival. Me at a beer festival ? With more than one beer ? Well, the West End Centre, host of the Westy, was in… Continue reading ALL THAT’S HOT IN ALDERSHOT
TICKERS TAUNTED BY TATTINGER IN ODIHAM
Odiham. The Edenbridge of the, er, South. Or is it North. Depends which way you’re facing, I guess. Odiham is rather posh for a place so dangerously close to Aldershot, twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. Sourdeval sounds like a wild fermentation beer from Waterbeach. It’s attractive, but once you’ve seen 57 half-timbered buildings you’ve seen them… Continue reading TICKERS TAUNTED BY TATTINGER IN ODIHAM
BREWERY TAPS IN THE GBG ? THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER.
I would have asked Citra to join me on my visit to Andwell brewery, he only lives down the road in posh Hook, but he’d fled to Swindon on learning of my approach. Not sure a Brewery Tap near Basingstoke would have been top of his bucket list, or mine, but I’m delighted to find… Continue reading BREWERY TAPS IN THE GBG ? THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER.
WHITCHURCH SAYS “COME IN !”
Many of you (well, Duncan) have asked “Where is Pubmeister ?”. It was Duncan who prompted this 4 day trip down South and offered his taxi services, as gratefully received an offer as Mrs RM’s “Taxi for BRAPA” which was taking place the same night. Fear not, Duncan and Malt will be here soon enough.… Continue reading WHITCHURCH SAYS “COME IN !”
RICHIE BENAUD
Someone is bound to complain that isn’t Richie Benaud, aren’t they ? But Richie IS cricket, if you ask me (you didn’t), and he’s celebrated in The Cricketers* in Longparish, another of those effortlessly gorgeous Test Valley pubs that aren’t half as posh as you expect. Longparish is, coincidentally, a long parish, with lots of… Continue reading RICHIE BENAUD
WHAT RHYMES WITH CHILBOLTON ?
Slowly but surely, my knowledge of the UK increases every year. In 2022, I can even tell you about Chilbolton in the Test Valley. You’ll note the recent National Pub of the Year lurking somewhere about. Here’s what Wiki says (I just donated a tenner to them on their 377th request so my conscience was… Continue reading WHAT RHYMES WITH CHILBOLTON ?
WHERE HAVE ALL THE ANDOVER BEER GUIDE ENTRIES GONE ?
Another year, another trip to Andover. If Newbury is the Newmarket of the South, then I guess that Andover is its Haverhill*, a commuter town enclosed by light industry and surrounded by beauty, a place you have to make some effort to get to know. I couldn’t be bothered to get to know it any… Continue reading WHERE HAVE ALL THE ANDOVER BEER GUIDE ENTRIES GONE ?
