I promised a forensic review of the new Beer Guide and I still haven’t produced it. But one of the main themes is “a lack of churn“, with very few new entries in many counties. Like Nottinghamshire (Spoiler : complete). Only a couple of newbies in Notts, a Proper Pub in Retford and the Brickyard… Continue reading CLIMBING UP ON CARLTON HILL
“Go in ! You know you want to”
Back in Manchester just after 7pm. A hotel room in the greatest city in the world, with no new GBG ticks for miles around. Should have stayed on the train to Blackpool. Never mind, a quick veggie curry tea in the new Bundobust Brewery, whose cask collaboration with Thornbridge is the snappily named “Impromptu Ladder… Continue reading “Go in ! You know you want to”
FOLLOW THAT SOUND
Two Wigan ticks in the bag, not bad for 40 minutes work. Let’s head back to the station and get some tea in Manchester. Just as well the German Sausage stand is closed or I’d have been sorely tempted (possibly). I can’t resist pubs down cobbled streets, either. “Just five minutes, enough for a half”… Continue reading FOLLOW THAT SOUND
REAL CRAFTY – BLIMEY, IS IT A 5 ?
On to my second tick in Wigan, sadly nowhere near the pier. All the hot GBG action these days takes place in the cobbled streets east of Mesnes Park, which means a trip through the deserted centre. The pubs look lively, though. Ah, it’s Chelsea v Man U on the telly. The Swan & Railway… Continue reading REAL CRAFTY – BLIMEY, IS IT A 5 ?
WIGAN WINNERS – THE SWAN & RAILWAY
My “Proper” readers will recall I was only in That Wigan a couple of months ago, finding it sadly a bit scruffy. Now I was back, just making the 16:48 from Piccadilly after a check-in at Ibis that took longer than the 30 seconds I allow. I remember the golden days when Travelodge just wordlessly… Continue reading WIGAN WINNERS – THE SWAN & RAILWAY
ROCHDALE’S WINTRY SUBURBS
Bamford is an affluent suburban area (pop. 9,693) within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, says Wiki. It says nothing else, not even that it now has a GBG entry under its own name ! I almost skipped this diary entry, but I knew the Tand would want to hear about beer quality in his balliwick, and he might enjoy the… Continue reading ROCHDALE’S WINTRY SUBURBS
A NEW PUB FOR WATERBEACH !
Back home on Thursday, to check my Dad’s remote controls are working and admire my Sisters burgeoning development on a field near the train line. Some greats pics on her instagram. Sis sent me a link to a Facebook page chronicling the many pubs of our village (copyright Andy Badley). Great work from Andy. As… Continue reading A NEW PUB FOR WATERBEACH !
(XP) – THE EXPECTED PUBS PHILOSOPHY
In the event that City lose a game we dominate, we take comfort in the recent news that (XG) will be used should points being equal at the end of the season. Here’s the (XG) from one of only TWO (2) games (the other was the Euros final) I’ve watched on telly since Covid. City… Continue reading (XP) – THE EXPECTED PUBS PHILOSOPHY
TOP 100 PUBS – LOGGERHEADS, SHREWSBURY
So predictable. With 20 minutes till the train back to Stafford and a 10 minute walk through the back streets to get there, I had to squeeze in a half at the Loggerheads. In truth, the journey there was as good as the destination. I enter to the sound of Shakey’s “Merry Christmas, Everyone“. That’s… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – LOGGERHEADS, SHREWSBURY
NOVEMBER ’21 STOCKTAKE + DECEMBER PREVIEW
An odd November, but at least it was better than November 2020, perhaps the most miserable of my life. Not much of a travel map, and only 32 new GBG pubs (ticks), which compares shamefully with BRAPA’s haul of 61. Not that I didn’t save pubs, sometime single-handedly. Eighty-four (84) different pubs in a month,… Continue reading NOVEMBER ’21 STOCKTAKE + DECEMBER PREVIEW
