Closing in on the last few stragglers in Kent now, starting in feisty Folkestone. If you want to see what modern Folkestone looks like, look at Duncan’s post here and my visit just before Lockdown. The Bouverie Tap, which sounds worryingly French, is in the more traditional west side of town. I know it says… Continue reading PUTTING THE FOLK IN FOLKESTONE
A TALE OF TWO MICROS – (ii) SITTINGBOURNE
If “A Tale Of Two Cities” is about Rochester and Sittingbourne (SPOILER : It isn’t), then Sittingbourne ISN’T Paris. Few folk in rural Kent have ever looked at a map and thought “Oooh, lets head to Sheerness, stopping for cress sandwiches in Gillingham and a micropub in Sittingbourne“. That’s their loss. It’s long High Street… Continue reading A TALE OF TWO MICROS – (ii) SITTINGBOURNE
A TALE OF TWO MICROS – (i) ROCHESTER
Yes, I’m in Kent aka Microland for a weekend, hoping the GBG entries will honour their Facebook opening times but knowing (spoiler) that they won’t. I always enjoy the Medway towns, the land of Dickens and the lesser known Digger, 2 of the greatest Britons. Sadly Dickens World was rubbish and was closed with a… Continue reading A TALE OF TWO MICROS – (i) ROCHESTER
LEARNING TO LOVE MICROPUBS. STARTING IN BEXLEYHEATH
The Good Beer Guide 2021 has had a chequered life. Many of the pubs in it have only been open six month or less, sverely denting the ticker’s progress. And the new entries we’ve had to do have once again favoured micros and brewery taps, cricket clubs and gastropubs. I must speak the truth; the… Continue reading LEARNING TO LOVE MICROPUBS. STARTING IN BEXLEYHEATH
ANTIQUE SHOPPING IN HEELEY
The Privileged Few get their advance copy of the new Good Beer Guide (2022) in the next week, and the whole process of GBG ticking starts afresh. My Ticking Year (£25.99 via Amazon) will come to an end when the Guide is officially released on 12 November (ideal Christmas present for your niece) and the… Continue reading ANTIQUE SHOPPING IN HEELEY
A PINT OF HOLT’S
I end with a picture of a meticulously crafted pint of Holt Bitter (and part of Sheffield Hatter’s meticulously crafted beard), as I make the Sun & Castle (stop I) my final stop before I wimp out and head home (getting old). A wonderful community atmosphere, and I’m pleased to see they’d already got the… Continue reading A PINT OF HOLT’S
SUPER STOCKY PART IV
Don’t worry, it’s not entirely “one pub = one post” on the Stockport Stagger or I’ll be here till Christmas (always a good time to do Stocky). Where were we ? Oh yes, (D), the Arden, pretending to walk off a huge pie on the way down to Portwood. On the way we pass some… Continue reading SUPER STOCKY PART IV
INSIDE THE ARDEN
Pub No. 3 on the Codgers in Cheshire Crawl took me back to the Arden Arms, where my youngest lad was converted to a lifetime of joy drinking Unicorn in April. Well, actually he drinks at Vocation and Fierce so #CaskIsDead. It really is a lovely pub. Six months ago we had to enjoy lunch… Continue reading INSIDE THE ARDEN
TOP 100 PUBS – SWAN WITH TWO NECKS, STOCKPORT
A reminder that if you can’t be bothered to read my report look at my photos from the Stockport crawl you could always go straight to the more concise posts from Pub Curmudgeon (here), Kentish Paul Bailey (here) and Brummie Pete (here). I suspect Cheshire Life had a reporter there too. Stockport had anticipated our… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – SWAN WITH TWO NECKS, STOCKPORT
STOCKPORT OLD CODGERS REUNION ’21 – IT BEGINS
Friday the 8th October 2021. The day Pub Curmudgeon got the gang back, the first meeting of the Beer & Pubs Forum since you-know-what. I wore my special Bass shirt (actually the smartest thing I own since I threw the suits away, which will be awkward at funerals). It was a lovely day to cross… Continue reading STOCKPORT OLD CODGERS REUNION ’21 – IT BEGINS
