9th March 2020A whole night in Gloucester. I toyed with catching the train to Bristol or Stroud to add a few ticks, but to be frank it was dreich and I fancied a bit of non-GBG exploration. You never know what you’ll find outside the Guide.Well, actually I did. The Old Boy in the Stag’s… Continue reading GLOUCESTER’S OPEN. AND SHUT
“THEY’RE ROLLS”
9th March 2020 Writing about Cotswolds gastropubs is a bit dispiriting, if I’m honest, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. But I was glad to get to scruffy but interesting Gloucester. The Spalite B&B sounded like it was run by a 2nd rate Chesterfield fan,r but our host turns out to be the Guest House… Continue reading “THEY’RE ROLLS”
ROYALS
Horsey racing. The sport of kings, apparently. Hmmm. Quite why I chose Cheltenham Festival Week to attempt to complete Gloucestershire GBG is a mystery. In truth, I’d dropped Matt back at Milton Keynes Station and just kept driving west. The A421 does that to you. So I ended up paying premium rate for a Gloucester… Continue reading ROYALS
WINCHCOMBE – THIS NOBLE ISLE
I always assume I know everywhere in England, based on a ability to say to strangers “Ah, Flitwick. Excellent kebab shop. NBSS 3.5 beer in the Crown. Poor man’s Ampthill” etc. etc. But shamefully, I’d never been to a pub in Winchcombe before. Despite it’s legendary status in Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island… Continue reading WINCHCOMBE – THIS NOBLE ISLE
I WON’T QUIT TILL I’VE GOT A TICK, ON BROADWAY, ON BROADWAY
9th March 2020 I’ve spent this morning hoovering my laptop keyboard, and am pleased to report the return of the letter “a”. The exercise also recovered half a pound of Scottish oats. It’s always the Scots. No new counties completed in March yet, but plenty of opportunities in what we call the “sleepy counties” (but… Continue reading I WON’T QUIT TILL I’VE GOT A TICK, ON BROADWAY, ON BROADWAY
MK 3000
6th March 2020 This will be my 3,000th post, WordPress reminds me. I’m getting fed up of WordPress stopping you posting comments on Starbucks and Zappa and the correct word for cobs. It also won’t let me use the letter “a” in my posts without thumping the keyboard, but that may be the crumbs. Quite… Continue reading MK 3000
SHEFFIELD ON A WEDNESDAY
No pubs on my Wednesday stop in Sheffield, which seems a bit of a national scandal. Just a long drive back from The (true) North with a veggie curry, a hot chocolate and an 1-0 win in the Cup. When you see it like that, it doesn’t seem very far to deepest Scotland. Only 7hrs… Continue reading SHEFFIELD ON A WEDNESDAY
WIGGED OUT IN WIGTOWN
My last night in Dumfries & Galloway, a revelation in terms of the scenery and some much better beer than I expected in the first week of March in Scotland. No GBG pubs in Wigtown, but an essential visit to explore Scotland’s book town. Smaller than Hay on Wye, but you’re less likely to bump… Continue reading WIGGED OUT IN WIGTOWN
“I can’t understand why Stranraer lie so lowly”
And finally, we arrive at the highlight of my short Southern Scottish saunter. NO-ONE had given me a good word about Stranraer, so you’ll know how Maidenhead feels now after Mrs RM and I dissed it. But, like Peterlee and Peterhead and Peterborough (there’s a theme here) that negativity only made me want to visit… Continue reading “I can’t understand why Stranraer lie so lowly”
PORTPATRICK – THE QUIET BEFORE THE BORIS BRIDGE
More holiday snaps from what felt like a forgotten corner of the UK, albeit one that will shortly see holidaymakers flocking in their millions to the Boris Bridge tentatively scheduled for early summer, which will make my ticking in Northern Ireland easier. Portpatrick is one of a select band of places in Wigtownshire with real… Continue reading PORTPATRICK – THE QUIET BEFORE THE BORIS BRIDGE
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