30th January 2020 A last pub of the night, sadly not one of the trad Wolves classics. “Very quiet for a Thursday night” I thought, before realising it was Thursday, the night before Brexit. Easy to lose track when Wolves are still in 1990 musically. I could have walked to Bilston at a push, but… Continue reading “ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOO FIGHTERZ ?”
WOLVERHAMPTON – MOLINEUX, MICROS AND MARILYN
30th January 2020 Typical ingratitude. Last January I award Wolverhampton my City of the Year and their team does the double over City, surely putting an end to our title chances. A proper football club, bang in the heart of the city, and a proper pub town as we’ve seen many times over the last… Continue reading WOLVERHAMPTON – MOLINEUX, MICROS AND MARILYN
PLAYING A PEAKY BLINDER AT MERRY HILL
25th January 2020 Tick No. 2 on the return to Wolves, a rare newbie in Brierley Hill, home of you-know-what. This post will mainly be of interest to Curry Charles, who’s had an office base at the Waterfront since before Simple Minds wrote a song about it. GOOD TO KNOW (as the Yanks say) :… Continue reading PLAYING A PEAKY BLINDER AT MERRY HILL
STAGGERING COINCIDENCES IN STOURBRIDGE
30th January 2020 A couple of days in lovely Wolverhampton to finish the West Midlands GBG. A quieter year for WM with less new micros, but I won’t gloat. Tonight’s budget (well, £33) accommodation comes courtesy of Barons Court, which is a bit of a national treasure. Still takes forever to get down to Stourbridge,… Continue reading STAGGERING COINCIDENCES IN STOURBRIDGE
COMPLETING WEST YORKSHIRE
25th January 2020 More random diary entries from Calderdale as Duncan departs for obscure non-league grounds, North Lancs League Div 1 Millhead (2) 4 Burton Thistle (0) 1 att 18hc at the extraordinary Iodine Park #groundhopping pic.twitter.com/JA6xX09uOL — Duncan Mackay (@mackay_duncan) January 25, 2020 and I ended up at a pub with a Subbuteo pitch… Continue reading COMPLETING WEST YORKSHIRE
TOP 100 PUBS – THREE PIGEONS, HALIFAX
24th January 2020 A last half on the West Yorkshire trip saw us back in one of those “classic, or is it ?” places. Rather like the Beehive or Fanny’s, you’re never quite sure if it’s what it was in its ’90s heyday. I’d been in the Three Pigeons a fair few times over the… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THREE PIGEONS, HALIFAX
163 DIFFERENT BEERS IN HALIFAX
24th January 2020 After my slog of a walk into Marple and back I was done. No Manc Beer Fest, no trip to Macclesfield, just a train back to Halifax and bed, where I probably slogged away doing this blog so Dave doesn’t complain. But by 9.15 I was getting jealous of the fun Duncan… Continue reading 163 DIFFERENT BEERS IN HALIFAX
JANUARY 2020 STOCKTAKE + FEBRUARY PREVIEW
Eagle-eyed readers (not Eddie) will note I’m only up to 24th January with the posts, but with just a few posts from West Yorkshire and the Black Country to come, here’s the review of a tumultuous month. THE STATS You’ll recall December saw eighty (80) new Beer Guide pubs, a retiredmartin record. It being Dryanuary… Continue reading JANUARY 2020 STOCKTAKE + FEBRUARY PREVIEW
RUNNING UP THAT MARPLE HILL
24th January 2020 Another Proper Pub for you traddies, except this one is a Community-owned one. Will they growl at incomers ? (Spoiler:only BRAPA). Also, one for those of you believe in long walks between pubs to walk off calories. The 15:27 from Hyde Central arrived at Rose Hill at 15:40. Google said 1:15 walking… Continue reading RUNNING UP THAT MARPLE HILL
NO HYDE-ING PLACE
24th January 2020 I’d still intended to pop along to the Manc Beer Fest after a couple of halves, but a couple of things derailed my plans. First, a hideously calorific plateful of gunk selected by Matt at Archie’s in the Arndale. Now the lad has left the Royal Family he needs to earn a… Continue reading NO HYDE-ING PLACE