On the upside, nabbing that title means BRAPA can’t use it. If he already has, I regret nothing. On the downside, it raises expectations I’ve no chance of meeting. For goodness sake, it’s Ealing, not Ely ! I suppose the Nude coffee at South Ealing is titillating in its way* ? Never mind, here’s a… Continue reading SEXUAL EALING
SEEING THE PRESTON
Odd tidy-up post, this, combining Preston, Penwortham and the Queen of Sydney. Quite a good day out from Eccles, five new GBG pubs including two I failed to pre-empt on the legendary Preston trip back in the heady days of August. I was a bit surprised to see Orchard enter the GBG mere days later,… Continue reading SEEING THE PRESTON
DODGING NOROVIRUS OUTBREAKS IN LANCASTER
I’ve been living a charmed life of late, dodging the floods in Yorkshire, BRAPA in Cumbria, and now a Norovirus outbreak in a Lancaster Spoons. I won’t make light of Norovirus (not to be confused with Nostradamus) and tell you that missing BRAPA by a day was the luckier escape. The Richard Owen seemed a… Continue reading DODGING NOROVIRUS OUTBREAKS IN LANCASTER
HEST IS BEST
Lancashire pub life, eh ? Ain’t it grand. Irish Sea Dave is the expert on the basic pubs of Morecambe Bay, and has almost certainly beat me to the Crossing at the, er, crossing at Hest Bank, one of three (3) pubs in a row on my Morecambe meander. A pleasant stroll along the coast… Continue reading HEST IS BEST
AREN’T SAM SMITHS PUBS GORGEOUS ?
It’s such a shame we can’t take photos with our phones in Sam’s anymore. Thank goodness for Kodak. My Sam Smiths experience came at the end of a Sunday spent in loud community pubs in east Lancashire. Having checked into the Milton in Eccles (£31) I toyed with finding a new bar in the Quays,… Continue reading AREN’T SAM SMITHS PUBS GORGEOUS ?
“SHE BELIEVES IN ME” – KARAOKE IN ATHERTON
Can there be a more attractively located place than Atherton, the jewel in the “bit between Wigan and Bolton“. Note “Dangerous Corner”, an area reserved for BRAPA comfort breaks, and Gin Pit, an area reserved for BRAPA after 6 pints. The mining towns between A580 and M61 (“58061 AM”) are largely corkers, though Tyldesley tended… Continue reading “SHE BELIEVES IN ME” – KARAOKE IN ATHERTON
THE DRUGS DON’T WORK IN ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD
Sometimes I feel like the luckiest lad in the world, until I remind myself I can only name one Van Halen track (“Walk this way“) and am therefore culturally redundant. On Sunday I got a haircut from the lad which was almost worth the cost of his barbering course, and then set off for Woollybackland.… Continue reading THE DRUGS DON’T WORK IN ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD
“YOU CHOOSE”
A dull photo to end Northamptonshire for another year, but don’t be fooled. The Crown in West Haddon is yet another gem in the county to stand alongside the mighty Duke’s Arms in Burton Latimer and the Piper in Kettering, which I insist I get to take BRAPA to. Plain, bustling, welcoming village pubs are… Continue reading “YOU CHOOSE”
LONG BUCKBY, M’DUCK
I loved the Badger’s Arms in Long Buckby, and I know BRAPA will too. How can you resist a place run by a Mr Badger (or indeed, Mr. A. Badger). They’ve even opened a railway station half a mile down the road for Si’s visit in in 2027. I covered Buckby three years ago, and… Continue reading LONG BUCKBY, M’DUCK
BRIDGE OVER UNTROUBLED CHARWELTON
Blimey, I’m catching up a bit. In fact, I’m about to put Northamptonshire to bed, the best place for it. Award yourself a half of Doom Bar if you knew where Charwelton is. “Daventry” is close enough. Not quite Clun, but I was able to stand in the middle of the A361 to take this… Continue reading BRIDGE OVER UNTROUBLED CHARWELTON
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