retiredmartin

12th February 2020 Sometimes I think I tell you too much. I shouldn’t even have been in Liverpool; I’d completed Merseyside GBG before Christmas in New Brighton. But on that fateful North Wales wobble, Duncan innocently asked; “What did you think of the new Head of Steam in Liverpool” (he’s got a Scottish accent). “Yer… Continue reading A MERSEY MESS-UP

12th February 2020 On Tuesday I was breathlessly reporting my blog was up to date, I’d cleared all the photos off my phone and OneDrive, and I was wondering whether I had writers cramp. This morning I’m in Chester with 227 photos to squeeze into 7 new posts after an inadvisable night out on the… Continue reading FOUR BEERS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD

Today Greetings from Hooton. Well, I left Cambridge with my Aygo buffeted from side to side by Storm Deidre on the A14, but it’s sunny and calm in Chester, where I’m ticking Merseyside to a conclusion. My B & B is £29.92. It would cost nearly that much to park in Chester. Actually, the Limes… Continue reading BLOWING A HOOLE-Y

It’s 11th February 2020 and I’m up to date, for the first time since before VAR. So here’s a summary of the Pubbers’ Progress for you do some comparisons with BRAPA and Pubmeister, here seen proving they’re not the same person. Duncan (the well-dressed one above) is, I think, the only person who’s completed all… Continue reading MR 90% – THE BIG GOOD BEER GUIDE SPREADSHEET EDITION

7th February 2020 PARENTAL ADVISORY : NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH I’m bringing you right up to date now with a dramatic 3-in-1 post; it’s a bit scary not knowing whether I’ll ever be able to leave Cambridgeshire again and bring you more tales. You left me feeling all artisanal after my last Staffs tick, pondering… Continue reading I’D RATHER MACC THAN HURRY BACK

7th February 2020 Another day, another county falls to the retiredmartin surge, a surge which is this week being foiled by Storm Darren or whatever it’s called. You left me waving goodbye to Stafford Paul as I caught the 13:24 from Congleton to Stoke, expertly timing my dash to a 2pm opener (at worst) to… Continue reading KILLING TIME ON THE HARTSHILL MILE BEFORE THE MICRO OPENS

7th February 2020 You left Stafford Paul and I after a third successive failure to get a pint in Congleton, and what’s more, desperate for the loo. Why can’t market towns of 25,000+ be legally required to install pissoirs like in less civilised countries ? As always I directed Paul down the less-than-optimum route to… Continue reading BASS IN BEARTOWN

7th February 2020 Paul had a detailed itinerary for his first ever exploration of Congleton, thanks to WhatPub and his diligent research going back decades. The four GBG entries comprised a micropub, a modern beer bar, the local microbrewery tap, and the revitalised Joules pub. NONE of those were on Paul’s list, of course. The… Continue reading KEG PUBS, DEAD PUBS, TWO FINGERED COMMUNICATIONS – CONGLETON VOL II

7th February 2020 A short break from the Beer Guide now, as I join a Pub Legend in Congleton. I’d picked Heaton Chapel, not just for the Booking.com Genius rate if £27.20, but also because it’s a doddle to get to Beartown (look it up yourself) via Stockport. Assuming the train from the Heatons makes… Continue reading A CONGA THROUGH CONGLETON