My notes petered out after the Slater’s bar, which is always a good and a bad sign. Given that the Shrewsbury Arms was pub No. 5 for some of us, a slowing down was inevitable. Not that this was a Pub Crawl of Preston Proportions. In truth I’d only intended to do the three GBG… Continue reading BREW XI
DEXY’S, DEACON BLUE & DOLLAR
Name the famous #BeerTwitter person made out of Playmobil*. Clue: It’s not Pub Curmudgeon. I met up with Paul and Quosh back at the station after a quick flat white in a Picture House resounding to a joy of a Staffordshire lass celebrating her 18th birthday with a four litre jug of Shropshire Lad Abbot… Continue reading DEXY’S, DEACON BLUE & DOLLAR
ON MY BOD IN STAFFORD
Wednesday morning meant “Le Grande Tour“. A designated heritage trip through east Cheshire, with only a small Branson Premium applied as it manages to bypass Stoke. I resisted the craft beer options on Crewe Station. Yes, my Big Day In Stafford with Paul (t’other) Mudge and Quosh, a first time out for this particular trio.… Continue reading ON MY BOD IN STAFFORD
NO SPOONS, BUT CREWE’S ESTATE PUB LIVES
Seems I forgot to include a map showing you where Crewe is earlier. So here it is, with the Blue Mugge in Leek as your reference point. Hope that helps. Last time here I stayed in the Crewe Arms, which sadly isn’t as posh as it looks, but undercut the bargain Travelodge by a fiver.… Continue reading NO SPOONS, BUT CREWE’S ESTATE PUB LIVES
3 NIGHTS IN CREWE
I should be in Liverpool today, visiting weird new craft bars with names like the White Star, Globe and Crown. But unfortunately I’ve rather overdone it this week at Stafford, Crewe and IndyMan, which makes a good trio. Crewe’s Travelodge has been my new home since Tuesday. Though in truth I seem to have spent… Continue reading 3 NIGHTS IN CREWE
NEVER CHANGE, BRIGHTON
My most diligent readers will note I’ve used that title for Blackpool before. And will probably use it in Grantham and Kilmarnock as well now. Mrs RM was still preparing her Monday presentation when I returned with a can of Vocation Pride & Joy and a fudge brownie from some indie shop called Tezcoxprs or… Continue reading NEVER CHANGE, BRIGHTON
PICKLES IN PORTSLADE
Sunday saw my little Aygo bravely battling gale force winds along the A259 from Eastbourne to Brighton. I would hate for my ticking to have come to an abrupt halt in Peacehaven, never a place I’ve warmed to. I dutifully dropped Mrs RM off in the Laines and headed for the secret free parking spot… Continue reading PICKLES IN PORTSLADE
HASTINGS SPARKLES IN THE RAIN
The tales of Simon’s traumas in rail replacement bus to Barrow put to shame our own mild irritation with the drunk poet on Rye-Hastings leg of our Saturday Sozzler. We were pleased to make the safety of the scruffy underpass, but then kept bumping into the Port Laureate of the Downs on every corner, haranguing… Continue reading HASTINGS SPARKLES IN THE RAIN
BACK TO THE CASTLE
An hour between trains in Rye, just long enough for that frantic half in the micro and a mad search for an open loo. Don’t laugh, you’ll be old once. Always a wonderful place to amble when the coach loads from Arundel and Ashford have gone. Strangely quiet at 6pm, and that wasn’t because they… Continue reading BACK TO THE CASTLE
WATERWORKS
No, nothing to do with Newark North. This was the cutely named new micro bar in Rye. Yeah, the one Paul Bailey probably advised me to do earlier this year when we walked past. Yes, there’s a spare table outside. But it was about 10 degrees too cold for Mrs RM, so we braved the… Continue reading WATERWORKS
retiredmartin 