Not really, of course. It only kicks off in Keswick when two septuagenarians fight over the last scone or one of them suggests actually going for a walk in the new boots they’ve bought at 45% off in Mountain Warehouse. Or someone wants to make a return visit to the Pencil Museum, the dullest sounding… Continue reading ALL KICKING OFF IN KESWICK
LICKING THE LAKES (NOT LITERALLY)
I awoke (no pun) to find the Lake District the Number 1 trending item on Twitter. Oddly, it’s not because the Lakers are building a wall to keep BRAPA out, merely that the Lakes are racist or something. So that’s OK. I’m quite diverse, I don’t wear a pashmina or read the Telegraph, and… Continue reading LICKING THE LAKES (NOT LITERALLY)
BUYING “TELEKON” IN WORKINGTON, 39 YEARS LATE
If you’ve ever wondered what £24.75 buys you in Workington, wonder no more. It gets you a nervous night, no telly, and a mug. But I woke early enough to a drab morning, ready to give Worky a second chance. Back to the Spoons for breakfast, along with a group of Yellow Jackets flown in… Continue reading BUYING “TELEKON” IN WORKINGTON, 39 YEARS LATE
…..WINDED IN WHITEHAVEN
Well I definitely hadn’t been to Whitehaven before. Words cannot describe how excited I was as I left the train, leaving ill-dressed teenagers clutching bottles of wine in my wake. They were expecting me; Safely back at home I’ve zoomed in on the OS map and saw that, a) I could have got less wet… Continue reading …..WINDED IN WHITEHAVEN
WET IN WORKINGTON…..
A year ago I spent the night before my 54th (which some people would have you believe is extreme old age) in Barrow-in-Furness on Black Eye Friday, to be woken by all of Ulverston at 2.30am by oiks singing “Let It Go”. Memorable times. The temptation was strong to go one better in 2019 and… Continue reading WET IN WORKINGTON…..
A JENNINGS IN COCKERMOUTH
I’ll take a short break from reviewing the best of the blogs to make some more progress on my own pre-Christmas trip. You can probably guess what highlights are still to come. A reminder of the Grand Tour. I was going to bring you a short report on GBG pub free Wigton but I… Continue reading A JENNINGS IN COCKERMOUTH
ONE PAUL BAILEY,THERE’S ONLY ONE PAUL BAILEY
The enforced absence from GBG pubs* (enforced by the need to give my body a break as much as the closure of pubs themselves) has given me chance to re-read some of my favourite bloggers and bring you a highlights package. In 2019 Paul Bailey’s blog could be summed up as Brexit, breakfasts and builders… Continue reading ONE PAUL BAILEY,THERE’S ONLY ONE PAUL BAILEY
YOUR BOXING DAY MUDGIE MAGIC
Few photos sum up my pub year as well as this shot of The Great Mudgie looking sternly at me in a Proper Pub (White Hart in Shifnal) while a guy wearing a cap inside admires the lacings on a pint of Enville. The mobility scooter is out of shot. That Shifnal trip was a… Continue reading YOUR BOXING DAY MUDGIE MAGIC
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL’S LUSCIOUS LACINGS
LifeAfterFootball remained the go-to blog for post-punk musical references, a haven from B****t debate, and the UK’s definitive source of inspiration for those seeking out East Midlands estate boozers. LAF aka BeerMat aka Lord Coalville visited about 180 boozers in 2019 (and the Pint Shop in Brum). I’d never heard of most of them, let… Continue reading LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL’S LUSCIOUS LACINGS
PUBMEISTER’S TOP 10 PUBS SIGNS OF (SOME OF) 2019
GET UP ! With at least a day at home before the travels restart, I’m determined to bring you the best bits from my favourite blogs. Unfortunately, that means actually reading all 237,142 words of BRAPA, so I’ll start with Pubmeister, who knows a thing about brevity. By coincidence, 237,142 is almost exactly the number… Continue reading PUBMEISTER’S TOP 10 PUBS SIGNS OF (SOME OF) 2019
