No, not a special edition to commemorate some bloke from Kenya overtaking some bloke from Ghent in our bicycling affections, but it could be, couldn’t it ? Into Somerset (just) for Frome, a South-Western Hebden Bridge, or at least a Todmorden. The reputation as a “Cool Town” is a bit odd given the decline of… Continue reading VROOM FROME
MICK JOGGER IN MELKSHAM
If in doubt, add a cat. Even if it is a cat having a rest on a dustbin outside the pub you’re writing about. Porcelain cats remain a poor substitute. You might think our feline friend is the best thing about Melksham. And you’d be right. But a close second is the juxtaposition of the Labour… Continue reading MICK JOGGER IN MELKSHAM
GRADUATION DAY – A BOON FOR BATH’S TICKERS
I assume some folk read this blog for cheap accommodation tips. One of my major contributions to the NHS was telling people “No, you can’t stay at Malmaison, I’ve found you a perfectly acceptable replacement called Hotel F1“. I wish I was joking. Goodness know how businesses around Bath cope. Nothing for me under £80. Except… Continue reading GRADUATION DAY – A BOON FOR BATH’S TICKERS
STUNNING STAITHES
Simply because the photos are staring at me, here’s a report from rainy Staithes, one of my favourites places on earth (even if it is in Yorkshire). I always assume that everyone knows where Staithes is, so stunning is it on first sight, but it turns out more folk in my Cambridge village can locate the Cinque Terre,… Continue reading STUNNING STAITHES
IN A CAMBRIDGE PUB GARDEN
You’ll be relieved to know I’ve nearly finished my “What We Did On Our Holidays“* posts, just two to go. Taking a break from Hamburg craft and chaos, this a report on my return to cask on a Monday morning in Cambridge. The good news for the pub trade is that, while lunchtime drinking may… Continue reading IN A CAMBRIDGE PUB GARDEN
HOORAH FOR HOLSTEN PILS
Writing about my ordeal of having to drink beer straight from the glass at Reeperbahn Beach, I remembered a time when Hosten Pils was pretty much the bottled beer choice, certainly in the dominant Greene King estate around Cambridge. On reflection it seemed the beer of choice for ladies in our group, before Brew Dog… Continue reading HOORAH FOR HOLSTEN PILS
HAMBURG HIGHLIGHTS
Day 2 in Hamburg. Another 17 miles walked today, since you ask. I’m sure I’d have had more fun in the Reeperbahn on my own. You know, exploring rustic old pubs and hunting down rare beers like Holsten. But on the Monday we had to do the family thing of trudging round the centre in… Continue reading HAMBURG HIGHLIGHTS
MIDDLE CLASS PUNKS IN LANGENFELDE
One of the many joys of a trip to Germany, apart from their warm reception for Russian and American visitors, is their bargain tickets for day travel. Just over a tenner (it’ll be £20 soon if the exchange rate continues to plummet) gets you a ticket for up to 5 people to ride the whole of… Continue reading MIDDLE CLASS PUNKS IN LANGENFELDE
THE REEPERBAHN
Right, I’ve gone through Lemmy, queueing and smoking in pubs; on to the Reeperbahn. We left Lubeck after an early start (by me anyway) gave me a proper coffee with a view of the Rathaus for £1.60. I love German bakeries with their self services cafes and bargain prices. The normal highlight of the city… Continue reading THE REEPERBAHN
QUEUING IN SPOONS, IGNORED IN PUBS
I was going to save the “Great Spoons Queue Debate” for my Bath post, but something happened in Cheltenham yesterday that wound me up that puts the Spoons issue into context. The King of Wessex is a newish Spoons built alongside the “entertainment complex” for the town – Odeon, Nandos, the Bath Bath Store. And it’s… Continue reading QUEUING IN SPOONS, IGNORED IN PUBS
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