“Where’s Cradley Heath ?” asked Charles, one of the more difficult questions to answer, along with; “Why is that pub shut when it should be open ?” “What do you think of these shoes ?” and “Why ?” Possible acceptable correct answers included; The Black Country North of Cradley (not the Worcestershire one)… Continue reading WHERE’S CRADLEY HEATH ?
HALLOWEEN PARTIES AT STOURBRIDGE’S GREEN DUCK
I never forget how lucky I am to be able to go round the country, finding pubs closed, motorways jammed and Starbucks running out of Pike Place (or worse, replaced with Christmas Blend). Richard Coldwell was quizzing Simon and I last week about the downside of GBG ticking; how’d we feel about having to… Continue reading HALLOWEEN PARTIES AT STOURBRIDGE’S GREEN DUCK
WORD(SLEY) UP
We left the last post with my drinking buddy already two pints of 6%+ beer up, before the 6pm witching hour, and with two ticks left. Not a good place to start the a walk up the A491 to Wordsley. This is where geography gets complicated. I put Wordsley in the box marked “Greater Stourbridge”,… Continue reading WORD(SLEY) UP
HOORAY ! HOORAY ! IT’S A STOURBRIDGE HOLIDAY
Some people use pub cats to attract your attention; I’m sticking to weird Boney M references. And of course, the lure of Stourbridge. This was a Friday night beer and curry with Dereham’s top toper Charles. I think Mrs RM was “smashing the system” or something that night. We missed her. We chose a Friday… Continue reading HOORAY ! HOORAY ! IT’S A STOURBRIDGE HOLIDAY
IN-LAW DRAMA AT TOAD ROCK
I occasionally get odd requests from readers of the blog. You know, write about the worst pub in the UK, tell us about hopping rates, show us what your in-laws look like*. Well here you go, this is the Father-in-Law from Tunbridge Wells, England’s most unlikely capital of craft. There’s a Beavertown amongst those… Continue reading IN-LAW DRAMA AT TOAD ROCK
BECCLES – (ANYTHING BUT) BORING BROWN & BITTER
I’d had Beccles down as the “poor man’s Bungay“; now I see it as a rich man’s Diss. Only you can be the judge of whether that’s an improvement. A town of 10,000, which at least it has a railway station (trains to Ipswich or Lowestoft, very slowly), two Beer Guide pubs, and seemingly one… Continue reading BECCLES – (ANYTHING BUT) BORING BROWN & BITTER
SNORSCOMB MILL – DAVENTRY DELIGHTS
The Plough deserved a post, but that’s the best I could do for a title. Hope you like it, you’ll never have heard of Snorscombe Mill. Here it is, tucked beneath Everdon, which everyone knows. I took Mrs RM out for lunch in Daventry. I know how to etc. etc. etc. You’ll remember Daventry,… Continue reading SNORSCOMB MILL – DAVENTRY DELIGHTS
BREWDOG LIVES !
Tuesday night I was in Deansgate, walking back from a magical Julia Jacklin gig at Gorilla (keg Beavertown) to the equally magical Trivelles Hotel (£32) in Salford. It is possible that none of those names will mean anything to you, but I do hope that you remedy the absence of Julia Jacklin’s music from your… Continue reading BREWDOG LIVES !
TOP 100 PUBS – THE FAT CAT, NORWICH
At last, you cry, a pub I’ve heard of. And surely a shoe-in for any Top 100 at very least. I wasn’t sure the Fat Cat was a shoe-in, so on my night in Norwich I did the necessary research. You know where Norwich is, I’ll spare you the map. You probably know where the… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE FAT CAT, NORWICH
THE DUNCAN !!!
Not a shallow attempt to get a view from the Paisley Pub Prince, but a report on a cheap pint of keg in one of my long-term bucket list pubs*. Obviously you’ll want to know the important details of tonight’s trip to Leeds, like what Simon was wearing under his BRAPA mac, and how… Continue reading THE DUNCAN !!!
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