You may have noticed the absence of a curry on Stourport Curry night, caused by a catch-up with a colleague in a neighbouring village without an Indian restaurant. That’s how backward parts of Worcestershire are, folks. Even worse, Fernhill Heath is in a bit of a Good Beer Guide desert (not quite the same as… Continue reading PIE & DEMI ROUSSOS NIGHT IN FERNHILL HEATH
MERRY HILL – APTLY NAMED
What greater joy can there be on a Spring day in England than traipsing round an out-of-town shopping centre in Dudley looking for a Wetherspoons. Several, I’d say. I can safely vouch that Merry Hill is a joy best left to people who need things, or like arguing with their wife over meeting places. Which tends… Continue reading MERRY HILL – APTLY NAMED
THE PROBLEM WITH CHOICE – PART 72
I’d been considering a night in Halesowen, but Stourbridge beckons in a couple of weeks, and you can have too much Black Country fun. The appeal of the former rests on a couple of famed free houses, and a couple of social clubs, one of which (Somers) was always an exhibition of Black Country bitters. Like all… Continue reading THE PROBLEM WITH CHOICE – PART 72
ROBINSONS IN STOURPORT
Another Midlands catch-up with my old work colleague Charles last night. I finally found a decent guesthouse in Stourport, the Victoria having that delightful combination of cheery welcome, clean bedlinen and cold milk. A gem. Stourport is no Bewdley, and pubwise no Kidderminster either. But the two Beer Guide pubs it does have are corkers,… Continue reading ROBINSONS IN STOURPORT
RAMSGATE ON THE EDGE
Our campervan wasn’t nicked or covered in pro-micropub graffiti when we returned to Ramsgate, so I’ve no doubt we’ll be back regularly at our free spot on the Esplanade during the year. Views like these are rare from our windows in Waterbeach. On Saturday we did the clifftop walked into town, and Mrs RM was amazed by… Continue reading RAMSGATE ON THE EDGE
TOP 100 PUBS – FEZ, MARGATE
All the Margate pubs we visited are good, but the Fez is something else. A small one-roomer with a hands-on owner (i.e. he turns the LPs over) and a good mix of Margate life. In some ways I’m reminded of another labour of love round the corner. Like all the best micros, the Mad Hatter… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – FEZ, MARGATE
DAHN TO MARGATE
Our campervan safely parked on Ramsgate promenade (for free !), we walked the mile uphill to the railway station. Sensible folk use the famed Thanet Loop Bus to hop between micros, but we were determined to avoid overdoing it, now that news of the Government’s reduced drinking levels has reached the Fens. So, just a… Continue reading DAHN TO MARGATE
HAIR OF THE DOG
Another day with a “y” in it, another Kent micro, another request to photograph pickled onions and pump clips met with bemusement. Welcome to Minster. Apart from Mrs RM’s short spell there as a Benedictine Nun following her expulsion from Royal Tunbridge Wells in the early ’80s, this is a village best known for its… Continue reading HAIR OF THE DOG
A FAVERSHAM FEAST
The major drawback of our campervan is finding a parking space. Luckily Faversham has a giant Food Hall with unlimited opportunity for old folk to prove they can’t park, and none of those irritating white lines you have to park between. Macknade Fine Foods is one of those barns full of Hungarian olives, Welsh octopus… Continue reading A FAVERSHAM FEAST
GRAVITY DISPENSE, BABY LAMBS & PIPERS CRISPS IN CONINGTON
The travel needed for new GBG ticks continues to rise. This weekend we’re taking the campervan into Kent (two hours) for three Thanet ticks (guess what those are), then another two hours westward into Worcestershire, where avoiding the Cheltenham Festival crowd is the priority. Occasionally you need to stay closer to home. Which means the occasional foray… Continue reading GRAVITY DISPENSE, BABY LAMBS & PIPERS CRISPS IN CONINGTON
retiredmartin 