June 2025. West Wickham. South-East London. The struggle is real. A 2:15 hour train trip to Boring Beckenham in the June heatwave to tick two GBG micros that could have been anywhere. Anywhere in Kent or South London, specifically. You’re expecting me to say “It’s not you, Beckenham, it’s me“, aren’t you ? But it’s… Continue reading MILD PERIL IN WEST WICKHAM
A DAY TRIP TO BECKENHAM
June 2025. Beckenham. It’s not cheap getting to London from Waterbeach during the week, but it’s cheaper when you’re old. £25.50 day return to Beckenham, with two (2) new GBG pubs as I bring London ticking to a crescendo. A train to Beckenham isn’t as straightforward as a train to Kings Lynn. How many stations… Continue reading A DAY TRIP TO BECKENHAM
MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
June 2025. West Haddon. Northamptonshire. Edging towards at least completing the Midlands and East (my old NHS region) in the GBG, and a rare new entry in what can only be described as “Northamptonshire – Posh“. Close to the county’s top attractions; Althorp Hall, Watford Gap Services and the freight terminals of the A5. With… Continue reading MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
BASS IN A SEA OF CARLING. IBSTOCK’S WAGGON AND HORSES
June 2025. Ibstock. Have a Good Beer Guide map. Yes, a fully pinked-in GBG map, you’d forgotten what they look like, hadn’t you ? Ibstock (pop. 7,615) is very much Greater Coalville, a plain old East Mids mining town with a long and occasionally attractive high street with a bit of new housing and two… Continue reading BASS IN A SEA OF CARLING. IBSTOCK’S WAGGON AND HORSES
FROM CHEETHAM TO CHETHAM
June 2025. Cheetham Hill. Manchester. More notes from a sober night in north Manchester. If you can identify the only pub I did go on (for a “comfort break”) from this; then you probably win a pint of Firebird Heritage in a Sam Smiths pub of your choice. The sun shone on the 1 righteous… Continue reading FROM CHEETHAM TO CHETHAM
STRANGEWAYS, STRANGE DAYS IN CHEETHAM HILL
June 2025. Manchester. Driving Matt home from Luton Airport yesterday I asked him to guess how many pubs I’d managed on my two (2) days in Manchester. “A dozen ?” says Matt, who obviously reads this blog. “None“. Yes, a couple of cultural days, and a £34.99 Travelodge next to the AO Arena, itself rather… Continue reading STRANGEWAYS, STRANGE DAYS IN CHEETHAM HILL
YOUR REGULAR SHEFFIELD BASS UPDATE
June 2025. Sheffield. I strolled back into town from Abbeydale, determined to walk off the calories I would shortly put back on by the visit to Sang Lung I always try to squeeze in on Sundays in Sheffield. I reckon the crispy beef/Singapore rice combo from next door to Hillsborough Spoons is worth moving house… Continue reading YOUR REGULAR SHEFFIELD BASS UPDATE
IN SHEFFIELD, EVEN THE HUNGRY HORSE IS DECENT
June 2025. Sheffield. Having invested £3 on a bus trip to Abbeydale to try a doughnut stout I was hardly going to walk straight home was I ? The industrial area below Sheffield isn’t as scary as Bradford, or as exciting as Duisburg, but there’s a bit of history, and a shy Hungry Horse, tucked… Continue reading IN SHEFFIELD, EVEN THE HUNGRY HORSE IS DECENT
CARAMEL CUSTARD DOUGHNUT MILK STOUT REDEMPTION
June 2025. Sheffield. Abbeydale, in fact. Into our 5th year in Sheffield and there’s still vast swathes to explore, even if the new pub opening have dried up a bit of late*. Lots of big transport projects ‘oop north just announced, but nothing that gives Sheffield trams out west and south, so on Saturday I… Continue reading CARAMEL CUSTARD DOUGHNUT MILK STOUT REDEMPTION
BAD DECISIONS IN BRIDLINGTON SPOONS
June 2025. Bridlington. Three pubs a minute’s walk apart in an hour had put paid to any idea of re-exploring Bridlington Old Town or walking the seabird coast, and I suddenly realised I’d forgotten to eat. A man doesn’t come to the coast to eat pork pies or quinoa, he comes to sit on a… Continue reading BAD DECISIONS IN BRIDLINGTON SPOONS
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