I knew I should have sneeked out of Download Festival in June to try a bit more of Castle Donington, but our nanny-state authorities take a dim view on child abandonment in muddy fields. The main employment in the town remains the reclamation of bodies from the Download mud, of course, which is a useful… Continue reading DONINGTON AFTER OZZY
“LIVE AS YOU DREAM” – DEREHAM IN A CAMPERVAN
Slightly out of sequence due to temporary hysteria, but here you go, Dereham. In a campervan. Miles from “London-on-Sea”, a safe distance from the self-pronounced “City of Beer“, and without so much as an overhyped town trail to promote it, Dereham competes vigorously with Swaffham to be Norfolk’s dullest town. Or so I thought. Not only is… Continue reading “LIVE AS YOU DREAM” – DEREHAM IN A CAMPERVAN
A PERFECT NIGHT IN STOCKPORT
There are times when you just to have to say it. Last night at the Etihad was as good as it gets, whatever “it” is. So good that I won’t even ridicule the “tourists” who spent the first half looking for their seat and the second half visiting the (alcohol-free) bar, thereby missing what they… Continue reading A PERFECT NIGHT IN STOCKPORT
THE RETURN OF LACONS
I first notice the revived Lacons brand when I kept walking past one of their delivery vans parked up in Chesterton. The styling is impressive, and their beers weren’t bad when they popped up as guests in Cambridge and Norfolk. Since their revival in 2013, I’ve been noticing some well-preserved heritage like this from Diss.… Continue reading THE RETURN OF LACONS
OCTOBER STOCKTAKE
A dry October filled with decent walking, pub going, and the conclusion of the Desperate Housewives boxset. Surely the best thing to come out of the US of A since Craft beer. 44 new pubs in 18 counties was a decent return, but the pubby highlight was a startling crawl round the unregarded Fenland town of… Continue reading OCTOBER STOCKTAKE
BASS AT ITS BEST, NEARLY
Just outside Lichfield in the village of Whittington is the parish church of St Giles where I once attended the wedding of one of Mrs RM’s Uni friends. It cost about a zillion times more than our own wedding; I think her Dad owned the salt mine. I’m sure Mrs RM wants to tell me off… Continue reading BASS AT ITS BEST, NEARLY
LICHFIELD – TIRED OF MICROPUBS, TIRED OF LIFE
“Those who attain any excellence, commonly spend life in one pursuit; for excellence is not often gained upon easier terms”. Samuel Johnson, on completing the 1770 Good Beer Guide. What a wonderfully underrated little place Lichfield is. There’s not much to do, but its streets are made for walking. Mostly into the back of slow… Continue reading LICHFIELD – TIRED OF MICROPUBS, TIRED OF LIFE
THE CHAIN JOYS OF SUTTON COLDFIELD
An early start today to see Sutton Coldfield at its best. Which is basically Sutton Park, one of Birmingham’s busiest green spaces. The ducks were queuing up to dive in their special swimming pool. (PLEASE NOTE – These are Canadian geese which should be avoided. Thanks to Richard Coldwell for the info.) It’s a pleasant… Continue reading THE CHAIN JOYS OF SUTTON COLDFIELD
SHEFFIELD’S UNIVERSITY ARMS
Another day, another chance for me to embarrass my son by taking endless photos of Universities. We’re coming to an end of a week driving him round Open Days and Campus Tours. All very exciting, but I’ll spare you Guildford. Sheffield was a late addition, hence a second trip to Meadowhall in a week. Can’t complain,… Continue reading SHEFFIELD’S UNIVERSITY ARMS
TESTING THE py HYPOTHESIS
A GUESS THE PUB SPECIAL TODAY You’ll notice a consistent theme in this blog, along the lines of “More isn’t necessarily better“. The number of OK but indifferent beers I get when a pump has half a dozen or more handpumps is rising by the day. Having said that, multi-pump pubs like that are still the exception,… Continue reading TESTING THE py HYPOTHESIS
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