Sorry about yesterday’s rant; a little information would have gone a long way. Back to deliriously happy Retired Martin today. One of the joys of travel is finding you were badly wrong about a place you’d thought had little discernible merit. Calne is a place I’d written off on the basis of one previous trip from Bath… Continue reading YES YOU CALNE
CHAPEL ST LEONARD’S GOLDEN HOUR
I have a battered Philip Navigator that records my travels with a pink pen. After completing all the entries in a current Beer Guide, I aim to travel all the roads in England. There’s a bit of work to do in east Lincs, as this excerpt shows; I haven’t been to Skegness since I bought the… Continue reading CHAPEL ST LEONARD’S GOLDEN HOUR
BARTON-UPON-HUMBER
The great 1 July Pub observation moved on to Barton-upon-Humber, in search of pub games, political banter and weird clothing. It drew another blank. I held high hopes for Barton (A Town With A Past — And A Future™), which has always seemed a place apart. It’s home to one of the UKs great pub commentators (see… Continue reading BARTON-UPON-HUMBER
PUB OBSERVATION IN EPWORTH
I quite like the initiative by Boak and Bailey to record for posterity in detail the workings of a pub today, though frankly a read of Simon Everitt’s blog is probably all that future generations need (a thick skin will help of course). No chance of me sticking strictly to the B&B template though. I’ve never… Continue reading PUB OBSERVATION IN EPWORTH
JUNE STOCKTAKE
June 2016 will forever be known as the month I visited more new Good Beer Guide pubs than Simon Everitt (45 v 41). I should be happy, but the fact that Simon has now done the Great Cumbrae pub puts my duller achievement into perspective. Lots of travel to finish off the Beer Guide chapters… Continue reading JUNE STOCKTAKE
THE WELCOME STRANGER, KIMPTON
I’ve really been noticing the welcome, or lack of it, in pubs recently. Pub Curmudgeon and Tandleman have both posted on this, and it’s pretty much the main thread through BRAPA. Welcomes, of course, come from both staff and other customers. I’ve had good and bad this week. The bad experience, in a smart Wiltshire town,… Continue reading THE WELCOME STRANGER, KIMPTON
ECCLES CAKES IN HAMPSHIRE’S STOCKBROKER BELT
Hampshire is one of our most varied countries, the dock towns, new towns and monied towns providing a compelling range of architecture and pubs. One of my proudest travel experiences was surviving the whole 90+ minutes of Basingstoke Town v Thurrock in 2009, a game that bettered Portugal v Croatia for tedium. Grass roots football indeed… Continue reading ECCLES CAKES IN HAMPSHIRE’S STOCKBROKER BELT
WARMING TO WARMINSTER
Whether you think Wetherspoons are on the wane, or a good example of how to maintain a profitable company, you have to admire their investment in some of our most neglected towns in recent years. They’ve brought life, as well as the first cask beer in years, to places like Spennymoor and Peterlee. What has… Continue reading WARMING TO WARMINSTER
TOP 100 PUBS – VAULTS, TENBURY WELLS
I strongly recommend you get a copy of the “Rough Pub Guide“. Used copies currently available via Amazon for 1p (+P&P) but I’ve also seen it pop up in bargain bins if you live in certain types of town. It’s not a list of places to have fights, an A-Z of Aberdeen would do for… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – VAULTS, TENBURY WELLS
PHILOSOPHY FOR THE SAISONS IN NEWMARKET
In 20 years time people will no doubt look back on the horror of the last week, aghast that the so-called “Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts” was headlined by a procession of OAP cover bands. And Coldplay (sorry, should have warned you at the top that was coming). A very similar musical fayre is available… Continue reading PHILOSOPHY FOR THE SAISONS IN NEWMARKET
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