Just occasionally I have to spend a day at home, so I had no reason not to finally get to the local CAMRA branch meeting last night. I’ve no excuse for non-attendance, apart from rarely being around on meeting nights, and having something of a blind spot where Beer Festivals and breweries are concerned. 30… Continue reading CAMRA BRANCH MEETING -AN APPRECIATION
HEXHAMSHIRE – FOLLOW THE WALL
One of my favourite songs is “Fareweel Regality” sung by The Unthanks, an ode to the beauty of old Hexhamshire that gets me every time. The real Hexhamshire magic comes south of the ancient county town, following the River Allen down to the Pennines and some magical pubs along the A689, where you’ll find the products… Continue reading HEXHAMSHIRE – FOLLOW THE WALL
NEWCASTLE – NOT STANDING STILL
Sadly perhaps, I’ve given the pubs visited (9,000+) over the last 25 years a simple score for beer quality, which isn’t at all the same as pub quality. Tyne & Wear, and Newcastle in particular, has had more top scores from me for quality than any other CAMRA region outside Greater Manchester, which gets nearly three… Continue reading NEWCASTLE – NOT STANDING STILL
TOP 100 PUBS – BARRELS, BERWICK-UPON-TWEED
I was impressed by the quality and variety of pubs on my return to Berwick, but blown away by Barrels. I rated the beer in this Guide stalwart highly on a couple of earlier visits, but the pubby atmosphere was on a different level this time. It’s probably the interior has changed a bit over the decades,… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – BARRELS, BERWICK-UPON-TWEED
BERWICK – THE FULL CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Turning down the opportunity to watch the Premier League top two at the Etihad for the chance to see the Scottish League’s bottom two was always going to be a good call. I had a great day out in Berwick yesterday, spoiled only by the usual boorish England rugby fans drinking “cidre” from the bottle… Continue reading BERWICK – THE FULL CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
SPENNYMOOR – ART & CRAFT
The joy of travel is the unexpected beauty that pops up nearly everywhere. Peterlee in Durham springs to mind, a mainly charmless modern town with some of the best coastal walks anywhere. Spennymoor looked a bit more challenging, a mining town without the scenery further west, and without much in the way of interest based on a… Continue reading SPENNYMOOR – ART & CRAFT
KNARESBOROUGH – A MARVEL BY THE NIDD
My regular stops on the way to and from the North-East are Wetherby and Knaresborough. Wetherby has a poor Beer Guide record, but a great riverside park and chippie. Knaresborough is overshadowed by Harrogate and York, which is fair enough, but it deserves the budget accommodation it lacks to make it a really good overnight… Continue reading KNARESBOROUGH – A MARVEL BY THE NIDD
BROOM – GRAVITY & GRANOLA
Back to Huntingdonshire today, and a fairly drab walk around Broom, with one redeeming feature. St Neots and East Bedfordshire aren’t packed with great pubs, which makes Simon Everitt‘s exploration of the area from his York base all the more intriguing. He’s just joined me in visiting all the Bedfordshire pubs in the Good Beer Guide (this… Continue reading BROOM – GRAVITY & GRANOLA
MIDDLE-CLASS MICROS
When I retired I think Mrs RM may have harboured some thoughts of me engaged in indoor activity such as monitoring the paint dry or rating the daytime TV. I’ve let her down badly on that front, so felt I could make it up to her with a nice growler of craft IPA with her… Continue reading MIDDLE-CLASS MICROS
ANDOVER -REFUGE FROM THE BOLLY VALLEY
I visit North West Hampshire quite a bit as it’s on my way to the End of the Road music festival, has good walks in Watership Down territory and is amply supplied with cheap Travelodges and Premier Inns. Just north of Andover are some of the prettiest villages in the South, including the thatch and… Continue reading ANDOVER -REFUGE FROM THE BOLLY VALLEY
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