I’ve just completed my day’s 26 and a bit mile walk around Edinburgh, which as well as confirming it and Glasgow as world-class cities allowed me to do a quick comparison between their respective pubs. Both cities have about 25 pubs in the current Beer Guide, those allocations reflecting tourist numbers and population. In Glasgow… Continue reading ALECHEMY
FALKIRK REBORN
There was much criticism of the sustainability of Millennium funded projects (Earth Project and the Public primary exhibits) but they certainly produced a range of cultural developments that got me exploring industrial towns throughout from 2000 on. It has sometimes seemed to me that in Scotland new cultural attractions have been hogged by it’s big… Continue reading FALKIRK REBORN
No.1 BREWDOG FAN
Just had a superb walk around Kelvingrove Park and the Museum, housed in as great a Victorian building as you’ll see. My wife forced me into a lunchtime trip to the BrewDog across the road despite my best efforts, and the flight of their stronger beers again proved her instincts right. I’ve seen mixed reviews… Continue reading No.1 BREWDOG FAN
PERFECT BEER IN GLASGOW
I’ve had a great day re-aquainting myself with central Glasgow for the first time in 10 years. I can’t see any dramatic changes in the shops, restaurant and pub scene, certainly of the scale seen in Stockport, Cambridge or Shoreditch, but saw for the first time some stunning architecture, particularly around Kelvingrove. Byres Road and… Continue reading PERFECT BEER IN GLASGOW
THE £1 PINT
Today the family walked the 7 mile Cow Hill circuit around the hills south of Fort William, which frankly gave some of the best views you’ll get in the UK. The Highlands are an expensive short break; the Premier Inn is the most expensive hotel I’ve stayed in, which may say much about me. Worth… Continue reading THE £1 PINT
SPOONS NOT BEST FOR BEER SHOCK
A fairly uncomfortable and expensive coach trip from Fort William to Inverness has undeniably magical scenery. I was expecting less magic from Inverness in terms of its 6 Good Beer Guide pubs, but they surprised me with some decent halves of local beer in very pubby surroundings. In a very small Old Town area near… Continue reading SPOONS NOT BEST FOR BEER SHOCK
FORT WILLIAM PUBS
We’re in Fort William for a couple of days, mainly to take advantage of some bargain rates for the Caledonian Sleeper under it’s new franchise. A good night’s sleep and lovely service, but it needs the makeover it’ll get soon. To offset my 20 mile walk today, we visited 3 very different pubs in the… Continue reading FORT WILLIAM PUBS
ALL HUMAN LIFE IS HERE
I often find myself defending Wetherspoons against lowest common denominator criticism across the beer blogs I follow. With trips to Glasgow and Cornwall coming up, I’ll be able to observe some features of Spoons that often feature – beer quality, service, table cleanliness, drunkenness and craft beer take up. Writing this in the large central… Continue reading ALL HUMAN LIFE IS HERE
LIVE & LET LIVE
Torrential rain curtailed our plans for exploration of the wild side of the M3 (Hook) and the top of the table Women’s match at Staines – well done to City fans who did go. I did eventually get a walk into Cambridge central in to make up my minimum 10 mile daily walk, and made… Continue reading LIVE & LET LIVE
COMPLETING THE BEER GUIDE
One of my main motivations for early retirement this year was to free up time to complete trips to all the current Good Beer Guide pubs. Some people tick beers; I tick pubs. As of today I’ve been to around 4,000 of the current Guide pubs, or 80%. Each year the new edition brings a… Continue reading COMPLETING THE BEER GUIDE
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