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
JANUARY STOCKTAKE
To prove it’s not just See the Lizards I’ll steal ideas from (sorry Matthew), here I poach shamelessly from BRAPA4500 to bring you a regular progress report. January Progress Report 39 new Beer Guide pubs, in 16 different counties, helped by generous Travelodge and Premier rates in Dover, Newbury and Altrincham, and the usual hospitality from… Continue reading JANUARY STOCKTAKE
NEWBURY IN THE DYING EMBERS OF DRYANUARY
A couple of days in Newbury to finish off Tryanuary, and a chance to see a town that left little impression in the past, bar some decent Arkells on the A4 and a recollection of a lockside Fullers pubs. The cheap, newish central Travelodge has free parking so they’re back in my good books. I had… Continue reading NEWBURY IN THE DYING EMBERS OF DRYANUARY
THE DUKE WILLIAM, STOURBRIDGE
My Top 100 pubs will be places I could recommend without hesitation, particularly if I’ve been able to revisit them in the last six months. There’s also a tranche of brilliant places with a big question mark over them. The home-brew Globe in Glossop is one; the Duke William falls into the same category. I visited… Continue reading THE DUKE WILLIAM, STOURBRIDGE
retiredmartin 