It was a flying visit to Exmoor, but long enough to establish that any tourists there were could be found walking to the Tarr Steps. I’m joking of course, no-one walks that far these days, and there are killer snakes out there. Actually, they were all looking for the lone open pub; that turned out to… Continue reading EXEBRIDGE & THE CASE FOR ABBOT
EXMOOR CLOSED FOR SUMMER
It’s a dozen years since we last visited Exmoor, other than the odd trip to Minehead. Our son is staying with a mate in Bridgwater, so we’ve pitched up near Dulverton, to the north of the National Park. There’s a pub on our doorstep, but that’ll have to wait for the photos to upload. It’s a… Continue reading EXMOOR CLOSED FOR SUMMER
OAKHAM v SAM SMITHS IN PETERBOROUGH
Greater Manchester, Newcastle and Cambridge seem to have the best quality beer, looking at my scoring over the years. Peterborough has rarely let me down either. The city has had half a dozen reliable Beer Guide pubs of some character for a decade or more now, all scoring highly for quality and pubbiness (even the… Continue reading OAKHAM v SAM SMITHS IN PETERBOROUGH
ON THE KEY KEG AT PETERBOROUGH BEER FEST
Beer Festivals don’t feature heavily on my itinerary , (IndyMan and Manchester Fest apart, and I need little excuse to visit the 1st City). My disinterest in Fests is largely a simple matter that they’re not pubs, and pub life is what my travels are about. I also don’t need a choice of more than… Continue reading ON THE KEY KEG AT PETERBOROUGH BEER FEST
ELLESMERE RETURNS
There used to be a number of places you could rely on being Beer Guide entry free; Letchworth, Port Talbot, Coatbridge. Then along came Wetherspoons and ruined it for everyone. Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA doesn’t have a large allocation in the Guide anyway, and the largely rural area up to Whitchurch remains resolutely un-touristy.… Continue reading ELLESMERE RETURNS
NO NEED TO BYPASS TARPORLEY
My earliest experiences of Robinsons pubs were the slightly run-down but cheery places in the Dark Peak, close to the train carriage B&B at the Little Mill in Rowarth. It wasn’t just the cheap beer that impressed in the unknown lands of Marple Bridge and Romiley; some of our group had never seen a hill before,… Continue reading NO NEED TO BYPASS TARPORLEY
CAN I TAKE A PHOTO OF YOUR PROSECCO BATMAN ?
“I bet you don’t get asked that every day ?” I said to the nice landlady. “No, apart from that rapper bloke“. “You mean BRAPA“, I corrected her. “Oh, with those red shoes I thought he was a rapper“. I might have imagined that conversation to be honest. As Simon noted, the Wynnstay at Llansilin is… Continue reading CAN I TAKE A PHOTO OF YOUR PROSECCO BATMAN ?
DOES THIS TRAIN STOP ON MERSEYSIDE ?
Well, that depends what you make of Merseyside as a concept. I’m sure Pub Curmudgeon will have some views on that. And Ken Dodd. I stayed in Wallasey, which is worthy of note in it’s own right, and took the train in to Moorfields. Some of my favourite ‘Pool pubs are in the commercial district,… Continue reading DOES THIS TRAIN STOP ON MERSEYSIDE ?
LAST 5 STANDING -ROSCOE HEAD, LIVERPOOL
It might be complacency but I never seriously thought the Roscoe Head was at risk, but if the Lion can close then nothing is sacred. I’d visited the other four ever-presents in the Beer Guide, in London (two of them), Cambidgeshire and Purbeck, and found them all in rude health, fully justifying a Beer Guide… Continue reading LAST 5 STANDING -ROSCOE HEAD, LIVERPOOL
BASKET MEALS IN CRIGGION
The M54/A5/A458 is my friend at the moment. Four trips into Montgomeryshire this Summer as I make inroads into Wales and it’s holding up well, despite the best efforts of V Festival and escapee sheep. A quick detour to finish off southern Shropshire (sorry, Salop) provided a good comparison with Wales. The Red Lion in Longden… Continue reading BASKET MEALS IN CRIGGION
