Nick from Erlangen doesn’t keep an active blog, but his twitter account is one of the best photographic accounts of current UK pubs I’ve seen, along with Alan Winfield and BRAPA. We’ve compared notes on our favourite pub towns, and I’ve still got work to do to persuade him of the merits of Mansfield and Macclesfield.… Continue reading THE YARD OF ALE, ST PETERS
WHITSTABLE – VICTORIANA, BREAKING BAD AND BASS
The sun always shines on North Kent, which explains why Whitstable was again packed mid-week with London daytrippers in search of pashminas, panna cotta and Prosecco. It really is my favourite bit of Islington. While it lacks the marsh walks of nearby Faversham, you can construct some decent rambles around Tankerton, but really it’s a place… Continue reading WHITSTABLE – VICTORIANA, BREAKING BAD AND BASS
BACUP
This is only marginally worthy of a separate post to be honest, but I bet no-one has ever blogged about Bacup before and I’m a glory hunter as you’ll know. There’s not a lot to be said about Bacup apart from noting it has great scenery, and the occasional great bit of tiling. The Crown… Continue reading BACUP
CHORLEY CHATTER
It’s not quite Proud Preston to be fair, but I always enjoy the annual trip to Chorley to tick off a new Guide pub or two. To me it’s an exemplar small market town, with an actual market that lacks the glamour of Bury but at least sells stuff people want. Not sure what Botany… Continue reading CHORLEY CHATTER
BURNLEY – MY PROSECCO HELL
I stayed in Burnley over the weekend and enjoyed some decent walking in the stretch of pretty villages just north of the M65, with Pendle Hill and Bowland as a backdrop. This is where the Burnley Express ends and Lancashire Life starts, judging by the cars parked next to Ye Olde Sparrowhawk in Wheatley Lane. Lovely… Continue reading BURNLEY – MY PROSECCO HELL
FINISHING WEST YORKSHIRE ON RISHWORTH MOOR
My last pub in the West Yorkshire chapter of this years Beer Guide was in Rishworth. It must have the best views of any pub in the county, obviously apart from the Steam Packet in Knottingley. Just like Scott following Amundsen, Simon Everitt got here first on his way to finishing the county. Mind, I… Continue reading FINISHING WEST YORKSHIRE ON RISHWORTH MOOR
THE DELIGHTS OF DARWEN
I always thought of Darwen as a lesser Accrington, along a similar “A” Road winding down to civilisation (Bolton and Bury respectively). Like Much Wenlock, it’s a place you have to want to go to a lot, rather than one you pass through. At least Accrington has the Oswaldthistle Mills for old folk to go… Continue reading THE DELIGHTS OF DARWEN
THE WELLINGTON – BEDFORD’S BASS SHRINE
Simon Everitt may be the only other person to have visited all of the Beer Guide entries for Bedfordshire, and that’s more due to the alphabet than the county’s limited appeal. I’ve decided to give it another chance, having visited most of the Guide pubs a decade or more ago, and started in the county… Continue reading THE WELLINGTON – BEDFORD’S BASS SHRINE
MUCH WENLOCK
I owe Much Wenlock an apology. On a couple of previous visits I hadn’t seen the attraction, but it impressed this week, and revealed a classic pub. South Shropshire is one of my favourite parts of the UK, both the countryside of the Long Mynd and the unchanging towns of Bridgnorth, Clun and Ironbridge. Completing… Continue reading MUCH WENLOCK
WEDNESBURY – GREAT SCRATCHINGS
I completed the current year’s Beer Guide entries in Wednesbury, possibly the least-well known of the Black Country towns, though with the same beautiful accent to the fore. This is the evidence of completion. Note that Simon Everitt uses yellow Stabilo Boss markers, which is just as well as I bought up the global stock of… Continue reading WEDNESBURY – GREAT SCRATCHINGS
