I doubt anyone took notice when I rated Leighton Buzzard my pub town of 2015. Nothing in Bedfordshire can be that good ? As BRAPA has discovered, the county has some gems, and any pub you fall asleep in is clearly worthy of merit. You’ll notice I visited a month after Simon but managed to hold my drink. Just… Continue reading THE BALD BUZZARD LIFTS LEIGHTON EVEN HIGHER
Tag: Bedfordshire
ESCAPING HENLOW HEALTH FARM
Bedfordshire isn’t a hotbed of craft, or cask beer. But it does have at least three classic drinkers pubs. The fact that two of them serve immaculate Draught Bass is totally coincidental. I’ll be revisiting Bedford’s Wellington, and Leighton Buzzard’s Black Lion in the near future. The Buzzard pub crawl may well rival Nuneaton and… Continue reading ESCAPING HENLOW HEALTH FARM
HO HO HO
I’ve been pretty complimentary about Greene King lately, and there is a faint possibility that my choice for best pub will be one of theirs, though the Dove oddly doesn’t serve any of their beers. So it’s time to redress the balance a bit and be Mr Grumpy. The Horse & Groom in Clapham (not… Continue reading HO HO HO
THE GREAT NORTHERN – A TRIBUTE TO LUTON
Or, Luton gets the basics right In February I gave (I hope) an affectionate account of Luton‘s unchanging appeal, never better captured than in the attractive Irish pubs, real ale or not. Many of those along Hitchin Road are long gone, victims of repressive legislation in 2007 and the emergence of “home entertainment”. A few… Continue reading THE GREAT NORTHERN – A TRIBUTE TO LUTON
THE KING’S ARMS, BEDFORD – THE BEER GUIDE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
Fortuitously I was in Bedford yesterday as the launch of the new Beer Guide sent shares in fish bladders plummeting, and able to sample the first new entry you’ll come across in the Guide. The nice man at CAMRA books had asked me to take a photo of his former home, and I always accept requests… Continue reading THE KING’S ARMS, BEDFORD – THE BEER GUIDE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
SANDY -BIRD SONG,PALE ALE & CLANGERS
Thursday is Bedfordshire day. Words to strike fear into the heart of any traveller except the estimable Simon Everitt, probably the only other person to have walked the county ticking off the largely dull Beer Guide pubs. I do like to give places a second chance though, and Simon had formed a better impression of… Continue reading SANDY -BIRD SONG,PALE ALE & CLANGERS
LUTON AIRPORT OO-EE-OO & THE ENGLISH ROSE
On Saturday we had to drop our son at Luton Airport for his flight to Krakow. It’s a bit of a building site, but at least not as manic as Stansted these days. My 90 minute short stay while I helped him check in cost £14, or 7 pints of OBB and 3 bags of… Continue reading LUTON AIRPORT OO-EE-OO & THE ENGLISH ROSE
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
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