January 2026. Widnes. A confession. I intended to make that post on Mudgie’s funeral a long read including the post-wake pubs, but Mrs RM had finished her pint/wine/Amaretto Disaronno in St Annes Spoons and I had to press “PUBLISH” in case the WiFi ran out in our Travelodge (£29.99). It would have been rude not… Continue reading RAISING A PINT (OR TWO) TO MUDGIE IN WIDNES
Tag: Beer
CHECKING WILL’S SHEFFIELD BEER SCORES
December 2025. Sheffield. Perhaps only Will the Sheffield Hatter is as passionate about beer quality in the pub as I am, starting many a scrap reasoned debate on CAMRA Discourse of late. Like Will, I reckon that quality can vary by the day, or session, even in the best of pubs, and discussion about “good”… Continue reading CHECKING WILL’S SHEFFIELD BEER SCORES
THE 18:48 FROM RYE IS CANCELLED
November 2025. Rye. “At least the trains from Rye are reliable” I tell Mrs RM, as I head for the bus into town to start my latest 3:15 hour rail trip north (Sheffield not Waterbeach this time). “18:48 cancelled” flashes the sign, followed by an excuse that roughly translates to “can’t be bothered. So, a… Continue reading THE 18:48 FROM RYE IS CANCELLED
BACK ON THE DESI TRAIL. THE BLUE PETER, LEICESTER
October 2025. Leicester. 36 hours in Leicester; time to complete the GBG entries for the county and provide Mrs RM with enough material for her own blogpost to boost tourist trade, provisionally titled “Oh, go on, it can’t be worse than Maidenhead“. We’d petered out a bit after completing the art trail along the Soar… Continue reading BACK ON THE DESI TRAIL. THE BLUE PETER, LEICESTER
SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
October 2025. Sheffield. I don’t do beer festivals (or tasters, or dimpled mugs) but I also don’t turn down invites from Pub royalty, either, so put principles aside and joined Alfie/Ian/Mr Chelsea on his Sheffield overnighter, starting with a quick half in them Two & Six. As I said this week “when you qualify for… Continue reading SHEFFIELD BEER FESTIVAL (NBSS 3.72).
HOMEBREW OR BASS ? A MOOT POINT IN MATLOCK
October 2025. Matlock. Your £10.15 day return to Matlock from Sheff gives you an hour and six minutes, which is just enough time to tick your new GBG entry, consider how pretty England is in The Fall*, wonder if there’s a bar in that castle on that hill, leaving all of 28 minutes to add… Continue reading HOMEBREW OR BASS ? A MOOT POINT IN MATLOCK
MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
October 2025. Bucharest. Six hours on the Bucharest tourist trail, time for a beer. Luckily for Mrs RM, a brand new bar awaited yards from our coach drop-off. Seven years on from our first trip, the capital has lost a couple of Old Town craft bars, including one with London Pride on handpump, denying BRAPA… Continue reading MEETING YOUNG BOYS (BERN) AT GROUND ZERO
SEPTEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + OCTOBER PREVIEW
A few hours early for the contractually obligated monthly highlights post, let’s hope it’s not tempting fate and something really significant happens this afternoon. September was a month of returns. Biggest of all, Russ returned to the comments page after a traumatic period out, and how we’d missed him (and not just to correct the… Continue reading SEPTEMBER ’25 STOCKTAKE + OCTOBER PREVIEW
GORDON HILL ! A WALK TO THE JOLLY BUTCHERS IN ENFIELD
September 2025. Enfield. Home from Carshalton, and straight back into London the next day. “Proper” tickers would have squeezed in halves in all three remaining London pubs that Friday night, but post-completion I only deal in pints, and want to take the time to appreciate the culture in places like Carshalton, and Atherstone, and Enfield.… Continue reading GORDON HILL ! A WALK TO THE JOLLY BUTCHERS IN ENFIELD
MATCHING M & B MILD WITH DESI BAKRA IN SMETHWICK’S RED COW
August 2025. Smethwick. Our last day in Birmingham, though the new GBG is going to send me back there soon enough (NO SPOILERS) and a rare stop in Smethwick, famed for its Gurdwara. The fast train from Kiddy to Brum takes you past fields of pumpkins at Blakedown and drops you at Galton Bridge, handy… Continue reading MATCHING M & B MILD WITH DESI BAKRA IN SMETHWICK’S RED COW
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