I finished Lincolnshire’s Guide entries again today (no applause, it was only 5 newbies this year) and realised just how much fun BRAPA will have getting to places like Pinchbeck and Donington unless he can find a sucker disciple to ferry him round the northern Fens in a post-Beeching world. In contrast, most of my… Continue reading CWMBRAN CONQUERED
Tag: Scotland
HELENSBURGH CHARITY BOX PORN
There’s great pub life in Scotland, but it might sometimes seem the Beer Guide alternates Wetherspoons and Brewery Taps, so The Ashton, like the Speedwell or the Phoenix, is a rare joy of a cask boozer. The Tand likes this place, and he’s always right. You can trust a place with a proper entrance, too.… Continue reading HELENSBURGH CHARITY BOX PORN
FIRST FOOTING IN HELENSBURGH SPOONS
I’m now desperate to catch up on the blog, but clearly not desperate enough to actually stop visiting pubs to stop the backlog increasing. TWO (2) pubs on 25 December, the best of times, the worst of times. Back to My Birthday Eve, and a real Bucket List moment as I finally tick the trio… Continue reading FIRST FOOTING IN HELENSBURGH SPOONS
MIXING CASK AND KEG IN MILNGAVIE
The Scottish Tickathon heads west now, towards Glasgow and one of those places that Scots pronounce wrongly to humiliate visiting English pub men. Milngavie is clearly pronounced “Miln-gar-vey” like the Elbow frontman, but oh no, it’s “Mul-guy” apparently, like the the Elbow frontman. There’s two identical Premier Inns a few yards apart a mile south… Continue reading MIXING CASK AND KEG IN MILNGAVIE
AN EMOTIONAL RETURN TO CROMARTY
30 years ago, in the weekend that it looked I might be conscripted to fight the first Gulf war (we really did think that), I flew up to Edinburgh to meet a girl called Siobahn (i.e. Shivawn) I’d met on the Christian dating site. We drove up to Cromarty the next day, the furthest I’d… Continue reading AN EMOTIONAL RETURN TO CROMARTY
A NIGHT ON THE BLACK ISLE
And on and on the Scottish trip goes; 677 miles now as we reach Fortrose on the Black Isle. Today’s football quiz, especially for our American readers; Name the Scottish Premiership team in the OS extract below “Ah, but do you mean the Cromarty Under-11s Premiership ?” asks reader D. Mackay. We’d booked a night… Continue reading A NIGHT ON THE BLACK ISLE
WHAT’S THE STORY IN TOBERMORY
I was a Balamory dad. When I went part time in the early 2000s to take James and Matthew to pubs, it was Balamory and those Thomas the Tank Engine videos voiced by Ringo Starr (the best post-Beatles output IMHO) that we watched together. And I could leave the boys in front of the telly… Continue reading WHAT’S THE STORY IN TOBERMORY
SOMETHING TO MULL OVER
After that minor diversion caused by the need to be topical, I return to the epic Scottish trip at the end of June and remind you of the route, reaching 510 miles as we pulled into the car park at Oban ferry terminal at 07:45. Luckily, the previous night’s seafood extravaganza had left us unscathed… Continue reading SOMETHING TO MULL OVER
GUESS THE PUB GOES TO BAVARIA
Greetings from the nerve centre of retiredmartin, the only space in the house I’m allowed while Mrs RM arranges sofas, carpets, lino and probably other things I wouldn’t understand. Don’t faint, but I’ve just been to A NEW PUB ! It might even make WhatPub, if not GBG22*. Details to follow. Thanks to Sheffield Hatter… Continue reading GUESS THE PUB GOES TO BAVARIA
“I can’t understand why Stranraer lie so lowly”
And finally, we arrive at the highlight of my short Southern Scottish saunter. NO-ONE had given me a good word about Stranraer, so you’ll know how Maidenhead feels now after Mrs RM and I dissed it. But, like Peterlee and Peterhead and Peterborough (there’s a theme here) that negativity only made me want to visit… Continue reading “I can’t understand why Stranraer lie so lowly”
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