October 2023. Sheffield. A third successive day of meeting pub royalty as “Citra” Mick and “Big” Steve took the slow train up from Hampshire. It shouldn’t have been that slow, but the floods, particularly at Grantham meant a 9 hour journey and they didn’t even give Mick and Steve a complimentary can of Madri. So… Continue reading THE DUFF PINT CHANGED, GRACIOUSLY
Tag: Taking your beer back
PUB RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
August 2023. Stratford-upon-Avon. Oh, you tease, Retired Martin. Obviously you’re not really going to recommend anything in the home of the Bard (or is that Prescot now ?). Correct, Stratford is an irredeemable dump. Best get your Stratfords mixed up and head for east London. Here, head straight out to the village of Loxley, near… Continue reading PUB RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
What is THAT !?
June 2023. ?????. Yes, I’m keeping this anonymous, I haven’t even named the plant pot. I can’t be bothered to have an argument with the pub or you or CAMRAs who insist I take duff beer back. But you’d think a beer from a pub with enough awareness of “good beer” to stock this, would… Continue reading What is THAT !?
“I think it’s off” says Mrs RM. “No, it’s supposed to be a bit tart” I say.
April 2023. I’ve been skipping the GBG completed chapter pics because, well, my heart’s not in it. But I still can’t look at a page of the Guide with unticked pubs with anything other than unease, and it was good to put (the entirely fictitious) East Yorkshire to bed. The Bosville Arms is the annual… Continue reading “I think it’s off” says Mrs RM. “No, it’s supposed to be a bit tart” I say.
MRS RM TAKES THE BEER BACK. EXPERTLY.
19th February 2023. It had been nearly 20 years since we last visited Sedgefield, a County Durham town the size of Waterbeach acting as the “posh” bit for a famous parliamentary constituency you may have heard of, if only because of a famous visit to this unassuming pub just before my own arrival. The Dun… Continue reading MRS RM TAKES THE BEER BACK. EXPERTLY.
Sometimes, one beer is MORE than enough
7th December 2022. Pub No. 5 on the Great Stafford Winter Wander, which came after the massive disappointment for Paul that the brand new craft keg Empourium was shut. I look forward to Paul revisiting and giving his verdict on the games area; I really wanted to go in the Vine Hotel, rather than the… Continue reading Sometimes, one beer is MORE than enough
Taking duff beer back is NOT MY JOB !
The beer in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs (no such county) was no better or worse than in any other GBG chapter, and the Scottish trend to a lone handpump post-Covid largely paid dividends. But it wall went to (plant) pot in Strathyre, though the White Stag was rescued by some gorgeous views from the… Continue reading Taking duff beer back is NOT MY JOB !
DARLO – DOING THE HARD YARDS
“Less beer, more pics of alleyways and art” you said, when I asked what you wanted from the blog*. Here you go, then. Some have closes, some have alleys, Darlington has yards. Sadly the Half Moon continues with its idiosyncratic hours (top). I think it’s great. And here’s your art, near the Hullaballoo. Is that… Continue reading DARLO – DOING THE HARD YARDS
TREATED LIKE ROYALTY IN SUBURBAN SHEFFIELD
My first possibility was “The slow, sad decline of midweek drinking“, a rumination on the emptiness of pubs outside the weekend rush (see also: Life After Football). Plenty of pubs round me, of course, and as you’ll know I intend to visit EVERY one of them on foot, even though that’ll muck up my GBG… Continue reading TREATED LIKE ROYALTY IN SUBURBAN SHEFFIELD
LEFT TO MY OWN DEVIZES
22nd February 2020 The White Bear was the second and last of my new GBG ticks on this Wiltshire Wander, which is a disappointing tally when I see how BRAPA has been plundering the North. I really fancied a 6X, long a favourite beer despite many commentators on CAMRA Discourse describing it as “twiggy brown… Continue reading LEFT TO MY OWN DEVIZES
retiredmartin 