April 2025. Sheffield. Mrs RM was in full “am blogging, don’t disturb me” mode last Thursday so couldn’t accompany me on my calorie burning walk into town to check out a new Bass tip. The refurbished Foresters had a turned round pump clip that day, turning it round as soon as I’d gone past, to… Continue reading RETIRED MARTIN ON VOCATION
Tag: travel
APRIL ’25 STOCKTAKE + MAY PREVIEW
Seventy (70) posts published in an month that was my second best for blog views ever, and I still end April a week and sixteen pubs adrift. It didn’t seem an especially exciting month, the usual ploughing up and down that strip from Manchester to Tunbridge Wells via Waterbeach, but there were fifty-six different pubs… Continue reading APRIL ’25 STOCKTAKE + MAY PREVIEW
GILLINGHAM, PAST AND PRESENT
April 2025. Gillingham. The in-laws took a post-Dockyard nap at the Travelodge; I reckoned two hours, plus half an hour to make themselves a cup of tea, which gave me 150 minutes to restore my sanity. Absolutely no new GBG ticks possible in that time, so let’s revisit much maligned Gillingham. You’ll see from the… Continue reading GILLINGHAM, PAST AND PRESENT
“EVERYTHING IS LEGAL IN A DRESSING GOWN”
April 2025. Sheffield. We’ve actually been spending a bit of time at home in Sheffield of late; grief, I even mowed the lawn last month. It’s been worth my while to power up the Naim SBLs and play a bit of music on Tidal, and Mrs RM has turned on the slow cooker. Of course,… Continue reading “EVERYTHING IS LEGAL IN A DRESSING GOWN”
“Can you eat the flower ?”. Wine tasting at Castel Mimi
March 2025. Castel Mimi. Moldova. One thing I should add about these Moldovan excursions; they weren’t cheap. Not surprising, as you’re basically hiring a private taxi for the day, and the vehicles weren’t shoddy Ladas. So it’s important you get your VFM from 50p pints and 10p donuts. Our fellow tourists (from Kazakhstan) had forgot… Continue reading “Can you eat the flower ?”. Wine tasting at Castel Mimi
I SHOPPED THE SHERIFF (TRANSNISTRIA)
March 2025. Bender. Transnistria/Moldova. Yes, dangerously close to the Ukrainian border. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised us not to travel to Transnistria, a breakaway Moldovan territory without consular assistance or valid insurance, but Mrs RM insisted. “It’ll be fine !” said our guide Lily, who then seemed to mislay her passport at the border,… Continue reading I SHOPPED THE SHERIFF (TRANSNISTRIA)
“Early to bed, early to rise…”
March 2025. Iaşi. Romania. Yes, we’re not in Kaunas now, Tonto. Iaşi has its share of brutalist housing estates (this one facing the Opera House), but it’s also packed with gorgeous buildings housing smart shops, and speakeasies. There’s some money around in Europe’s fastest growing economy. I always aim to explore the streets of a… Continue reading “Early to bed, early to rise…”
The importance of the “comma below” in Iași
March 2025. Iași. Romania. A 4:30 am alarm in the Mid Stay at Luton Airport, a quick fry-up of last night’s curry, and then we left the campervan in the safe hands of Alfie, Dave and co. It’s only a 10 minute stroll to the terminal, which makes Luton Mid Stay better than some short… Continue reading The importance of the “comma below” in Iași
TOP 100 PUBS – THE ROCK INN, CHIDDINGSTONE HOATH
February 2025. Chiddingstone Hoath. Kent. You left us out in the gorgeous, straggly, villages west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, cheering up an octogenarian who’s not allowed out much except to have medical interventions and rehearse Handel’s “Messiah”. My last commenter (commentator ?) writes “You should have walked 30 minutes along the road to The Rock,… Continue reading TOP 100 PUBS – THE ROCK INN, CHIDDINGSTONE HOATH
PRIDE DRINKING WELL ON THE (DELAYED) BIG RETIRED MARTIN 60th BIRTHDAY TRIP TO UXBRIDGE.
February 2025. Uxbridge. You’ll remember the trauma of my significant birthday (22 December, but you knew that), as plans to mark the day with a fancy trip to Uxbridge were scuppered by my mum, bless her, staging a sit down protest. Last Wednesday I finally took that pilgrimage to the end of the Metropolitan line.… Continue reading PRIDE DRINKING WELL ON THE (DELAYED) BIG RETIRED MARTIN 60th BIRTHDAY TRIP TO UXBRIDGE.
retiredmartin 