February 2026. Lichfield. Quite a rarity for me to get three new GBG pubs in quick succession these days, on a bus line as well. The number 36 rumbles between Walsall and Lichfield every half hour purely for the benefit of Beer Guide tickers, and Lichfield Council have also provided some parking spaces for campervans… Continue reading TIRED OF LICHFIELD, TIRED OF LIFE ?
Tag: travel
LETCHWORTH’S FIRST PUB
February 2026. Letchworth Garden City. Not a great day to explore Letchworth on foot, and apart from pubs and “Marty Supreme” at the cinema there’s not a lot to do apart from loiter in pubs, but you can’t visit and not see the old underwear factory. It’s now offices where people sit at desks and… Continue reading LETCHWORTH’S FIRST PUB
LETCHWORTH GOES “CRAFTY”
February 2026. Letchworth Garden City. If you can’t be bothered to read the next week’s deluge of posts, here’s the spoiler: Letchworth was really good, with a great variety of drinking establishments (I’ll let CAMRA debate whether they’re “pubs”). Start onLeys Avenue, the main shopping street; there’s a rambling furniture shop called Martin’s (clearance sale… Continue reading LETCHWORTH GOES “CRAFTY”
MORE SHEFFIELD MICROS BY TRAM. THE PIG & WHISTLE, GLEADLESS
February 2026. Gleadless Townend. Sheffield. I suppose it’s best to accept the inevitable…in 2026 we’re just not going to get any new Victoria/Edwardian multi-room heritage pubs. But there’s an infinite number of one room shop conversion micros to be developed in otherwise underpubbed suburbs. No more so than in South Yorkshire, where recent years have… Continue reading MORE SHEFFIELD MICROS BY TRAM. THE PIG & WHISTLE, GLEADLESS
IMPATIENT TICKERS IN BANNER CROSS
February 2026. Banner Cross. Sheffield. Approaching middle-age, I feel less and less inclined to turn down any offers of a pub and a chat, even if it does mean staying in Sheffield rather than a slog to Shetland. And the pub tickers are the best of men, always positive despite that setback in a micro… Continue reading IMPATIENT TICKERS IN BANNER CROSS
A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
February 2026. West Didsbury. I left Matt back at Piccadilly, no doubt to attend to housework, and added a rare Greater Manchester GBG newbie before City v Fulham. This year’s Manc ticking has been a bit of a slog, with brewery taps in Wigan and Timperley only opening weekends, craft bars not opening at all,… Continue reading A HOLT IN WEST DIDSBURY
CHECKING OUT POTENTIAL LOCALS IN STOCKPORT
February 2026. Stockport. Hah ! Clickbait. Not a new local for me, though Mrs RM is already tired of Sheffield as our house has a garden that she now regrets buying. Why can’t you make an increased offer to buy a property without a garden. Youngest lad Matthew is looking to leave the rents of… Continue reading CHECKING OUT POTENTIAL LOCALS IN STOCKPORT
JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
February 2026. Turin. And finally from Turin, a redemptive afternoon exploring the western half of the city, a half almost entirely ignored by the internet. ChatGPT had summarised the internet and listed ten (10) highlights, somehow omitting the indoor markets, both the historic fresh food hall visited by Pope John Paul, and a modern food… Continue reading JOINING THE DOTS IN TURIN
THE LAVAZZA MUSEUM
February 2026. Turin. I always say, in a confident way that brooks no argument, that you need to visit a place at least half a dozen times to get the measure of it. And that applies whether it’s Tamworth, Toddington or Turin. I wouldn’t wish six trips to Totnes on my worst enemy, mind. Three… Continue reading THE LAVAZZA MUSEUM
“McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
February 2026. Turin. We woke up on that first morning in Turin feeling a bit like this; I felt sorry (not sorry) for Mrs RM, who had gone pint, pint, half litre of white wine, pint of Leffe. Luckily I Reali Bed & (sort of) Breakfast had a coffee machine, but even after five espressos… Continue reading “McDonalds finally found us, and we’re folklore in Turin”
