November 2025. Sheffield. A night in Sheffield between the statutory two in Waterbeach, just time for laundry, a read of the mail, a gig and a catch-up with James. He’d phoned to ask to catch-up, possibly to make sure I’m not investing his inheritance in Crypto, and it pays to keep in touch with your… Continue reading FATHER TO SON, HEART TO HEART
Tag: travel
GATECRASHING A 60th BIRTHDAY IN TONBRIDGE
November 2025. Tonbridge. A day attending to the in-laws of Royal Tunbridge Wells, where it transpires all Michael wants is a front row seat at the Assembly Hall, listening to a sombre piece about Anne Frank performed by his own choral society. It’s less fun than Rosie, I’ll say that. While the in-laws stay at… Continue reading GATECRASHING A 60th BIRTHDAY IN TONBRIDGE
ROSIE AT THE GRACE
November 2025. Highbury. London. A big (for RM) gig in London, a new venue for me just outside Highbury Station and just below the Arsenal ground, and I find myself with 2 hours to kill before doors. I know it’s imperative I get the largest size Rosie T-shirt before they sell-out, but 2 hours is… Continue reading ROSIE AT THE GRACE
LEICESTER CASTLE
October 2025. Leicester. 36 hours in Leicester, and with lunchtime approaching (though we’d barely finished breakfast) it’s time to explore the castle. Leicester looked quite lively with shoppers that late October Thursday, but tourist trade is light, and we are virtually the only folk in Castle Park, apart from that giant heron (or whatever it… Continue reading LEICESTER CASTLE
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
A NERVOUS PINT IN GASTHAUS ALTEPOST
October 2025. Sighisoara. You left us in our astonishing £36.27 Sighisoara guest house wondering where the catch was. A few reviews had mentioned that the breakfast didn’t include drinks, “you’ll pay extra for coffee at Paris prices“. wrote one traveller. Few folk mentioned the cat that woke us at 9am, the prescribed breakfast hour. No-one… Continue reading A NERVOUS PINT IN GASTHAUS ALTEPOST
Top 5 Transylvanian Bed & Breakfasts – Casa Cositorarului, Sighisoara
October 2025. Sighișoara. There are two main challenges writing these foreign blogs. One is finding the right button on the phone for the mysterious “comma below” in Romanian names, the other is limiting the number of photos so you don’t get too bored reading the posts. Not that many folk do read the posts to… Continue reading Top 5 Transylvanian Bed & Breakfasts – Casa Cositorarului, Sighisoara
CONTRADICTORY ADVICE ON SURVIVING A BEAR ATTACK
October 2025. Brasov. Five days into our Romanian trip, and it’s time for bears. Mrs RM had decided we could do better than Bran Castle (“a bit Disney), but a visit to Libearty Bear Sanctuary to cuddle grizzlies was a must. What do you mean I don’t get to cuddle them ? These are the… Continue reading CONTRADICTORY ADVICE ON SURVIVING A BEAR ATTACK
retiredmartin 