More repressed retiredmartin childhood memories today. These posts don’t write themselves, and a week on the road gives you little time to catch up, as Simon is no doubt finding out after his Bucks/Southampton epic crawl. A week on the road with a fellow traveller also gives you rather more material, as well as photos,… Continue reading DALKEITH – BUD LIGHT THRU’ A STRAW
Tag: Wetherspoons
ILKESTON PUBS – ONE STEP BACKWARDS, TWO STEPS FORWARD
And a nice Shipstones mirror for Alan Winfield today, as I get even closer to the Stapleford home of the great man. I’m sure Alan has done virtually all of Ilkeston‘s 30 odd pubs. Quite a few closures of late, including the Brewery Tap, a pleasant but quiet micro. Last year I wrote; “The new… Continue reading ILKESTON PUBS – ONE STEP BACKWARDS, TWO STEPS FORWARD
THE FULL SPOONS BLOW-OUT IN NEWARK
“Not another post from Newark !” I can hear Dick and Dave cry from 2,138 miles away. Well tough, Newark is full of good beer, cheer and isn’t very dear (that should get me a tenner from the Tourist Office). It’s so good we might end up living in our campervan on the free site… Continue reading THE FULL SPOONS BLOW-OUT IN NEWARK
CROMWELL FINALLY GETS HIS SPOONS IN ST. IVES
You may struggle to believe this, but Huntingdonshire, not least among the historic counties of England, has had more Wetherspoon openings in the last 3 years than micropubs. Read into that what you like. Following hot on the heels of the county town, St Ives (not that one) got its Spoons today. A Tuesday opening gives… Continue reading CROMWELL FINALLY GETS HIS SPOONS IN ST. IVES
CLEETHORPES – A THRILLER (PART 1)
I’d been waiting a long time for a reason to return to Cleethorpes, a town I’d never been to when the sun came out. In sympathy to local sensibilities, I’m going to try to refrain from mentioning G*****y in this post; it’s bad enough to have your town marketed under a “Greater Grimsby” banner by… Continue reading CLEETHORPES – A THRILLER (PART 1)
TAKE THE FIRST TRAIN TO ASHFORD
My post-box is full of letters from readers asking why I never visit Ashford. The truth is that there hasn’t been a new Beer Guide pub there since The Reformation*. The answer people really expect is that Ashford is matched only by Maidenhead for its ability to create a void in the soul. At one stage they… Continue reading TAKE THE FIRST TRAIN TO ASHFORD
THE ROYSTON WETHERSPOONS RIOTS
I’ve quite a lot of travels to write up at the moment; I might have to sub-contract it out to Simon as he’s clearly got more blogging stamina than me. But I’ve put posts on Dronfield, Leek, Oswestry and Folkestone on the back-burner to bring you a report on a riotous lunchtime in Royston. Let Mrs RM be my… Continue reading THE ROYSTON WETHERSPOONS RIOTS
MERRY HILL – APTLY NAMED
What greater joy can there be on a Spring day in England than traipsing round an out-of-town shopping centre in Dudley looking for a Wetherspoons. Several, I’d say. I can safely vouch that Merry Hill is a joy best left to people who need things, or like arguing with their wife over meeting places. Which tends… Continue reading MERRY HILL – APTLY NAMED
WELSH SPOONS
No trip to Wales is complete without a Sunday morning spent watching old boyos downing pints of lager. It’s easy to forget that this simple pleasure was denied to them before Wetherspoons crossed the Severn in the ’90s (and that’s before we get into the issue of Sunday licensing). My correspondent on minor sports tells… Continue reading WELSH SPOONS
TOUGH CHOICES IN REPTON AND SWADLINCOTE
No new Beer Guide pubs in Burton this year, which means no trips to the spiritual home of Bass, run brilliantly by Joules. I’ll find an excuse. Some rare new ticks in the east though, and some good walking on the edge of the National Forest. The Forest is coming along nicely two decades in,… Continue reading TOUGH CHOICES IN REPTON AND SWADLINCOTE
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