An Irish Interlude

Blame Covid or lethargy but the three Good Beer Guide pubs needed in Northern Ireland have been keeping me awake at night for three editions. That’s a lot of lost sleep. When I was obsessively completing the Guide in-year the appearance of a new entry on the Ards Peninsular was the cause of much angst.……

Shildon: Rails and Ales

I love it when a pub connects the first time visitor to the identity of its place. The Canteen Bar and Kitchen in Shildon may sound like a trendy craft venue but is a family run pub located in the canteen that once served the town’s railway industry. There is often a close connection between……

Not Costing the Earth in Perth

The recent COP26 in Glasgow was a good opportunity to tick off every territorial UK police force as they all seemed to be here. It would be fitting if there was 26 of them but we’ll have to wait for COP45 to match up. If we all make it that far. Pub ticking is not……

Back on the Trail: Good Beer Guide 2022

The 2022 Good Beer Guide is the 49th edition and has been one of the most problematic for local branches to compile. The combination of submission deadlines and lockdowns created much uncertainty about what would be open. Some branches have largely replicated the 2021 lists, perhaps reasoning those pubs didn’t fully reap the benefits of……

A Miracle of Inn Signs

Many inns have had impressive signs but none as spectacular as the White Hart at Scole, Norfolk, that once had a sign spanning the road featuring 29 figures and 21 animals carved in black oak. Made by John Fairchild in 1655, it weighed 40 tons and cost £1,057 – the inn itself cost £1,500. The……

A Danish Kro

In Denmark an inn is known as a Kro. In 1396 Queen Margrethe I decreed that there should be one royally licensed inn every four Danish miles (about 19 miles, 30 kilometres), considered to be the distance of a day on horseback. Some survive, including the oldest, Bromølle Kro, which dates from 1198. The village……

45 Minutes in Stockport

How best to spend 45 minutes in Stockport? There are numerous options. (a) Watch half a Stockport County match. Enjoyed going there several times but not an option, this was a Tuesday afternoon. (b) Go to Robinson’s Brewery Visitor Centre. Done that and it’s time well spent. I also like the way the brewery is……

Herts and Finds

The clamour for posts about Hemel Hempstead has grown ever louder since Retired Martin went to the considerable expense of hiring a helicopter to get the money shot. This roundabout is a wonder of urban planning, only exceeded perhaps by the magnificence of the Piazza del Hemel. But the town does have a Bulgarian good……

The Road to the Isles

Glasgow and Mallaig are only 150 miles apart by road and there is a direct train three times daily, but it takes 5 hours 13 minutes, much the same time as it takes to get to London. The last 90 minutes of the journey are from Fort William on the spectacular West Highland Line. On……

1200 Postcards in Hastings

Some English seaside resorts have emerged from a long decline, following the advent of cheap overseas holidays, to forge a more prosperous future. Hastings is probably still work in progress in that respect, but there is lots to admire about this Sussex coastal town, not least the East Hill cliff railway, opened in 1902 using……