Started at the Globe with Holdens Mild followed by Golden Glow.
Up the road the the Sir Robert Peel where Herefordshire's HPA was followed by Titanic Rule Britannia.
Finished at the Bolebridge where Ringwood Forty-Niner was available.
Monday, 17 August 2009
Friday, 7 August 2009
8th August - To / From Stevenage...
.. to watch Stevenage vs Tamworth (game ended 1-1 btw).
Whereas previously travel to away games has been via coach, this year its the car that will take the strain. This does have benefits - potentially its cheaper, you're not limited to taking breaks at soul-less service stations, flexibility, etc etc. Time to put this to the test - we're going to travel by car using good pubs as places to break the journey.
Borrowed sat nav in hand, and having researched GBG pubs in Hertfordshire, we opted to stop at the Red Lion in Great Offley which the sat nav tool us to via a range of quite eh interesting roads with plenty of passing places (you wouldn't believe how close t is to Luton.)
Anyway find it we did and around 4 hand pulls from which Buntingford Polar Star was selected (its 4.4% and uses Centennial hops. ) We also ordered food from the menu and some of the best fish and chips tasted turned up soon after.
The return home that evening lead us to Kilsby on the Northhamptonshire / Leicestershire brewery where we visited the George. This time it was Ringwood's Boondoggle.
Whereas previously travel to away games has been via coach, this year its the car that will take the strain. This does have benefits - potentially its cheaper, you're not limited to taking breaks at soul-less service stations, flexibility, etc etc. Time to put this to the test - we're going to travel by car using good pubs as places to break the journey.
Borrowed sat nav in hand, and having researched GBG pubs in Hertfordshire, we opted to stop at the Red Lion in Great Offley which the sat nav tool us to via a range of quite eh interesting roads with plenty of passing places (you wouldn't believe how close t is to Luton.)
Anyway find it we did and around 4 hand pulls from which Buntingford Polar Star was selected (its 4.4% and uses Centennial hops. ) We also ordered food from the menu and some of the best fish and chips tasted turned up soon after.
The return home that evening lead us to Kilsby on the Northhamptonshire / Leicestershire brewery where we visited the George. This time it was Ringwood's Boondoggle.
7th August - Stafford
This months Friday night outing finds us in Stafford.
Having met GP and co at the station we headed off across the park over the river Sow and came across a new pub "The Yard". TH ventured manfully inside and noted there was a single real ale Charles Wells Bombidier so in we went for a pint.
From there a short walk to the Coach and Horses, a pub some noted was very much in the spit and sawdust tradition. Still they offer a good choice from which my selection was Timothy Taylor's Landlord.
Round the corner to the local Wetherspoon's - the Picture ouse which not surprisingly is a converted cinima where I was introduced to Nippin from the Backyard Brewery which comes all the way from Brownhills!
Onwards to the Swan Hotel where they had Old Speckled Hen available (or bottled beers from Slaters has an alternative. We commented how similar this felt to the Red Lion w had visited at Atherstone the previous week.
Next up we took the read entry (exit?) and ended up in the Bird in Hand where my choice was the new brew form Slaters - Owzat.
Final port of call was the Lamb for a swift pint of Blackboard Sheep before heading homeward.
Having met GP and co at the station we headed off across the park over the river Sow and came across a new pub "The Yard". TH ventured manfully inside and noted there was a single real ale Charles Wells Bombidier so in we went for a pint.
From there a short walk to the Coach and Horses, a pub some noted was very much in the spit and sawdust tradition. Still they offer a good choice from which my selection was Timothy Taylor's Landlord.
Round the corner to the local Wetherspoon's - the Picture ouse which not surprisingly is a converted cinima where I was introduced to Nippin from the Backyard Brewery which comes all the way from Brownhills!
Onwards to the Swan Hotel where they had Old Speckled Hen available (or bottled beers from Slaters has an alternative. We commented how similar this felt to the Red Lion w had visited at Atherstone the previous week.
Next up we took the read entry (exit?) and ended up in the Bird in Hand where my choice was the new brew form Slaters - Owzat.
Final port of call was the Lamb for a swift pint of Blackboard Sheep before heading homeward.
31st July - Atherstone - 2nd Angel Pub Beer Festival
... and so the 4 of us and the "imposter" set sail for Atherstone - roughly translated that means that there were 5 of us on the train for the short trip to Atherstone with a group 4 ticket seeing as the "imposter" had made his own arrangements.
After a tedious 8 minute journey we set foot in the market town and headed for where I thought the Angel was (as I had told the "imposter" several times it was where we had sheltered from the rain on a previous typical summer trip out this way, except that it wasn't.
Fortunatly it was another pub near the market square and on arrival we were greeted by a large sign and an excellent selecction of some 20 plus beers on the outside bar. I noted some ciders and given the mid life crisis of an earlier posting was nearly tempted but wasn't.
The "imposter" selected first and to my surprise went for a Tunnel offering (Hop and Bothered) - I say surprise since on the aforementioned trip which had took in the Tunnel brewery itself he had noted , and repeated numerous times since, that Tunnel beers were not for him. "I'm going to give them another chance!" he remarked shortly followed by sip, sip, sip, sip "no don't like it much" but went on manfully to finish the half.
Old Cottage Pattische, Wirksworth Sunbeam, Milestone Rich Ruby and Idle Sod all followed as we sat outside listening to some pretty dreadful racket coming from inside the pub - some might have called it music.
Time to move on and acroess the square to the Market Tavern albeit several hours too early for their own festival also starting that day. Godiva and Bear Bitter, both from Warwickshire Brewery were sampled in the garden.
Onwards along the aptly named Long Street (home of the Atherstone Ball game) to the New Dolphin where Holts Golden Glow was to be had.
Back towards the startion for a choice of two Church End beers (alas not noted) before heading back to Tamworth and a rather long walk to the Bole Bridge (again beers not noted) before finishing at the Globe for one of their regulars Holdens Mild.
After a tedious 8 minute journey we set foot in the market town and headed for where I thought the Angel was (as I had told the "imposter" several times it was where we had sheltered from the rain on a previous typical summer trip out this way, except that it wasn't.
Fortunatly it was another pub near the market square and on arrival we were greeted by a large sign and an excellent selecction of some 20 plus beers on the outside bar. I noted some ciders and given the mid life crisis of an earlier posting was nearly tempted but wasn't.
The "imposter" selected first and to my surprise went for a Tunnel offering (Hop and Bothered) - I say surprise since on the aforementioned trip which had took in the Tunnel brewery itself he had noted , and repeated numerous times since, that Tunnel beers were not for him. "I'm going to give them another chance!" he remarked shortly followed by sip, sip, sip, sip "no don't like it much" but went on manfully to finish the half.
Old Cottage Pattische, Wirksworth Sunbeam, Milestone Rich Ruby and Idle Sod all followed as we sat outside listening to some pretty dreadful racket coming from inside the pub - some might have called it music.
Time to move on and acroess the square to the Market Tavern albeit several hours too early for their own festival also starting that day. Godiva and Bear Bitter, both from Warwickshire Brewery were sampled in the garden.
Onwards along the aptly named Long Street (home of the Atherstone Ball game) to the New Dolphin where Holts Golden Glow was to be had.
Back towards the startion for a choice of two Church End beers (alas not noted) before heading back to Tamworth and a rather long walk to the Bole Bridge (again beers not noted) before finishing at the Globe for one of their regulars Holdens Mild.
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