As the BRAPmobile tears across the British countryside in search of it's next pub roadkill, we need to reflect on a wonderfully productive June, and see what lies ahead in July......
June Review
41 pubs in a month is the second best EVER, only April this year could beat that and all I can say is my Scottish holiday was more productive than I could have ever imagined with 20 pubs in three and a bit days. I also had a superb day out with the work gang in Greenfield & Mossley. Hell, even very east Berkshire was straightforward and enjoyable, and Sheffield's bubbling nicely on midweeks. Finally, the Greater Manchester day was joyous in it's Joseph Holt's simplicity.
Picking three pubs of the month is near impossible, but here goes based on my experience on the day:
1. Abbotsford Hotel, Ayr
2. Shakespeare, Kelham Island, Sheffield
3. Fleece, Mossley
July Review
I finish June on 958 pubs, which means another good month and I should manage to get my 1,000 up in August (though I will drop back below it of course when the 2017 GBG comes out).
A '5 Saturday month' will help immensely. Firstly, we'll be kicking off with a Dad chauffeur day in the Dales as I look to complete my outstanding five pubs up there. It has to be achievable despite some funny opening times, yes I'm looking at you Bellerby! We are back in Berkshire a week later for Part 6, heading towards the south of the county and dabbling in Hampshire. Week 3 is a TBA, am thinking North Yorkshire again (finally getting up Richmond way) unless someone craps on my BRAP. A week after that, a group of York friends is coming on a Morecambe BRAPA trip with me in our old punk festival stamping ground - hopefully there are better beers now than in Davy Jones Locker. And the month ends with the Hull City gang summer beezer, a pre-season friendly at Nottingham Forest where I have two West Bridgford pubs to do.
On midweek nights, I'll keep cracking on with outer Sheffield to a finish. Still got a fair bit to go at, but once done (and don't shout this too loudly), Hazlehead MUST be back on the agenda. No holidays off work in July, but 30 pubs is still an achievable target in my mind.
Right, I think I've rambled enough, Stick around for my rambling pub reviews though won't ya? Si
June Review
41 pubs in a month is the second best EVER, only April this year could beat that and all I can say is my Scottish holiday was more productive than I could have ever imagined with 20 pubs in three and a bit days. I also had a superb day out with the work gang in Greenfield & Mossley. Hell, even very east Berkshire was straightforward and enjoyable, and Sheffield's bubbling nicely on midweeks. Finally, the Greater Manchester day was joyous in it's Joseph Holt's simplicity.
Picking three pubs of the month is near impossible, but here goes based on my experience on the day:
1. Abbotsford Hotel, Ayr
2. Shakespeare, Kelham Island, Sheffield
3. Fleece, Mossley
July Review
I finish June on 958 pubs, which means another good month and I should manage to get my 1,000 up in August (though I will drop back below it of course when the 2017 GBG comes out).
A '5 Saturday month' will help immensely. Firstly, we'll be kicking off with a Dad chauffeur day in the Dales as I look to complete my outstanding five pubs up there. It has to be achievable despite some funny opening times, yes I'm looking at you Bellerby! We are back in Berkshire a week later for Part 6, heading towards the south of the county and dabbling in Hampshire. Week 3 is a TBA, am thinking North Yorkshire again (finally getting up Richmond way) unless someone craps on my BRAP. A week after that, a group of York friends is coming on a Morecambe BRAPA trip with me in our old punk festival stamping ground - hopefully there are better beers now than in Davy Jones Locker. And the month ends with the Hull City gang summer beezer, a pre-season friendly at Nottingham Forest where I have two West Bridgford pubs to do.
On midweek nights, I'll keep cracking on with outer Sheffield to a finish. Still got a fair bit to go at, but once done (and don't shout this too loudly), Hazlehead MUST be back on the agenda. No holidays off work in July, but 30 pubs is still an achievable target in my mind.
Right, I think I've rambled enough, Stick around for my rambling pub reviews though won't ya? Si