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| Ruby helping me work out where Criggion actually is! |
Hello pubbers. 27 new pubs for the month wasn't a bad outcome considering I had no time off work. I'd been aiming at 30 but you can't always legislate for pub closures (Thoralby's holiday farce, the Wellington in Sheffield being stupid), and sometimes, you just run out of time (Lancaster).
Midweek nights have been productive with Sheffield now as complete as it possibly can be, I made great strides towards completing North Yorkshire, another good step in the Berkshire direction (well, Hants mainly), and some bonus pubbing around Lancs and Notts to keep those numbers respectable.
Again, I've tried to summon up the best three pubs in my mind, based on my experiences on the day - these will go into the pot for the "End of Year Awards Ceremony".
1. Old Vic, Darlington
2. Victoria, Paddington
3. Blake Hotel, Sheffield
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| Pub dog contemplates prospect of August 'ticking'. |
August Preview
August is the hardest month for BRAPA, make no mistake. With the New GBG on the horizon (Privilege Club permitting after two years of administrative cock-ups, I'm expecting to find it on my doormat Fri 26th Aug), I find myself questioning the point of visiting any new pubs in August. "Waaah, what if this pub is de-guided? What is the point? Why am I alive? The beer will probably be vinegar cos the pub has been rubbish for 18 months." Yes, I turn into a paranoid, nervous wreck.
But once I "man up", the agenda will be as follows.
South Yorkshire continues tomorrow night (2nd), then I am going to try and incorporate some BRAPA into the punk festival (Blackpool's Auctioneer is a must, a trip to Lytham/St Annes might be nice if bands allow!). No sooner am I back from that then a trip to Mid Wales which was being secretly guarded until Martin "One Step Beyond" Taylor visited the Anchor Anchor. Still, I also hope to get some tricky Welsh ones done where even Messrs Taylor, Mackay and Winfield would raise a congratulatory eyebrow. I may even be able to squash in a bonus BRAPA day between the Punk & Wales.
Later in the month, a NFFD (Non Football Football day) sees me shun Swansea in favour of Billinge, Rainford and St Helens. ending with an unspecified North Yorkshire day due to the new GBG possibly being with me (remember last years Coxwold/Shipton v Wass/Raskelf conundrum? No, neither do I). I'll be back in the South Yorkshire swing by then too.
And then I'll enter the period I call "One Month Reverse Owl Syndrome" which basically means I go quiet for a month (well, hopefully just 2 or 3 weeks up to the official GBG release date 15th Sept), but still pubbing Saturdays, as I cross tick, work out my numbers, and "realign my strategy".
...... Not that I take BRAPA too seriously!
This year, I also have the added distraction of PUB NUMBER 1,000. Yes, I am dangerously near that magic landmark number and I presume I'll pass it about mid-late month, but I'll drop below it again when I do the "cross-ticking" so what is the point? Waaaah. And the depression sets in again..... roll on September!
Si