I'm more "in limbo" than errrm, errrm Thom Yorke (it's a Radiohead song apparently) as I continue to wait for the 2017 Good Beer Guide to hit my doorstep with all the force of it's 1,000,000,000 pages or however thick it is this year.......
One thing is for sure, CAMRA's new distribution centre in Anchor, Shropshire was a mistake. September tomorrow so time is ticking on. This was the first year my direct debit had been set up / taken correctly too.
And even more galling, the privileged south-easteners (south of Cambridgeshire) have their copies already and have spent the week on Twitter like teenage gossip whores, breaking CAMRA confidentiality etiquette about GBG inclusion left, right and centre.
Or complaining they've received unexpected copies, which they no doubt rip the pages out of to mop up the caviar and swan gravy from their overfed mouths whilst Tristan parks on double yellows (stuff the fine, he can afford it) to bring the SUV round for Jemima before they scoot off to the Craft Kitchen Urban Tap and order Beavertown and Kernal's #777.76 collaboration brew (matched with "eats"). There's a 'meet the brewer' event with both later, maybe they'll get a selfie with their bearded heroes and Instagram it with the ironic hashtag #evilkegrules
Not that this lack of Good Beer Guide is getting to me or anything ......
August Review
22 new pubs is disappointing when I've had two weeks of annual leave and it is supposedly summer time, but as I always say, August is the hardest month to pub tick as I've been mentally preparing myself for the new GBG, worried about what might drop out!
The highlight is almost certainly the Welsh trip and in particular, finally getting to the Anchor! Felt really bad for Mum's sprained ankle which is kind of a metaphor for August pub ticking if you think about it. The other great day was around the Wigan area where I brought up the 1,000.
Here are my three pubs of the month:
1. Admial Rodney Inn, Criggion
2. Masons Arms, Billinge
3. Clarendon, Marske-by-the-Sea
Surprised to see Anchor not in? Well, it was amazing and magical in so many ways but putting all the romance aside of location, great landlord, great beer, the overall pub experience itself still wasn't quite as good as the three above.
September Preview
The month starts with the next leg of my Berkshire trip (part 7 I believe) but no idea where I am going yet. I'll be using Reading as a base but can only pray the new GBG arrives tomorrow or Friday.
Tuesday's are off limits for now as I enter "One Month Reverse Owl Syndrome" (don't ask) whilst the GBG cross-ticking exercise takes place. I'm on 1,006 at present, hoping not to drop below 900 but perhaps 850 is a more reasonable expectation.
Saturday's will continue in force, the 2nd Saturday is the annual Hull City away defeat at Burnley. I should be running out of pubs by now in this part of the world but Padiham and Ighten look enticing.
A week later, another punishing day in North Yorkshire looks the most likely county.
And a week after that, we celebrate Tom Irvin's birthday (not that he'd lower himself to such festivities) with a trip to Crosby which is near Liverpool. I see Bootle and Waterloo are nearby so it could be a rare pub ticking fest on Merseyside.
And hopefully, Tuesday's (South Yorkshire to a finish) will be back up and running after 15th Sept. Going to aim for 25 but it might struggle.
Pub Spreadsheet
I've spent the last month logging over 1,250 pubs into a spreadsheet with the (probable) date I first visited them. What a life I lead!
I'm now filling in the gaps ..... all those 'early' Good Beer Guide pubs I did at Hull City away matches circa 2002-04.
In an interesting twist, I've just had to re-order the 2003 and 2004 Good Beer Guides to retrace my thought processes for the 02/03 and 03/04 seasons. So I'm waiting for 3 GBG's now! I must be a masochist.
Si
 |
| Hopelessly optimistic (and increasingly weather beaten) sign on my front door. |
And even more galling, the privileged south-easteners (south of Cambridgeshire) have their copies already and have spent the week on Twitter like teenage gossip whores, breaking CAMRA confidentiality etiquette about GBG inclusion left, right and centre.
Or complaining they've received unexpected copies, which they no doubt rip the pages out of to mop up the caviar and swan gravy from their overfed mouths whilst Tristan parks on double yellows (stuff the fine, he can afford it) to bring the SUV round for Jemima before they scoot off to the Craft Kitchen Urban Tap and order Beavertown and Kernal's #777.76 collaboration brew (matched with "eats"). There's a 'meet the brewer' event with both later, maybe they'll get a selfie with their bearded heroes and Instagram it with the ironic hashtag #evilkegrules
Not that this lack of Good Beer Guide is getting to me or anything ......
 |
| All ready for some GBG cross ticking, just one vital thing missing..... |
22 new pubs is disappointing when I've had two weeks of annual leave and it is supposedly summer time, but as I always say, August is the hardest month to pub tick as I've been mentally preparing myself for the new GBG, worried about what might drop out!
The highlight is almost certainly the Welsh trip and in particular, finally getting to the Anchor! Felt really bad for Mum's sprained ankle which is kind of a metaphor for August pub ticking if you think about it. The other great day was around the Wigan area where I brought up the 1,000.
Here are my three pubs of the month:
1. Admial Rodney Inn, Criggion
2. Masons Arms, Billinge
3. Clarendon, Marske-by-the-Sea
Surprised to see Anchor not in? Well, it was amazing and magical in so many ways but putting all the romance aside of location, great landlord, great beer, the overall pub experience itself still wasn't quite as good as the three above.
 |
| Seriously good Salopian Oracle in Criggion. |
September Preview
The month starts with the next leg of my Berkshire trip (part 7 I believe) but no idea where I am going yet. I'll be using Reading as a base but can only pray the new GBG arrives tomorrow or Friday.
Tuesday's are off limits for now as I enter "One Month Reverse Owl Syndrome" (don't ask) whilst the GBG cross-ticking exercise takes place. I'm on 1,006 at present, hoping not to drop below 900 but perhaps 850 is a more reasonable expectation.
Saturday's will continue in force, the 2nd Saturday is the annual Hull City away defeat at Burnley. I should be running out of pubs by now in this part of the world but Padiham and Ighten look enticing.
A week later, another punishing day in North Yorkshire looks the most likely county.
And a week after that, we celebrate Tom Irvin's birthday (not that he'd lower himself to such festivities) with a trip to Crosby which is near Liverpool. I see Bootle and Waterloo are nearby so it could be a rare pub ticking fest on Merseyside.
And hopefully, Tuesday's (South Yorkshire to a finish) will be back up and running after 15th Sept. Going to aim for 25 but it might struggle.
 |
| Bertie shocked by lack of GBG arrival in August. |
I've spent the last month logging over 1,250 pubs into a spreadsheet with the (probable) date I first visited them. What a life I lead!
I'm now filling in the gaps ..... all those 'early' Good Beer Guide pubs I did at Hull City away matches circa 2002-04.
In an interesting twist, I've just had to re-order the 2003 and 2004 Good Beer Guides to retrace my thought processes for the 02/03 and 03/04 seasons. So I'm waiting for 3 GBG's now! I must be a masochist.
Si