Paul Godden

A: Ralf Little, and B: No.

Sheerness used to have some solid Victorian character but 40 years on it seems a bit of a wasteland. I remember it being all Shepherd Neame but I was told you can’t get a pint of Master Brew in the town any longer. 10 or so boozers all closed or sold on as keg only. Sad.

Followed by the Tonbridge Ebony Moon. A lovely rich solid stout. They do keep their beer well here.

The Pilots Rest, Sheerness. GBG✅. Not been here before. The beer is actually very good. Locals are very friendly and like talking. Not so good on the listening. I’m drinking the Kent Green Ernest, one of their green hop beers. All sorts of fruit flavours with a long dry aftertaste.

@stymiesi.bsky.social You’re quite a slender chap too, but on UK pubs I’ll defer to your judgement anytime.

I have a decent pair of Soundcore earbuds that cost £20 and are far better than anything I’ve ever had from Apple.

Banana Splits, and The Flashing Blade.

That says a lot about you.

I went there on Christmas Eve 2022 and it was like walking into a fridge. The cheese shop around the corner is highly recommended.

Thrice disgraced. LOL.
Consider yourself lucky. Despite his reputation, Mandleson always looks well groomed and slightly younger than his actual age. There’s surely worse people to look like… Jimmy Savile, Greg Wallace, etc.

Been to the Royston in Broadstairs again today. Oddly I have no photos. Saw it in full flow for the first time though. It seems to have become a destination pub. I felt like a stranger myself tbh despite having worked in Broadstairs for 17 years.

I truly appreciate your encyclopaedic knowledge of the pubs of Oxfordshire. Something that needs to be stated in black and white every now and again.

Never quite made it here despite the number of times I’ve driven up and down the M40.

Looks familiar. I stayed in Watlington once when walking the Ridgeway 2002. Got drenched that day. It wasn’t pleasant. I would have coped better had it not been my birthday. Can’t remember the pub I ended up in.

Anything that stops me having to carry my passport around with me all the time will be welcome. But go the whole hog, assign us an ID at birth that then serves cradle to grave. UPN, NI number, NHS number, passport, driving licence. Tesco clubcard even.

You’re Art Vandalay and you’re an architect right?

A BMW driver has parked in the middle of two bays between two other well parked cars. They also haven’t straightened up the front tyres. They’re clearly a cunt.

I don’t generally like to stereotype BMW drivers, but this isn’t helping any.

I’ve seen him drinking. He doesn’t waste any I can assure you. I was more concerned about him drinking Doom Bar though. It’s disgusting muck and owned by Canadians, so no profit for English brewers.

Going to have to dig out my 1988 GBG when I last went there and see what’s changed.

I had a lovely pint of Loddon Hoppit at the Baskerville. It then rained all the way from there to Tilehurst. Luckily we had a friend in Pangbourne who was putting us up and took us for a curry.

Congratulations. I’ve done it twice (though in the other direction). First time took 7 months. Second time took 11 years. Started again at the source in April.
Favourite pubs along the way - in your opinion please?
I like the Red Lion in Cricklade and the Pelton Arms in Greenwich.

I’d eat mince pies 365 days a year if the shops will sell them to me.

Perfectly natural. If I haven’t ordered yet I’m looking at other people’s plates and thinking, um, that looks nice, maybe I’ll order that instead.

But they’re a lot nicer than a fried slice. Healthier too.

Canterbury Cathedral last night in all of its late evening golden hour glory. Spent the evening at the Marlowe with Mary Beard.

A second pint of the Oakham x Titanic Noir collaboration. Dark and fruity with a long dry finish. I need to come back to try the Brown soup though.

The Queens Head, Newton, Cambridgeshire. GBG✅
The only one of the big five I’ve not previously visited, and what a pub it is. Thriving on a Sunday lunchtime. The Adnams Bitter seemed darker and more refreshing than I remember it from Southwold. Ploughman’s and roasty bites were a delight.

There’s one on the lamp post outside my house and the entire street come to that. They weren’t put up by anyone local. Gangs from out of town are coming in and putting them up against our will.

In our house it all depends upon if you’re upstairs or downstairs.

No it’s not. It’s not even close.