Thursday 1 February 2018

BRAPA - January Review / February Preview (2018)


It started with a pre-emptive recommendation in Bolton from a nice but down & out Monkey Hanger, and it ended with a toilet annoyingly hidden behind a bookcase in Grantham. 

Yes, it has been a difficult month for BRAPA, full of cold weather, aching limbs, coughs, splutters and shut pubs. 

25 GBG pubs is my poorest January total to date (average 29) but with 4 pre-emptives which you could all make a fairly strong case for getting in a future Good Beer Guide, it isn't too bad really.  But when you compare it to say, Martin Taylor's productive month + foreign adventures, well I can't wait to be RetiredSimon! 

When I did get in pubs, the standard was generally good, so let's look for 3 winners and 2 losers.....

Winners


Wheat Sheaf, Gateshead

Harp, Charing Cross

New Inn, Clitheroe

Losers

Lemon Tree, Charing Cross

Bull, Stoke Mandeville
So, I'm up to 1227 pubs in the current Good Beer Guide, almost back at the 1236 mark that I reached before September's excruciating cross-ticking session.  1971 GBG pubs in total, it might be more if I really looked back through previous editions with a fine tooth comb, but 2000 will be a good landmark I can achieve in Feb. 

Feb Preview

I'm optimistic for a much more productive February as I go on my first 2018 BRAPA holiday on Monday!  More on that on the day, just got to get well first as it's a big week in store in a place I've never set foot in before.  And that's partly because Preston is coming up on Saturday, 4 pubs to do there plus more Hull City misery sandwiched between.  

The month also sees a return trip to Liverpool to tick off six newbies, and thankfully Hull City's away cup tie with Chelsea has been moved to a Friday so I can finish Bucks without the 'shall I go to the match?' conundrum potentially impeding my progress.

As for my Friday nights, reachable Yorkshire options are getting a bit thin on the ground so I might recommence the Greater Manchester ticking sooner than we think.

It won't be a record breaking month (56 last July will take some beating) but plus 40 is on the agenda!

And looking even further ahead, Cambridgeshire starts officially 10th March, I might even get back to Cheshire sometime too.

Si



4 comments:

  1. As long as I can blog about it I'll drive you round all 45 (ish) Cambridgeshire pub you're missing on a spare Saturday. What can go wrong ?

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  2. Both a winner and loser in Charing Cross. Says it all really. Location, location, location isn't everything. :)

    Best of luck on the holiday.

    Cheers

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  3. Hooray ! Hooray ! It's a BRAPA holiday.
    Eastbourne ?
    Skegness ?
    Shetlands ?

    ReplyDelete