BRAPA MONTH END REVIEW - SEPTEMBER 2022 : LIVING IN A BRAPSTA'S PARADISE

59 pubs for the month, my best 2022 tally and third best ever .... and I would easily have broken my record of 61 if it hadn't been for a demonic combination of wedding do and dentist (not at the same time).  

Talking of 'BRAPA crappers', another train strike on Saturday (and next Wednesday, and I think the Saturday after that) is threatening to put the brakes on my penultimate BRAPA holiday of 2022, in a county I have zero ticks in.  Have you guessed what it is yet?  I'm very excited anyway.  Can my liver handle eight consecutive days BRAPing?  It's just going to have to sup up and shut up innit?!

I also managed three pre-emptives this month, all of which are a bit Richard Griffiths (pie in the sky, please keep up) , yes my jaw will be on the floor if any of them appear in the next GBG.

Speaking of which, not long now .... I'm predicting the week commencing 17th Oct, it may be sooner, you never know.  I've heard there can be a lot of tedious waiting around when you're on jury service.  Cross-ticking mid trial?  A new book is much needed anyway, as the front cover which had been hanging by a thread finally fell at the very nice Ship Centurion, Whitstable. 

Represents the labours of my most intensive ticking year to date

My yearly total stands at an astonishing 426, only 24 off my 2019 record of 450 pubs.  I should be past that sometime next week.  Do they do free livers on the NHS if you carry a CAMRA card?  I'll even swap it for a sheet of 'Spoons vouchers.

The aim is staying above the 50% GBG mark (2250).  I'm currently on 2415, that'll be up around 2450 by the end of next week, so unless the churn is horrific, I'm quite confident I can manage that. 

The hardest part of a top ticking month is picking five to put forward for the New Year's Eve 'pub of the year' awards ceremony, so I've decided to pick these eight out because you know, they just felt special at the time ...... it could've been as many as 15 really.

1. Railway Tavern, Carshalton

2. Cob & Coal Tap, Oldham

3. Andrew Buchan, Cardiff

4. Rifle Volunteers, Maidstone

5. New Inn, Canterbury

6. Bell & Jorrocks, Frittenden

7. Shipwright's Arms, Hollowshore

8. Elephant, Faversham

Makes me kind of thirsty for the month ahead seeing those photos again.  Sober October?  Could never be me.  See you in a weird location on Saturday, if I make it. 

Take care & keep supporting the pubs, 

Si