BRAPA - From Skipton to York - A Sibling Five Year Pub Anniversary Story

Having visited 43 new pubs, plus six pre-emptives, in the first 16 days of June, my lizard (i.e. liver) was ready for a break.  I was all BRAP'd out.  Sick of pubs.  Sick of pints.  Sick of strange people.  Sick of humorous incidents.   So I gave myself a good break from pub ticking.

But I couldn't do absolutely nothing involving pubs on Saturday 23rd June could I?

After all, this was a significant day.  Back on the 23rd June 2013, I'd been for a day out in Skipton with my sister.  This was pre-BRAPA but I did at least end up in a GBG pub which I could tick off once the challenge started in April '14.  Here was my review of the time written a year later ........

270.  Narrow Boat, Skipton

Part of mine and Lucy's 'sibling day out' in Skipton on Sunday 23rd June 2013, we'd had some lunch in a pub I can't remember the name of (Black Horse?  Grey Horse?  Something Horse?  Something Swan?), then had a good explore of Skipton Castle before a cup of Earl Grey (no milk to be civilised) and the walk back towards the railway station, via the canal (hence the name of the pub).  Lucy had been here before, but for me, though I didn't admit it, the most highly anticipated pub tick of the day as it was one of the remaining Market Town Taverns I needed to visit (a mini challenge in itself).  It had all the hallmarks of an MTT, Yorkshire guest ales aplenty, bare boarded drinkers feel and I believe we sat in old church pews.  This may explain why my sister got onto a higher plane and asked where I saw myself in five years time, not quite the question you want on a lazy Sunday afternoon but she's always been a challenging character!  My answer, "in a pub like this enjoying the peace and quiet" didn't exactly go down well at the time.  Probably wanted to hear 'married with three kids and a cat'.   There was also a strange smell of sick in the pub air I couldn't quite get over, so all in all, not the best ever MTT experience I'd ever had.

Me and Lu enjoy a happy pint in the Narrow Boat (probably before I answered her question!)

In the comments section of my blog, Tom Irvin (the only person who read my blog before 2016) noted with relish that 23rd June 2018 would fall on a Saturday so I should take my sister to a pub and then remind her what she'd said 5 years ago.  Amazing plan!  

Initially, I wanted to return to Skipton (I'd even held two new Micropubs over in the current GBG for this purpose) but train strikes, the hot weather, and our generally feeling of lethargy, put paid to that.

But not to fear, as my nearest GBG pub (a five minute walk from my flat) is the always reliable Brigantes which incidentally is a Market Town Tavern, just as the Narrow Boat is, so I 'innocently' suggested we go here before a meal in town.  

We ordered some good quality pale ales from somewhere Yorkshirey and then I sprung the "5 years ago today, we were in Skipton, and you said this ....." story.  Should've filmed it!  Well, she was tickled by it anyway, certainly has chilled out a bit in the last 5 years.   I can confirm for the most part, I was 'enjoying the peace and quiet'.  

5 years on in Brigantes ..... similar pose but older!

We then went to this cute little restaurant called 'Source' (she's vegan, obviously, and it does vegan food) so I had a crafty colourful can of something 'Tattoo' and some Vegan Fish & Chips if you can imagine such a concept(!) and actually really enjoyed it. 

There you go, a shorter blog than usual mercifully for you, no new pubs, but a nice little BRAPA related story I wanted to share!

xxx