Many of you may not be aware that Realtime Trains has the full timetable for the Christmas Special from the North Pole to the North Pole via every U.K. station. Presents are dropped off in manageable amounts for Father Christmas to load onto his sleigh. www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-n...

Gordon Xmas 2025. Surely wins the 'Best Presented Christmas Beer' award.

I had the pleasure of visiting Fox & Pine in Oldham today. A superb pub with a great range of beers. Home-made pies and sausage rolls. The new incarnation of Boddingtons was in top condition, ditto Bank Top Mild. Draught Bass was well kept, but it is a mediocre beer nowadays. Tram times on display.

Also, last night, a powerful Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend from 2023. #BskyBeer

A period of recuperation after my Belgium trip completed. Back to Christmas beers with the superb Père Noël 2025.

We have a new decoration on the Christmas Tree 🎄

As I'm staying in Mechelen, the last beer of the trip has to be draught Gouden Carolus Christmas.

Another enjoyable day at Kerstbier festival Essen. Back in Mechelen at Het Maanlicht, a very cosy brown bar with ± 70 beers. Many are local. Three Gouden Carolus beers on draught, including Christmas. Stille Nacht & St Bernardus Xmas bottles. Draught Circus Winter is good enough to have a second.

A great day at the Kerstbier festival in Essen. Over 200 Christmas/Winter beers to choose from.

Den Stillen Genieter is a very brown bar with a huge list of beers including six Christmas beers on draught. Three minutes walk from my hotel. Gordon Xmas to start.

@harrymcnally.bsky.social 🙄

Gouden Carolus Imperial Blond and Dark.

I'm now in Mechelen. The obvious starting point is Het Anker brewery. Gouden Carolus Christmas will do.

Draught Gouden Carolus Christmas in @ThePub.

Stille Nacht 2025 draught.

Next up is draught Avec la Bons Vœux.

De Garre, Brugge. #Bskybeer

Excellent Xmas beers in t'Brugs Beertje yesterday.

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter in Royal Oak, Borough 😁

The tree is up.

Aintree

Just adore this

Tonight's beers. The St. Feuillien and Bush were four years old. All excellent.

Final stop is The Collaboration. More Brimstage, this time Trapper's Hat in superb condition.

Back in wonderful Wirral. Rose & Crown has the Brimstage Rhode Island Red on. I need to drink it before it disappears into the ether for the foreseeable future.

I'm in Mossley. It has definite local town for local people vibes. Drinking a very nice Tiger Rut from Millstone Brewery in Gillery.

Finding out that The Pope would have been in the same school year as me makes me feel very, very old.

What a day. Rhode Island Red earlier. Watched Rovers on the telly score a 96th minute winner while drinking Xmas beers. Here's a 3 years old St. Bernardus Christmas Ale.

I've sent a message to David Attenborough. The hardly ever seen Brimstage Rhode Island Red is on in The Collaboration, Bebington Village. One of my top 5 cask beers.

Free tastings of Cantillon Gueuze and Kriek in The Collaboration.

Two excellent pints in Harker's, Chester. Hobson's Champion Mild and Three Tuns Best Bitter. Both are £5.10/pint. London Pride is £5.60 🙄

Tonight's beers. Père Noël and Bush de Noël from 2024. Stille Nacht is 2025. I've just finished the Père Noël and it was magnificent.

An excellent day. Pint in Denbigh Castle, food in Casa Italia, more beer in The Vines with added very hot log fire, Inside No. 9 at the Liverpool Empire.

Sumptuous Brimstage Oystercatcher Stout in The Collaboration, Bebington Village. #BskyBeer

Now in the Golden Fleece. Small, busy interior, large outside drinking area (if it wasn't raining). A proper pub. Stroud Brewery Tom Long is a really enjoyable Amber Ale. Only two handpumps, so not in the GBG obv 🙄

I'm in Stroud. This a pint of Tiley's Azccaa Pale Ale, which is very good. The pub is The Ale House, an impressive, spacious building with high ceilings. There is a log fire.

Drinking a Brimstage Brewery Scarecrow Best Bitter in The Collaboration, Bebington Village. A superb beer that is only brewed every few months, unfortunately.

Fuller's 180th Anniversary Porter 2025. Dry, some bitterness, coffee. Recommended. #BskyBeer

Fuller's Past Masters, 1905 Old London Ale from 2017. Noticed a little oxidation at first but not so much later. Malt, toffee, vanilla in a nice balance. Probably slightly past its best, but very enjoyable and didn't last long. #BskyBeer

Drinking a five years old Orval. Pronounced citrus notes, softer than a fresh bottle. Really good.

Celebrator! #BskyBeer

Nice one, Private Eye! 👍

An enjoyable shift at a wet Aintree racecourse today. In two months time Christmas will be over so I'd better get cracking. These beers are to be drunk tonight.

No. 3 Horninglow is a double hopped IPA brewed in 2020 by Marston's. It's an English style IPA, which is to my taste. It's really very good, I wish I had some more bottles. However, it may well be the final Marston's beer I ever drink because I really dislike their brewery closure policy. #BskyBeer

Lunch in Manchester today. Followed it with a few excellent pints of Joseph Holt Bitter in the always wonderful Hare & Hounds. It was not surprising that it was busy at £3.50/pint. #BskyBeer

Amazing experience at the Lady Gaga concert at Co-Op Live, Manchester last night. We had free tickets for the Sky VIP Lounge. Wonderful night. #Gaga.

In De Kelk earlier. Westvleteren 8 went down well.

The final stop in Sint Michael's was Den Optimist. Superb bar, that looks like a classic brown bar. Great beer list. They have stocks of Père Noël. The crawl of local bars is highly recommended.