A fortuitous delay - Managed to get an hour in Uttoxeter before the Crewe train. Time for a visit to The Vaults to enjoy their unparalleled selection. I'm conservative by nature so never at risk of options paralysis. I always eschew the guests in favour of The Bass which is excellent.

Enough time for a visit to the Victoria & Commercial before the train home. What a beautiful interior. Fantastic to see a pub reopened & revitalised in the context of a negative backdrop for the industry. A rare opportunity for me to enjoy Harvey's Sussex Best too

I've not had a Tun beer before. This Little Monster session NZ IPA is excellent. Highly recommended by the barman at The Swan, York and deservedly so.

York via beautiful Knaresborough for a stop off in Blind Jacks. Bass isn't available today but they have Northern Monk Sup on cask and ultra local Turning Point Porter. Good beer quality and the pub was deservedly busy

GOOD MORNING! Here's the latest edition of news, nuggets and longreads, with good writing about beer and pubs from the past week. This time: drinking up north, the anti-sports bar, and the benefits of being weird. 🍻🍺 boakandbailey.com/2026/02/news...

Early arrival in Keighley for the 2.00pm York Society for The Preservation of Beers from the Wood presentation at Wishbone Brewery means time for a visit to The Boltmakers for a Timothy Taylor's Golden Best. V friendly & welcoming. Beer quality is 👌

Final pub before the train to Leeds, Theakstons Yorkshire Haka at The Beehive Shipley. Slightly hoppier than I anticipated. V imposing pub, accentuated by tiled entrance

This half of Amity / Pomona Island Bright IPA in Reconnection, Shipley is excellent. A deservedly busy, friendly bar

Bradford CAMRA Festival was excellent and a typical opportunity to tag on bars I wouldn't ordinarily visit. Caroline St Social Club Saltaire. Look at the upholstered bar 😍 Visit enhanced by location being a juxtaposition with Salts Mill. Cask Goose Eye was v good

The George and Dragon Apperley Bridge. The extension is dated 1704 but the main building apparently predates the nearby River Aire bridge of 1602. Half a Black Sheep Bitter v enjoyable

Stansfield Arms (Duttons brewery). The inn is situated in the small village of Apperley Bridge, about 3 miles out of Bradford...originally a farm...age uncertain....old oak beams still in evidence...a choice of tasty omelettes. Part of Lord Stansfield's estate. Featuring in both 1960's pub guides

I had a feeling that this was my best chance of encountering it. Thornbridge Imperial Stout at The Bankers Cat. Absolutely sublime beer and perfectly located for Leeds City station before the train to New Pudsey

A complete historical experience (in every sense) this evening. Bass & Double Diamond otb in Whitelock's Leeds, although I opted for Tigertops (Wakefield) Edwardian Porter - strong and rich. Excellent.

The big day has arrived. Hard to conceal the excitement. I've travelled AVE out of Madrid, 300kmh+ DB ICE Sprinter Frankfurt and Alta Velocità out of Rome but today it's the recently launched Northern 'Flyer' Sheffield > Leeds taking 47 minutes for approx 35miles. WE HAVE BEEN LEVELLED UP!!!!🚂

Rotten weather for a circuit & ride up to Peckforton and Beeston Castles (nr Chester) & no views towards Snowdonia but the half of Weetwood Best in The half timbered Yew Tree Spurstow was superb

Unmissable - Kirkstall Brewery's Great Exhibition Beerfest has been announced on the other place. 29-31 May 2026 at The Tetley 👇

Can't fault service 218. Picks you up at The Cross Scythes and drops you straight outside Thornbridge's The Stags, Nether Edge for a pint of superb 1838. If you caught it in the other direction it would take you to the brewery in Bakewell

The Cross Scythes Totley, driven past a lot but never been in. Quite imposing, terraced set back frontage. Taylors Golden Best on the bar and v good. Bus 218 (to Thornbridges The Stags) stops outside

Quite a pleasant walk from The Cricketers to The Crown, Totley. A brace of Chatsworth beers on the bar. The Gold was excellent.

Early start and a bus out to Totley & a short walk to The Cricketers for a pint of Thornbridge Venn. Love those handpumps. Still under a fiver even in posh Sheffield

OOPS! Got things the wrong way around I think: Schedule cycling weekends when The Trent isn't in flood and schedule pub weekends for when the roads are underwater & impassable. Even the towpath disappeared 🚴🌧️

Which of The UK's major infrastructure projects will be completed first? The steps at Burton on Trent Station car park (still closed), HS2 to Manchester or a tram system for Leeds? No wonder this country is screwed

First ever visit to The Cross Keys, Tutbury (I'm normally passing through on a ride & can't indulge). I certainly wasn't expecting Burnthouse Verdant (Origin) Coffee Porter collab, which was excellent. I wonder if Mary Queen of Scots got beer from here as she did from most of the local pubs😉

Final pub before the train. The Olde Cottage, Brook St. Chester. Normally l'd go for a Wye Valley beer but I've not had a Brimstage Brewery beer in 'yonks' & The Trappers Hat was excellent

For a traditional pub which still shuts in the afternoon The Albion's marketing is very homogeneous (glass, pump clip, beer towel). Northern Rising Unity Stout excellent. Beware Charlie the cat.

Bar blockers were a major problem tbh but despite that, great staff who are able to operate in a high pressure environment meant we didn't have to wait too long at The Old Harkers Arms, Chester before a pint of classic Weetwood Cheshire Cat

Beer quality in The Mount Inn, Chester excellent. Can't fault this pint of Hyde's Lowry. Always friendly and hospitable locals / staff. Good views of the Dee from the tiered patio too but maybe better to wait until Spring to enjoy it 🌼

Convenient for all amenities, Christleton Rd, Chester. Ginger Monkey Coffee Roasters for an espresso and next door is Grade II listed Jolly Gardeners (formerly Ye Gardeners) for Weetwood Cheshire Cat. With added fake Tudor ambiance

I was 20 when HS2 was announced. Great to know i’ll probably be in my late 60s when the Birmingham-Manchester section starts work let alone finishes. Seems like a country doing things the right way!

BLOG POST: We really liked St Mars of the Desert in Sheffield. Here, we've tried to articulate exactly why. 🍺🍻 boakandbailey.com/2026/01/st-m...

eBay bargain! Set of 6 of The 1960's Historic & New Inns of Interest for under £14. Five are second copies to keep clean as the others get taken on bike rides for contemporary photos (The Lancashire guide is a first acquisition)

It's a few years since I've been in the Victoria & Commercial, Gt George St, Leeds. Harvey's of Sussex Best before the train home excellent. What a superb refurb with Kirkstall's breweriana collection on show. Parkers of Burslem signage a real rarity

Crikey. In all my years I've never been asked to take my sandwiches for the train home out of my coat pocket and surrender it to the doorman for collection on leaving. Luckily he let me put it in my backpack. Maybe it's the 'red' in the red Leicester sandwiches that did for me today

There's something very inviting about the Golden Ball, York. Even from the outside it exudes ambience. Supporting local breweries too. Trig (Poppleton) consistently high quality.

'Table' reserved for 'corridor John' from 18:00. Love Northern pubs

Santa may have vacated Knaresborough airspace but the cask of @elusivebrewing.com / New Bristol Pastel De Nata Stout he left at Blind Jacks is superb, warming, vinous & subtle vanilla (credit: photo 1 from Knaresborough photography authorised for free use www.knaresboroughphotography.co.uk

The Windmill Inn, Linton-on- Wharfe. "A timbered construction dating back to 16thC...a considerable amount of carved stonework was found in the walls....came from Linton Abbey". Fantastic pub. Welcoming locals. True ambiance & the pint of Theakstons Best was👌(from 60's guide to W Riding pubs).

Final beer of the evening before the train back is a favourite - dry, citrus and well attenuated - Anarchy Brew Co Blonde Star at The Last Drop Inn, Colliergate. An ever reliable pub with friendly service which is deservedly busy

Sensible arrival time in York means a visit to two superb sister pubs for a brace of house beers. The Swan, Bishopsgate for Swan Blonde (Half Moon Brewery) and The Slip Inn, Clementhorpe for Trig Slip (Trig Brewery). Both quality, refreshing, sessionable beers

"Time and tide wait for no man" so after a couple of weeks stopping in, avoiding the crowds & focusing on cycling, an early start departing the real Times Sq (Longton) for a couple of pints in the superb Burmantofts exterior Templar Hotel, Leeds (approached via The Grand Arcade & it's Potts Clock)

How on earth did cyclists manage along the cut before lights improved so much? The on/off comparison is incredible. Also I need to fork out on decent winter gloves 🥶 That mileage seemed much harder than it should have been.

Here we go @seanking61.bsky.social www.podgebeer.co.uk/city-bar-gui....

Remember when HS2 to Leeds was cancelled by the NIC's shitty maths and fundamental lack of expertise, and Leeds was thrown the bone of "you'll get trams" and I said those would never be delivered? Yeah, as I was saying...

A kusttram (direction de Panne) for the 30 minute journey from Blankenberge to Ostend. Café Botteltje/ Hotel Marion has Lupulus Hibernatus available on draft. Warming dark fruits and coffee. A favourite brewery. Draft Guinness also on the menu.

Ten journey ticket purchased for 21€ (it's not worth a daily tram pass today). Then off to Terminus in Blankenberge to recreate the ambience of what Knutsford and Keele M6 services must've felt like in the 1970's. Orval at a touch over 5€ and excellent

Enough time to sneak in a Chouffe N'Ice at De Garre before the train to Blankenberge. A dark brown beer with orange notes, subtle sweetness but not cloying

I need to raise my game. Not first in the queue at De Garre, Brugge. Busy within 5 minutes of opening. A mandatory Van Steenberge house tripel. Superb Vicaris Winter was available but they only had one cask and it's (understandably) sold out

Well there was an inevitability about ending up at 't Bruges Beertje when De Ranke Père Noël and De Dolle Stille Nacht are on the beer board

Excellent. Straffe Hendrik X-Mas Blend available at De Halve Maan Brewery, Brugge. A blend of young and older barrel aged quadrupel. Hints of raisins and balanced sweetness.

Back into Antwerp for Avec Les Bons Voeux in De Ware Jacob. Superb beer in a classic brown Café