🍺 Stumble Inn, Northallerton: the third of three diverse Beer Guide pubs in town, this one a micropub offering tasting 'flights' (three third-pints). I didn't mess about, going straight for a pint of Jem's Stout from Great Newsome, which was nicely robust, maintaining the standard set earlier.

🍺 Oddfellows Arms, Northallerton: tucked away behind the parish church, this bustling, sport-friendly pub has some canine customers. The Wensleydale Gamekeeper (not a name I favour), a fairly typical best bitter, is in fine form.

🍺 Origin, Northallerton, N Yorks: smart bar (restaurant upstairs) with an intriguing 'small plates' menu. My Snake Eyes Pale from Newcastle's Two By Two brewery is cloudy and fruity. Northallerton is a bonus stop on my southward return because the football in Hartlepool got bogged off.

For those tired of winter and ☔️ weather, there’s growing evidence into following week of more consistent high pressure influence from Azores High. There also looks to be an attempt next weekend in the S. I think this all points to eventual very mild conditions in final week of Feb, say mid teens.

🐦‍⬛ Hartlepool: 14 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Black-throated Diver on the marina were cheering sights from outside my hotel this morning. Later, out on the headland, Eider, Shag and Turnstone also went on my year list (now 106). Who needs football? ☺️

🍺 Marine Hotel, Seaton Carew: contrast to the last place, an extensive and sparsely occupied bar in a Grade II listed, seafront edifice. Two Pennine beers were on handpump, and the Hair of the Dog was a contender for best beer of the evening. Some interesting folk gathered at the bus stop outside.

🍺 9 Anchors, Seaton Carew, Co. Durham: sandstone and timber almost overwhelm the interior of this cosy little pub, the name acknowledging the local rescue of nine sailors in the 1930s. My two beers, a pale ale and a pancake stout from Stockton's Three Brothers brewery, were a little underwhelming.

🍺 Billingham Catholic Club: CAMRA's newly crowned national Club of the Year threw me by not opening until 7pm, but once inside I received a warm welcome from the bar manager whom I forgive for thinking me a Chelsea fan. The Pennine Black Forest (geography?) was a bit sweet for me but in good nick.

🍺 Crafty Cock, Billingham, Co. Durham: despite tomorrow's football at Hartlepool falling victim to the wet weather, I'm up in the North-East. This cosy bar was busy at 6pm (fully booked for dining 🙁). The only cask offering was Alnwick Gold, but my very quaffable pint of it went down in 15 minutes.

🍺 Queens Arms, Battersea: Victorian pub rescued from closure by North London's Bohem Brewery who produce authentic lagers in the Czech tradition. One British cask ale is always available.

⚽️ Sutton Utd 1 Braintree Town 1: crucial point against the club keeping us out of the bottom four, salvaged by a 94th minute equaliser. The situation looked bleak early in the 2nd half when we got our 6th red card of the season then went 1-0 down. Forced to go more direct, we then threatened more.

🍺 I was privileged to have met Des, once joining his fascinating walking tour of historic London brewing sites. His unassuming demeanour belied a great depth of knowledge and fearsome appetite for research.

There has been 79 Februaries at #London Heathrow weather station. And 5 of the top 7 wettest have occurred within last 20 years. Late winter is not what it used to be, until 1991-2020 averages Feb was the driest month of year on average #climate

🐦‍⬛ Lee Valley Country Park (Herts/Essex) today: my U3A birding group were treated to the sight of a dozen White-fronted Geese amongst the other wildfowl (plus a Black Swan!) on Seventy Acres Lake. We also enjoyed seeing a Peregrine on a pylon and a mobile flock of Siskins with accompanying Redpoll.

Terribly sad to hear of passing of Des de Moor, an absolute gentleman, kind & generous. Talented writer of award-winning books inc. his comprehensive Cask, London's Best Beer & Pubs. Des conducted historic pub tours of London sharing his passion & knowledge. You will be missed RIP

Remember folks, it just keeps getting worse until we stop burning fossil fuels. ##ClimateEmergency

"We find that the principal drive for global warming acceleration began in about 2015, which implies that 2°C global warming is likely to be reached in the 2030s, not at midcentury" - James Hansen et al. mailchi.mp/caa/another-...

🐦‍⬛ There was a hint of spring in Wandle Park today, with a Chiffchaff and (more surprisingly) a Redwing among the songsters. The regular female Kingfisher and Little Egret posed for photos, while in the reedbed crept a wintering Water Rail (seen briefly) and the resident Cetti's Warbler (heard only).

This is a very cool study and, as far as I can tell from a quick read, robust. Statins probably don't cause most of the side-effects that people think they do. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

🐦‍⬛ Joint 5th is likely to be my high-water mark this year. #birding

Urban Pubs & Bars, the fast-growing London pub group, has published impressive financial results for 2025, citing record profits beertoday.co.uk/2026/02/04/u... #pubs #pubsnews

⚽️ Surrey Senior Cup quarter-final, Sutton Utd 5 Horley Town 0: on a soggy evening, we were close to cruise control against Combined Counties League opponents, a few of our fringe players getting useful run-outs, and two recent recruits scoring their first Sutton goals. Into the last four.

🍺 Having been back in CAMRA's national Pub of the Year (Tamworth Tap) only last month, I'm hoping to get to their Club of the Year (see below) this month. Fortuitously, Sutton Utd recently played at Tamworth and are soon to play Hartlepool Utd away. ⚽️ 🙂

Business Focus: From extreme weather to increasing temperatures, climate change poses a significant threat to UK hop farming, an industry vital to British brewing beertoday.co.uk/2026/02/02/f... #beer #beernews #hops #britishhops #climatechange

Colder in the south of Florida than most of Western Europe this morning. London Heathrow 5.7c (42F) min Palm Beach International Airport 2.2c (36F) at 4am local time

National League: Sutton United 1 Brackley Town 1. The home clubs obsession with playing the ball out from the back was absurd as not only were they poor at it but gave a goal away doing so and tied themselves up in knots in the process. Avian highlight: 2 Cormorants east

⚽️ Sutton Utd 1 Brackley Town 1: sluggish start by us but we went ahead on the break only to gift them possession in our half, their guy duly equalising. We improved, but rarely looked like finding a winner, and neither did they. We slip to 20th, only out of the drop zone on goal difference.

Beer Hour: Derek Prentice MBE @teamdb.bsky.social

I often get asked about the differences between male and female Common Kingfishers Alcedo atthis #birds. A female (photo from today, left), note orange lower mandible and greenish plumage, and a male (photographed last January) are juxtaposed. Males are brighter blue with black bills.

Of course we blogged that Leeds FA Cup madness. What a day... #suttonunited #onthisday

Further misery for #Ukraine a frigid Siberian blast will consume region this weekend into early next week. Temps will fall more than 15C below average sometimes 20C below. Life threatening cold. The situation becoming critical when many apartment buildings remain without heating.

BREAKING NEWS/PUBS: Government announces major support package for under-pressure pubs after backlash at controversial biz rates changes, widespread closures & job losses. Pubs to get £100m a year through financial support to 2029 & shake-up of licensing rules. #BskyBeer

In the last 24 hours, all my Tik Tok content has been removed for US users. I have about 250K followers on there, 80% are American. They now see NOTHING. I know many on here hate Tik Tok. But it is a huge platform for 18-24 year olds and information suppression is the fascist’s tool of choice.

Because so many seem utterly convinced that you're unsafe in Europe because of immigrants - that's complete bollocks. Want to avoid being murdered? Get out of America. open.substack.com/pub/pedersch...

⚽️ Tamworth 0 Sutton Utd 1: not a game of great sophistication, but we defended robustly against pretty direct opponents, and, in a rare outbreak of accurate, attacking football, we scored the only goal. Up to 18th.

🍺 Three Crowns, Willenhall: backstreet boozer, close to what remains of the historic town centre, where a barfly politely moves away so I can order. The Robinson's Trooper, not a beer I much favour, is actually very good. A lone local bemoans the declining availabiity of decent ale in the town.

🍺 Robin Hood, Willenhall, W Mids: typically comfortable Black Country Ales pub with a neatly divided seating area extended around the servery. My Plum Pig has a restrained plumminess (a quality in short supply in these parts). Customers discuss with astonishment the African Cup of Nations final. ⚽️

The Tamworth Tap has been named CAMRA’s national Pub of the Year 2025, taking the title for a unprecedented third time beertoday.co.uk/2026/01/23/t... #pub #pubnews #pubaward @camraofficial.bsky.social

"But a full, internal version of the report, seen by The Times, goes further, suggesting that the degradation of rainforests in the Congo & the drying up of rivers fed by the Himalayas could drive people to flee to Europe, leading to “more polarised & populist politics in the UK”" #ClimateEmergency

Canada's first European Robin has caused a stir after its discovery in Montreal:

An across-government technical assessment published today recognises that "nature is the foundation of national security" and that "every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse". A rational response to this would be to get very serious about nature recovery. www.gov.uk/government/p...

🐦‍⬛ Cheshunt, Herts: often one travels more in hope than expectation, so I was chuffed to find the Tundra Bean Goose (far left bird in my photo), a visitor from Siberia, grazing with Canada and Greylag Geese on the playing fields of St Mary's High School. A flyover drake Goosander was a nice bonus.

⚽️ Sutton Utd 1 Forest Green Rovers 1: a barely deserved point against the 5th-placed club, as we conceded our 14th penalty this season (converted, naturally) then laboured for 50 minutes after they had a man sent off, eventually scrambling an 89th minute equaliser. Back in the relegation zone. 🙄

How is this 9 years ago already? Sheesh. Still, what a night that was. Ridiculous limbs in the away end and then all back to the club for a massive lock in 😂 #suttonunited

🍺 Beehive, St Albans: surprisingly spacious pub that I must have passed many times without going inside, surfacing in the 2026 Beer Guide, this visit completing my Herts ticks. Credit for serving two unusual beers from Bucks, though the Chiltern White is rather underwhelming. Shouty manager.

🐦‍⬛📽 Those birders who watch the film Hamnet may, like me, be puzzled as to how a trained Harris Hawk ended up in 16th century Warwickshire. 🤔

⚽️ Sutton Utd 1 York City 2: our first ever defeat to this lot wasn't a surprise as they're the division's leading scorers, this result putting them top of the table. We did start the game well, taking an early lead. And, despite the result, we're out of the bottom four on goal difference!

🍺 Moon Under Water, Watford: now in the Good Beer Guide, and I was a little surprised to find no record of having been here, still an easy tick. If I describe it as a typical Wetherspoons, you'll know what I mean, right? The Ramsgate (Gadd's) Dark Conspiracy is up to the standard.

🍺🐦‍⬛ Three Blackbirds, Boxmoor, Herts: traditional Greene King pub with lots of seating, on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead. Quiet at teatime, with a few local blokes chewing the fat. The guest ale, Hell Bent from Oakham, is decrbed as a coffee porter, and coffee notes were certainly in evidence.

BREAKING: Well done publicans! Following industry outcry, Labour to announce climbdown on #BusinessRates rise "in the coming days" to hand a lifeline to pubs. (To reduce the "multiplier" percentage of a pub's rateable value). #BskyBeer