How long is YOUR bus ticket? (apologies if Wix has deleted the photo, I think it thinks it is rude!)
August pub ticking began on a Call Connect bus north out of Sleaford surrounded by a selection of sweet old ladies, on what prove to be a particularly Thirsty Thursday as my Lincs obsession continued apace.
The Cranwell Village crones soon depart and I'm the only remaining customer, so I press the bell. "Where d'you want dropping mate?" asks the 16 year old driver, showing Call Connect's taxi-esque approach to these localist of bus services.
"Anywhere 'ere mate" I reply, acting like I know Leasingham like the back of my hand.
I love it when the first pub of the day turns out to be the best, because I'm sober enough to appreciate it. Community thrummer Duke of Wellington, Leasingham (2602 / 4497) is certainly throbbing on this unlikely Thursday lunchtime. At first, I thought the boss lady is a ghost tour guide, giving it straight to a coach load of lost American tourists. But after consultation with the gorge barmaid duo, it turns out this is a pub quiz. A pub quiz on a lunchtime? I cannot compute. But I approve. The Woodforde's Reedlighter is drinking excellently, as a pull up a leather pew around the corner. I'd already made a good impression, but when they clock Colin the Cauliflower, well my stock improves further (as it should be in all good pubs). My fav barmaid is sent by the kitchen staff to ask me ".... but why a Cauliflower?" and it is a tough one to explain, without slagging off Alex the Apple. She really got pub ticking, quick as flash, and within two minutes of explaining it had drawn me up an itinery of which order I should approach the pubs in. Something I stuck to religiously. Meanwhile, I'm getting into the quiz and although I fail to realise Denmark is the only country to end in a 'K' , I do better on the lakes and rivers. I like quiz lady too, she rolls her eyes at me re 'what she's up against with some of these high maintenance locals'. Especially when she asks which country contains the most lakes, and she's asked "in what sense?" "In the sense of 'number of lakes' contained within!" she replies curtly. Barmaid asks if I can re-take the action shot of her pulling my pint, because she looks too moody in the original, and on that note, I show them all my lengthy bus ticket and leave. I feel like I became an honorary Leasingham resident in my short time here.
The staff also helped me work out a route back towards Sleaford without having to walk on that horrid scary A road.
This was pub two, on a roundabout just to the north of town.
It had been a trying week for #BeerTwitter as Abbot's Ale had won the silver medal in the beer of the year awards. And because 'they' associate it, not only with 'evil' Greene King, but also with cheap and cheerful Wetherspoons, they had to convince their followers that it is a badly brewed beer, and weren't slagging it off for reasons of snobbery, honest guv! Well following on from recent good 2023 Abbot pints in York's usually shite Golden Lion and North Berwick's fabulously unfashionable Auld Hoose, I was desperate to try it here at the Jolly Scotchman, Holdingham (2603 / 4498). Another friendly barmaid has a bit of chatter with me about it as her purple hair reflects off the well polished pub fittings, but tells me she's more of a Rekorderlig gal, and I could do worse than give it a try, but I tell her I'll leave it for 'my next visit here' thanks very much. It is a happy bright GK one roomer, unashamedly chainy in feel, menus the size of a seized Rolf wobble-board, but a pub embraced by its locals. I got the impression Sleaford folk don't take themselves too seriously, perhaps a bit more relaxed and at ease than their more northerly Lincs compatriots? As pub favourite "I bless the rains down in Africa" blares out, once again I feel myself feeling surprisingly contented. Oh, and the Abbot was great.
Right, I'll leave it there for the night. It has been a long Bank Holiday weekend and your eyes are probably sleepy. Also, I have considerably less to say about the other three pubs in part 2, which I'm hoping will be with you on Wednesday because my friends are being crazy and wanting to go out tmw.
Thanks for reading as always, Si
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