August Bank Holiday Sunday seems a long time ago now, probably because it was, and I was half way through a thoroughly rewarding Daddy BRAPA sponsored car day in rural Lincolnshire.
Rewarding because all SIX pubs I visited today retained their place in the 2024 GBG. Obviously, I didn't know that at the time. Winner winner, tickin' dinner!
The village of Swineshead was a hive of activity. Swinefest was in full swing! We park around the corner, and run the gauntlet of a dodgy covers band, teenagers running around with burgers looking for the village sauce bottle, and folk taking shelter under their coats and brollies pretending it is a summer's day - honest guv.
Thanks to mystery black t-shirt man for doing the outdoor pose so we didn't have to struggle:
Unsurprisingly, it is standing room only in the front bar at Green Dragon, Swineshead (2632 / 4527) but as I crane my neck whilst waiting for my skinny latte of a Theakstons Mild to be pulled, I spy a back room and we manage to secrete ourselves into a tight wooden bench as unflappable blokes throw darts in our eyeline. It ain't the comfiest but just a relief to get sat down, and I appreciate a good traditional 'games room'. Most of the other folk are glancing up as Sheffield Utd (in the days before their spirit was broken) are putting in a plucky display against Haaland and his men. Chaotic atmosphere? Plucky Sheff U v Man City? This was so similar to my experience in Salisbury's Deacons, I'm surprised it isn't until now that I've made the comparison. Though this lot would win in a fight easy. On the way out, the band are playing 'Hotel California' , a song Daddy BRAPA can't stand. Neither can I, but I got in trouble for saying so on Twitter/X because the vast majority of #PubMen are of a generation between us two (age 50-65 approx), and love this shit - note to self : know your audience!
Our final two pubs today were north of this little Bostonly pocket of Lincs in a Lincolnwards direction.
First up, this one, and it wouldn't be a BRAPA summer without a 'jaunty seated pose':
"Ya can tell we're getting more into North Lincs!" Daddy BRAPA comments confidentially out of the side of his mouth as we assess the scene at Penny Farthing, Timberland (2633 / 4528). Everyone that little bit more morose, solemn, lugubrious if you will! The general atmosphere is a bit duller, pub a bit dimmer, didn't smile like our previous four. True, it could've been classic '5th pub of the day syndrome' on my part. Especially when you consider I then got stuck into a very daunting pint of Bateman's XXXB, a beer that does for me more than ESB, red wine etc etc, ruins me more than any other! Sheff Utd v Haaland is still going on, looks like the Blades are being increasingly blunted. Colin starts misbehaving, everyone else wheels in a buggy, and the barmaid was too young to serve, so Muma had to take over.
Last up, in true Lincs style, a real oddity, but a gooddity ......
Errrm, Ripon Arms, Nocton (2634 / 4529) is that really you? Same thing as the Nocton Hub? Thankfully, an indoor plasma confirms it. This community classic was surprisingly addictive, didn't feel much like a pub, didn't really even feel like a club, more 'community centre'. Like whoever designed it had never been in a pub, and just read a brief description. All Nocton life was here, grandparents to
great grandkids and everything in between. As much coffee and chocolate bars as beer going on, but unlike 90% of Lincs venues, they take their ale PROPER seriously. Like, they tell me my FAB might not be so fab. Well, it tastes 70-80% decent to me, but you know what it's like when people put and idea in your head and then watch nervously as you take a sip? I ask them to change it for something 100%, and I'm not kidding, probably the best quality beer I've ever had in Lincolnshire. Such nice people too, chunky Kit Kat to wash it down. A baby starts screaming, I'm too tipsy to care. Focus on the spinning Kit Kat. Sunday was the only day this place opens before dusk, 7:30pm on a Saturday for heaven's sake (though I did have a 'nocturnal in Nocton' blog title in the bank), but all was forgiven after this fine effort.
Join me on Friday, when I've got a right Skegness adventure to tell you about.
Have a very Thirsty Thursday, Si
